I don't have time to go to the gym and I am thinking to buy the X machine. It is quite expensive and before buying it I would like to know if it really works PDF Print E-mail
 
Questions like this about "miraculous" machines are very common.
The truth is that you don't need any machine to train effectively.
In fact if you are an athlete, you should avoid them altogether. They create bad habits since they force you to train in a strictly predetermined movement pattern, something that never happens during the practice of a sport.
The best way to train is using free weights. Barbells, dumbbells, kettle bells or your own bodyweight.
You can create your own home gym with a set of dumbbells a barbell and several pounds of weights. Believe it or not, they cost less than 3 months fees in a regular gym.
Training at home allows you to train in your own environment, use the music you like and train any time you like without having to pack ,drive or look for parking.
Some, dough that they can train effectively in a home gym. Nothing can be further from the truth.
If you don't have space for a home gym you, kettle bells and bodyweight exercises can be a great options. A kettle bell does not occupy much space and you can train with it anywhere, even outdoors. You will be amazed of how well you can train with just 1 kettle bell. Combine kettle bell exercises with bodyweight exercises and you can create an extremely effective training regiment.
Sand bags and rubber bands are also valuable tools. The sand bag is the most inexpensive and one of the most powerful and effective training equipment.
It is also one of the oldest. The ancient Greeks used them to train wrestlers and Pancration fighters. You can build your own sandbag very easily.
You should know that even professional athletes at very high level, especially in combat sports, are training with very simple tools, free weights, kettle bells and bodyweight exercises. Just take a look at the training of the worlds best MMA fighters like Fedor Emelianenko, Randy Couture and others.
Since these Super Athletes train using these simple tools, you can do it also.
The reason that many commercial gyms emphasize using machines with their client is based on marketing strategies.
It is much easier to have someone train in a machine than spending time and man hours to teach him the proper technique in bodyweight drills or free weight exercises.
If you decide to go to a gym find a good  place with serious trainees and with lots of free weights, never evaluate it based on the kind and value of the machines that it has.




The Greek kettle bell camp. Olympic free weights and tons of kettle bells. A really serious place to train.
A place that produces world champions.
No machines in here. Only tons of iron and Strong Athletes.

Video:

Our coach Pantelis Filikidis (age 58) performing a bottom's up press with a 45 kg bell for 5 reps.


Returning to the original question.
If you don't have time to go to a gym or you don't have space to build your own you may train with your own bodyweight.
Try the following Circuit:
10 push ups
5 pull ups
15 sit ups
20 bodyweight squats
Set the clock for 20 min and do as many circuits of the above as you can in this time frame. Believe me, this will erase from your mind, any idea of spending money on a machine.