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During the pandemic, almost all of us have bought some or other exercise equipment to keep ourselves fit and motivated during the pandemic. Among all, foldable, compact, multi-functional home gym equipment saw a huge upsurge in sales. And, that was quite expected because many of us do not have ample space to buy too many products.
Fitness desks are one such product that has gathered a lot of attention these days. These decks are larger than steppers and have huge foldable legs that you can use to make them function like a stepper, a plyometric box, a ramp, and a workout bench.
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Buying Guide and Frequently Asked Questions
Fitness decks are not as good as exercise bench but they are still better for small spaces
Image source: Dmoose
Look at the above image. While fitness decks can handle your pressure and weight, a solid workout bench will obviously give you more confidence to train in any way you want.
Weight benches have a very high weight-bearing capacity. Plus, they are highly stable and more reliable for bench work. Check out FLYBIRD Adjustable Bench and Fitness Reality 1000 Weight Bench for example. These benches are the ones that you can trust for benching with 100 or 150lbs of weight.
But, if you aren’t really training with so much weight, fitness decks should be good for you. You can buy a pair of adjustable dumbbells and that will eliminate the need for multiple sets of weights lying around your already cluttered small home gym.
Fitness decks are perfect for fast-paced workouts
That’s what they are actually meant for. These decks are pretty easy to adjust. It takes just a few seconds to convert them into whichever form you want. They are highly reliable for HIIT and circuit training. You don’t have to worry about fiddling with the levers and letting your heart rate drop.
Most fitness decks have slots for resistance bands, so you can even add resistance training to your workouts.
Features to look for while buying fitness decks
Most fitness decks have standard dimensions and a pretty standard design. There is not much invention or improvement that any manufacturer can possibly do except improving the overall quality of the product.
Here are some of the basic features of fitness decks that you should check out carefully and ensure that no compromises have been made in these aspects.
They should have a highly grippy rubber surface at the top
Fitness decks are meant to be used as steppers, plyometric boxes, and ramps. So, a rubber layer at the top is mandatory. The layer should be grippy with grooves to make your landing pretty stable on it. The rubber layer shouldn’t be restricted to just a small section at the top where you are most likely to place your feet. Rather, the entire top surface and the edges and sides should have a grippy coating so you can workout confidently knowing that you aren’t going to slip off in case you misplace your feet.
Image Source: Amazon
Look at the rubber traction that Reebok uses in its updated versions of fitness decks. No matter how hard and how fast you jump on and off it, you aren’t going to lose your stability.
Cheaper decks, however, do not have such heavily tractioned top surfaces. They have a very basic top surface with rubber bumps that are enough for beginners and casual trainers.
Fitness decks should be heavy and stable
You don’t want them to tip over or slide off while exercising. So, it is extremely necessary to choose a product that you can rely on. The best fitness decks should have rubber lining on the underside of the feet to make them stay stable during fast-paced workouts. Good quality fitness decks should also be heavy enough to stay stable on their own.
To improve the stability of the fitness decks, always use them on proper home gym floorings. Tiles and carpets aren’t that reliable for exercising.
Fitness decks should have legs that lock properly
You don’t want the legs to get unlocked during the middle of your workout and make you come crashing on the ground. Most fitness decks have legs that utilize plastic levers to stay locked in. These levers are otherwise quite sturdy and reliable but, make sure you try it out and see how reliable the legs are.
Wrap Up
Fitness decks are specifically designed for cardio workouts to improve your stamina and strength. If you need more cardio home gym equipment, do check out our list of best treadmills, best rowing machines, best spin bikes, and best ellipticals for home gym.
If you are looking for resistance bands that you can attach to these fitness decks, check out our list of best resistance bands that you can use for a full-body workout.
We have also created some helpful guides on ‘how much space do you need for a home gym’, how to have the best home gym lighting, Can You Put a Home Gym on the Second Floor?, and How To Prevent Your Home Gym From Smelling Like a Typical Gym.
We keep adding helpful product reviews and informative content frequently, so keep reading our blog. Do get in touch with us if you have any query or suggestion.