Gym equipment names

Perhaps knowing the exact names of gym machines is not your top priority when buying a machine for your home gym room. Some of these machines are standalone and you can usually find them only in professional gyms, but some are incorporated into home gym stations. That’s why you should try to learn gym equipment names just to better understand what each machine does for your body.

In addition, if you decide to go to a regular gym someday, you probably don’t want to be like those guys walking around the room saying they will use “that” machine over there or “the other one”.

This is a brief overview of the most popular and common gym machines:

1. The bench press machine

The bench press machine is probably the most famous piece of gym equipment. It is designed for chest workouts, but it trains shoulders and triceps as well. All machines in this category have adjustable seats and weight stacks and they are seated, incline or decline.

2. The chest fly machine

The chest fly machine (also called pec fly machine) only targets one group of muscles – the chest. Available in two models, seated and supine, these machines are equipped with pads for increased comfort and allow you to adjust the distance between the pads. Although exercises done with this gym machine also involve triceps and shoulders, these only act as stabilizers so they are not pumped and strengthen during the fly chest routine.

3. Shoulder press machine

As its name implies, shoulder press machine works the shoulders, but also tones and shapes the triceps. Handles are pulled over head with slow, controlled motions, and lowered back to ear level, elbows being kept bent during the exercises.

4. Lat pull-down machine

Lat pull-down gym machine is for compound exercises, working the muscles in shoulders, biceps, neck, upper and mid back. The natural arch in the lower back should be maintained throughout the routine to prevent injuries and muscles should be contracted during the movements for maximum benefits.

5. Cable row machine

Cable row machine is another machine designed for compound exercises. The cable row works mainly the upper and middle back muscles, but involves the lats, biceps and lower back muscles as well, strengthening and toning them. The grasp should be firm on the vertical grips and the body’s alignment should be maintained during the exercises to avoid back injuries.

6. Biceps curl bench

Biceps curl bench is designed for isolation exercises, its main purpose is to work your biceps. It is one of the easiest to use machine, the needed adjustments being limited to adapting the seat height.

7. Triceps extension bar

Triceps extension bar is an isolation tool for targeting the triceps muscles. This tool is also very easy to use. For performing the exercises correctly, the ABS should be maintained tight, the chest up and the back straight.

8. The leg press machine

The leg press machine is for compound exercises, working the quadriceps, calves and hamstrings at the same time. It is equipped with a backrest, an adjustable seat and a leg press. For correctly performing exercises with this machine, legs should be bent and extended slowly and knees should be maintained in a soft lock position.

9. The leg extension machine

Unlike the leg press, leg extension only targets and shapes the quadriceps. Besides keeping the muscles contracted while performing the exercise, you should also pay attention to respiration, exhaling as you straighten the legs and inhaling as you return to the initial position.

10. The abduction or adduction machine

The abduction or adduction machine is equipped with a backrest and a seat with adjustable pads. Routines performed on this machine involve, as the name suggests, abduction and adduction movements, the targeted muscles being the inner and outer thighs.

11. Abdominal crunch machine

Abdominal crunch machine is an isolation machine that only targets the abdominal muscles. This machine is intensely used for crunches by people trying to achieve ripped ABS. For noticeable results and for avoiding injuries, elbows have to be placed against the pads while the head and neck have to be maintained in a neutral position.

12. The back extension machine

The back extension machine is ideal for isolation exercises. This machine targets the lower back muscles, but does not work the abdominal muscles, although they are involved in the movements as well. Footplate should be adjusted to 90 degrees angle of knees and thighs should be positioned against the seat.

There are, of course, many other gym tools and machines, but these could be found in almost every professional gym. Now, when you are familiar with the most common gym equipment names, it will surely be easier for you to know what gym machine to use when you want to train and tone a specific body area!

P.S. In other articles, we will cover the most popular home gym equipment.