Cardio Online Superstore

Most flat benches fail one of two ways: the frame flexes under heavy pressing, or the pad gap leaves your spine unsupported at lockout. My Editor's Pick is the Impulse IT7009 Ultimate Flat Bench at $529 — commercial frame, gap-free pad. Runner-up is the York FTS Flat Bench at $299 for the mass-market buyer wanting a permanent pure flat.

Most cheap adjustable benches fail the same way. Solid in the shop, then six months in the ladder pin engages a millimetre off-square, your spine drops half-an-inch on every press, and the bench ends up under the spare bed. My Editor's Pick is the UFC Deluxe FID Adjustable Bench at $349 — 250 kg combined capacity, six back-pad angles, the bench I put in most client home gyms under $400.

The best cross trainer for most Australians right now is the Lifespan X-41 at $719. It's my Editor's Pick from a lineup spanning $310 to $10,999. If you want a touchscreen and a lifetime frame warranty, the Sole E35 at $3,199 is my Runner-up.

The 15 best power rack exercises are: back squat, front squat, pin squat, Romanian deadlift, rack pull, bench press, overhead press, floor press, pull-up, Pendlay row, inverted row, dead-stop deadlift, isometric mid-thigh pull, hanging leg raise, and anchored banded row. A power rack turns a barbell, a couple of plates and an empty corner of your garage into a complete strength training system.

Zone 2 training is one of the most evidence-backed methods for building aerobic fitness, burning fat, and improving long-term cardiovascular health — and the exercise bike is the best machine you can use for it at home. According to the Cleveland Clinic, Zone 2 training sits at 60–70% of your maximum heart rate. That's the intensity where your body burns fat as its primary fuel, your mitochondria multiply, and your cardiovascular system gets stronger without the recovery debt that harder sessions demand.

Treadmill, exercise bike or cross trainer? I compare calorie burn, joint impact and muscle activation to choose the right cardio machine for your home gym.