Best Home Gyms - Who Can You Trust When Buying Online Part 2

This is the second part of a report entitled Best Home Gyms - Who Can You Trust When Buying Online. You can read the first part of the report by visiting http://home-fitness-equipment.blogspot.com

Now for some more tips on buying the best home gyms online.

4. Knowledge

If you're new to the whole fitness equipment scene and you need a bit of advice you should be able to get helpful advice on what equipment suits your needs. It's not very convincing when the people selling the equipment don't now any more about it than you do.

5. Customer Service and Satisfaction

This is very important! The company should offer service guarantees and in home repairs by a certified technician where appropriate. The last thing you want is to buy from a company that has poor follow up service.

Ideally they should also provide an option to return the equipment "no questions asked" so that the risk of the purchase is all on the vendor. If you decide within a set period of time after the purchase that you don't want the equipment anymore they with give you a full refund.

Sadly, there is only one online supplier that I know of who offers a "30-day no questions asked return policy"

Want to know who? Save yourself hours of research by receiving a list of the top most reputable online suppliers. Send a blank email to mailto:specialreport@home-gym-buyers-guide.com

6. Testimonials

Look for customer testimonials or reviews from other websites. There is no better way to remove any doubts you might have by reading what other home gym equipment buyers have said about the business. It can also help in choosing the best equipment as well.

If they don't have any on their website send them an email and ask them to send you some. Oh, and if their customer service is up to scratch they should respond to your email quickly...;)

7. Price of equipment

There is nothing worse than buying something and then seeing somewhere that you could have bought it cheaper somewhere else...it's happened to everyone I know!

Although most websites will offer a 110% guarantee on the prices of their equipment some of the smaller websites or those selling their own line of equipment may not.

Don't let this put you off though...

You will usually find that those websites that sell their own brand of home gym equipment are a lot cheaper and better value compared to the more established brand name machines.

Now that you are armed with this information it should take the stress out of buying online and push you closer to owning one of the best home gyms.

Best Home Gyms - Who Can You Trust When Buying Online(Part1)

Many people think that compared to a traditional bricks and mortar business, finding the best home gyms and then buying them through an online business is too risky.

I say baloney!

If you use some common sense, purchasing the best home gyms online can be no more risky than its bricks and mortar competitor. The best thing is that 99% of the time it is a lot cheaper.
The problem is common sense is not very common and people dive straight into their pocket, pull out their credit card and start spending before they even think. Before you decide to get the plastic out do your own due diligence.

Below is a list of key points that you should check off against potential suppliers of the best home gyms.

1. Warranty

Its crazy how many people buy exercise equipment online without checking how much warranty the machine has got. Most of the equipment from top line brands are covered by a good warranty so you don't have to worry too much there. But some of the lesser known brands or companies might have poor warranties so check them out.

Usually you will find that the frame has a lifetime warranty but the labor, parts and motor only have 6 months to 3 years. The last thing you want is your machine to breakdown after 9 months and to not be covered!

2. Shipping

Some online companies include shipping, some have reduced shipping and some do not. You want to make sure the company clearly states the shipping charges. Don't waste your time with a company that surprises you with a shipping fee when you have added the product to your shopping cart.

Often companies will give you extra options with your shipping like delivery and installation or delivery up to the 1st or 2nd floor. Depending on where you live these are often worth the extra small fee.

3. How Long Have They Been In Business

You should always check how long a company has been in business. These days it is easy to put up a website in 24 hours and start cashing checks. The last thing you want to do is buy from a website that is here today and gone tomorrow.

You can easily check a businesses reputation or credibility by going to www.alexa.com and typing in the domain name and doing a search. Around the middle of the page is some information on the business including how long they have been online.

Another way to tell is by the website itself. A lot of the better business will give you phone numbers or show awards and independent reviews of their business.

Once again a bit of due diligence goes a long way.

To read the second part of the article titled, Best Home Gyms - Who Can You Trust When Buying Online (Part 2) visit http://home-fitness-equipment.blogspot.com

Keys Treadmills in review

Keys treadmills are a good quality range of treadmills offering brilliant motor warranties and some nice features. They are priced between $1,000 to $2,300 so offer a quality machine at a cost effective price.

The best feature of the keys treadmills is the motor warranty which is set to 10 years. One of the most important parts of a treadmill is the motor and if it breaks down the repair cost can usually be quite hefty. With a 10 year warranty you will have no such worries. This also provides testament to the durability of their machines.

If you are on the heavier side of normal or expect to be using the treadmill a lot then a keys treadmill might be worth looking at further.

What amazes me is although the machines have a 10 year motor warranty they are only priced in the mid-price range. A lot of commercial treadmills that have 10 years motor warranties are priced $5000 and up. Some even approach $10,000

Keys Fitness, manufacturer all their treadmills in the USA but import parts from overseas to help them stay competitive. As a result their machines may not as high a quality of other machines made solely in the US where an eye can be kept over the production process.

Advantages

The price tag of these machines range from as little as $1,000 and as high as $2,300. For this price, you’ll get a 10 year motor warranty and a lifetime warranty on frames. If durability is your number one concern then Keys treadmills offer a serious advantage over other brands.

Disadvantages

Not being made entirely in America they may not be of the same finish and structural quality of other better known brands. Also $2,000 might be a bit steep for some people so you might be better off looking at cheaper treadmills that still have a decent motor warranty.

Recommendation

Although this brand is known for having average structural quality, newer models have been showing some improvements. For most people a 10 year warranty is no essential 3-5 years will suffice. I recommend for those people that you look at other brands with a lower motor warranty but better overall quality.

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Dean Iggo is a keen fitness enthusiast and home gym user. He is also the webmaster of home-gym-buyers-guide.com a website providing unbiased treadmill reviews and tips.

Image Treadmills - The cheapest treadmills in the Icon range

Image treadmills are a well known brand, being made by the world recognized company, Icon Health and Fitness. Icon produce a number of high quality brands including Proform, Weslo and Healthrider as well as licenses to the popular Golds Gym and Reebok brands. However despite this proud family of fitness equipment I believe the Image treadmill range is the runt of the litter!

Don't get me wrong...Image treadmills have there place in the market but if you are serious about exercising at home for the long run (excuse the pun) then you should look at better quality machines.

The first thing that makes me suspicious is...the price. The treadmills range from between $400 to $1700. If you expect to spend $500 and buy a good quality treadmill that will last for years and years then you're kidding yourself. This might also reflect why they are the least popular of the Icon range of fitness equipment.

Also the warranty on the machines is only 90 days. This is very low and probably a reflection of their quality. Most decent treadmills have at least a 6 month warranty so this in itself would put me off the range.

However...if you really are on a budget the only image treadmill I would recommend is the Image 10.0 treadmill.

Advantages

Image treadmills belong to the low to mid price category with treadmills priced from as low as $400 to some as high as $1,700 however most are less than $1000. They have a good range of features including heart rate monitors and impact absorption. The Image 10.0 treadmill is the best model.

Disadvantages

Being in a low price range makes you question their quality and durability. The 90 day warranty is further proof that this is a budget range. It is the least popular brand in the Icon range which suggests that customer testimonials are quite average.

Recommendation

In conclusion, I don't recommend buying Image treadmills due to their poor quality and warranty. Dont expect their treadmills to be problem-free for long. If however, if you really are on a tight budget then the Image 10.0 treadmill is a good budget treadmill to consider.

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Dean Iggo is a keen fitness enthusiast and home gym user. He is also the webmaster of home-gym-buyers-guide.com a website providing unbiased home exercise equipment tips and reviews.

Best Home Gyms - Who Can You Trust When Buying Online (Part 2)

This is the second part of a report entitled Best Home Gyms - Who Can You Trust When Buying Online.

Now for some more tips on buying the best home gyms online.

4. Knowledge

If you're new to the whole fitness equipment scene and you need a bit of advice you should be able to get helpful advice on what equipment suits your needs. It's not very convincing when the people selling the equipment don't now any more about it than you do.

5. Customer Service and Satisfaction

This is very important! The company should offer service guarantees and in home repairs by a certified technician where appropriate. The last thing you want is to buy from a company that has poor follow up service.

Ideally they should also provide an option to return the equipment "no questions asked" so that the risk of the purchase is all on the vendor. If you decide within a set period of time after the purchase that you don't want the equipment anymore they with give you a full refund.

Sadly, there is only one online supplier that I know of who offers a "30-day no questions asked return policy"

Want to know who? Save yourself hours of research by receiving a list of the top most reputable online suppliers. Send a blank email to mailto:freereport@home-gym-buyers-guide.com

6. Testimonials

Look for customer testimonials or reviews from other websites. There is no better way to remove any doubts you might have by reading what other home gym equipment buyers have said about the business. It can also help in choosing the best equipment as well.
If they don't have any on their website send them an email and ask them to send you some. Oh, and if their customer service is up to scratch they should respond to your email quickly...;)

7. Price of equipment

There is nothing worse than buying something and then seeing somewhere that you could have bought it cheaper somewhere else...it's happened to everyone I know!

Although most websites will offer a 110% guarantee on the prices of their equipment some of the smaller websites or those selling their own line of equipment may not.

Don't let this put you off though...

You will usually find that those websites that sell their own brand of home gym equipment are a lot cheaper and better value compared to the more established brand name machines.

Now that you are armed with this information it should take the stress out of buying online and push you closer to owning one of the best home gyms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dean Iggo is a keen fitness enthusiast and home gym user. He is also the webmaster of home-gym-buyers-guide.com a website providing unbiased home gym equipment tips and reviews.

Best Home Gyms - Who Can You Trust When Buying Online (Part 1)

Many people think that compared to a traditional bricks and mortar business, finding the best home gyms and then buying them through an online business is too risky.

I say baloney!

If you use some common sense, purchasing one of the best home gyms can be no more risky than its bricks and mortar competitor. The best thing is that 99% of the time is a lot cheaper.
The problem is common sense is not very common and people dive straight into their pocket, pull out their credit card and start spending before they even think. Before you decide to get the plastic out do your own due diligence.

Below is a list of key points that you should check off against your potential supplier of the best home gyms.

1. Warranty

Its crazy how many people buy exercise equipment online without checking how much warranty the machine has got. Most of the equipment from top line brands are covered by a good warranty so you don't have to worry too much there. But some of the lesser known brands or companies might have small poor warranties so check them out.

Usually you will find that the frame has a lifetime warranty but the labor, parts and motor only have 6 months to 3 years. The last thing you want is your machine to breakdown after 9 months and to not be covered!

2. Shipping

Some online companies include shipping, some have reduced shipping and some do not. You want to make sure the company clearly states the shipping charges. Don't waste your time with a company that surprises you with a shipping fee when you have added the product to your shopping cart.

Often companies will give you extra options with your shipping like delivery and installation or delivery up to the 1st or 2nd floor. Depending on where you live these are often worth the extra small fee.

3. How Long Have They Been In Business

You should always check how long a company has been in business. These days it is easy to put up a website in 24 hours and start cashing checks. The last thing you want to do is buy from a website that is here today and gone tomorrow.

You can easily check a websites reputation or credibility by going to www.alexa.com and typing in the domain name and doing a search. Around the middle of the page is some information on the business including how long they have been online.

Another way to tell is by the website itself. A lot of the better business will give you phone numbers or show awards and independent reviews of their business.

Once again a bit of due diligence goes a long way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dean Iggo is a keen fitness enthusiast and home gym user. He is also the webmaster of home-gym-buyers-guide.com a website providing unbiased home gym equipment tips and reviews.

6 Features Found in all the Best Treadmills

Are you just plain fed up? If you have spent any time researching online for a treadmill, every site you visit tells you that they have the best treadmills, buy from us...we are the best...blah, blah, blah!!

It just makes me sick.

Everyone who is looking for a treadmill want the best treadmills (or best value in your price range) the problem is without some guidelines and direction, unsuspecting treadmill researchers can get sucked along by these all promising websites and then before they know find they have just forked out $3000 for the "best treadmill".

Before you start you online search make sure you know what you are looking for. If you don't know what features the best treadmills have or look like how will you know when you find one.
Let's have a look at 6 features that all the best treadmills have so that you can take control of the buying process.

1. Quality Brand Name

Most of the best treadmill brands have been around for years. This should be evidence enough that they are doing something right. Some of the better known brands include Precor, Proform, Smooth, Nordic Track, Life Fitness etc.

The problem with many of the well known brands is that you pay for their reputation. So if you have deep pockets you may need to look elsewhere.

You can still get good products from the lesser known brands just make sure they have a number of the following features.

2. Warranty

A strong indication of the quality of a treadmill is in the warranty. The longer the warranty the more confident you can be that it is going to last the distant and not need costly repairs every 6 months.

- For a remanufactured treadmill look for labor and parts warranty of at least 6 months and a motor warranty of at least 1 year

- For a new treadmill look for labor and parts warranty of at least 1 year and a motor warranty of 1-2 years.

- For commercial treadmills you should look for 2-3 years for labor, parts and motor.

3. Testimonials/Customer Satisfaction

Most online suppliers have testimonials of there products if not email them and ask if they have any. Not surprisingly the best treadmills also have the best testimonials. You can learn a lot from what past users of the equipment think so don't take this point lightly, it is one of the best ways to compare different models or different brands.

4. Quality Features

If you are paying good money for a treadmill you want it to have some bells and whistles!! Most of the best treadmills will have the standard features including pre set workouts, heart rate control, large incline range, high weight capacity plus a whole host of other helpful features like a reading rack, customized workouts, CD player, digital personal trainer to name a few.

The key is to get a list of two or three other quality treadmills that satisfy the other points in this list and then compare them for special features. There is no point buying a treadmill with an in built CD if the treadmill is always broken.

5. User friendly

You need to make sure the treadmill is user friendly, and by that I don't mean for other users I mean for you. Some treadmills have a low weight capacity or small stride length so if you are a particularly tall or heavy person you need to find out if the treadmill is appropriate for you.

Details of stride length and weight capacity are usually available with the treadmills
specifications.

6. Treadmill Price

Some people might be surprised to see price on this list, but hear me out on this one...
It's no good being the best treadmill if it's so expensive no one can buy it. To me price is a personal thing and only you can decide what your price is. If the best treadmill you can buy is $1500 then that's the best treadmill for you. The important thing is that you buy the best treadmill you can and start achieving your fitness goals.

What's your next step? Take what you've just learned and do your own research you'll be surprised how much easier it is to find the "best treadmill" when you have a clear idea of what your looking for.

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Dean Iggo is a keen fitness enthusiast and home gym user. He is also the webmaster of home-gym-buyers-guide.com. A website providing unbiased home exercise equipment tips and reviews.

5 Sure-Fire Tips To Save You $1000's On Your Home Gym

It always amazes me when people say "Home Gyms are expensive! I just don't have $1000's of dollars lying about" These people obviously haven't looked very hard because nowadays home gym equipment doesn't have to cost 2, 3 or even $4000 dollars.

Below are 5 great alternatives that won't cost you the earth but can do just a good a job as many of the commercial fitness equipment found in local gyms.

1. Dumbbells

For resistance weight training you can't go past dumbbells for their practicality and versatility. You can perform any number of exercises with dumbbells that even the more expensive weight machines can't do. These days you can get adjustable dumbbells which allow you to use add or remove weight from a single dumbbell with a simple pin, just like with traditional pin loaded weight machines.

This feature means you don't have to buy different weight dumbbells for different exercises and you save on floor space which can be used for cardio equipment like ellipticals or treadmills.

You can easily get a good quality quick change dumbbell set for less than $500. At that price you'd be silly to spend money on larger, muscle specific equipment even if you did have extra cash floating around.

2. Remanufactured

A lot of people these days are buying remanufactured exercise equipment, and for good reason. Remanufacturing involves taking a used machine and completely restoring it with new parts to make it look, feel and function like a new machine. Often the only part of the equipment that is not brand new is the frame.

By buying remanufactured or refurbished fitness equipment you can realistically save 50% off the normal, new retail price.

3. Used

Buying used or second-hand equipment can be a cost effective way of setting up your home gym. The only problem is you don't know how the previous owner treated the machine and if it has any problems. The last thing you want is for the machine to breakdown 6 weeks after buying it and finding out that it's not covered by warranty.

Sometimes the actual machine may seem like a bargain but future unforeseen expenses may make you regret your purchase. If at all possible get to test drive the machine and ask about the warranty.

4. Buy direct from the factory

Some online stores offer factory direct fitness equipment. By doing this you cut out the middle man and save big time. Remember just because it is cheap doesn't mean its poor quality. With so much competition online these days online suppliers are cutting costs to get market share. That means more money in your pocket!!

5. Added bonuses from reputable online suppliers

Some online suppliers will include free shipping with their products. This can greatly reduce the cost of piece of equipment if you add delivery to it.

Also make sure you check out the machines warranty. You can save yourself a lot of heart ache down the road if you make sure you're covered by a decent warranty which included motor, parts and labor.

Look for at least 6 months for parts and labor and 1 year for the motor for remanufactured equipment and 1-2 years parts, labor and motor for new equipment.

Now that you are armed with this information go and have a look around yourself you'll be surprised at what you find!

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Dean Iggo is a keen fitness enthusiast and home gym user. He is also the webmaster of home-gym-buyers-guide.com. A website providing unbiased home exercise equipment tips and reviews.

5 Big Reasons to Buy Adjustable Dumbbells

Just imagine if you could replace a room full of weight machines with one piece of fitness equipment without it costing you an arm or a leg! Well adjustable dumbbells might just be the solution you've been looking for.

Adjustable dumbbells are one of the best investments you can make in your home gym. If you are in need of some convincing, check out the following 5 reasons to grab your own adjustable dumbbell set.

1. Range of exercises

One of the main advantages of dumbbells over traditional weight machines is that you can perform a number of different exercises without changing machines. You can easily change from doing bicep curls to tricep kickbacks just by changing your body position. So instead of buying 4 different machines to get a total body workout you just need one adjustable dumbbell set.

2. Price

If you look around today you could easily spend $1000's of dollars on different pieces of exercise equipment just so that you can work different muscle groups. Surprisingly you can get a set of adjustable dumbbells for only $200-$300 depending on the weight of the set. Considering the range of exercise you can perform this is fantastic value for money!

Compare this price to your local gym membership and you'll quickly see why this is such good value.

3. Convenience of adjustability

This is what makes adjustable dumbbells so great and what differentiates them from traditional dumbbells. By using a simple quick change pin you can instantly change from one dumbbell weight to the next. Think of it like a pin loaded weight machine but with dumbbells. Because you change the dumbbell weight with a pin you don't need a room full of dumbbells which can get in the way and cost a lot of money.

4. Space

Unlike traditional dumbbells which need a dumbbell rack and lots of space to store, adjustable dumbbells sit on a stand so can be tucked away in a corner of a room. That way you can leave more space for the larger fitness equipment like ellipticals or treadmills.

If you have been putting off building your home gym because of a lack of space you now have no excuses!!

5. Maximum Muscular development

Dumbbells, also known as free weights, are the best for maximizing muscular development. Because they are less stable than machine weights you have to use more muscles (stabilizing muscles) to help support the weight and exercise with proper form. If you have every tried performing both a traditional bench press and a dumbbell press you'll know that using dumbbells are a lot harder.

A person who can bench press 200lb x 8 reps with a traditional bar will only be able to do 160lb (80lb per hand) x 8 reps with dumbbells simple because you have to work harder to stabilize the weight.

So there you have it. What excuses do you have now? Make a smart decision and put adjustable dumbbells at top of your home gym priority list.

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Dean Iggo is a keen fitness enthusiast and home gym user. He is also the webmaster of home-gym-buyers-guide.com. A website providing unbiased home exercise equipment tips and reviews.