List of Gym Machine Names

When you go to a fitness gym, you'll find various equipment such as cardio machines, strength machines, and free weights. However, since their names are usually in English, gym beginners might not know which machine is which.

This article provides a list of gym machine names.

List of Cardio Machines

Treadmill

A treadmill is a fitness machine for running or walking indoors. It is commonly referred to as a "running machine" and home-use versions are sometimes called "room runners."

Upright Bike

An upright bike is a bicycle-type cardio machine. Similar to a bicycle, it is used in an upright posture and is distinct from the recumbent bike described later. It is also known as an exercise bike or stationary bike.

Recumbent Bike

Unlike the upright bike above, a recumbent bike allows you to sit back against a backrest and pedal with your feet extended forward. Because it can be used in a more relaxed posture compared to an upright bike, it is often used for lower-intensity cardio exercises.

Cross Trainer

A cross trainer is a cardio machine that involves moving your arms and legs back and forth, developed by Precor in 1990. It is also called an elliptical. While mimicking the motion of running, unlike a treadmill, there is no impact from the ground, so it doesn't strain the joints. It is very effective for cardio exercises when recovering from injuries.

Stair Climber

 

A stair climber is a cardio machine that provides resistance by climbing rotating stairs. It is also called a stair mill. Stair climbers are very close to the actual motion of climbing stairs, making them highly effective not only for cardiovascular load but also for strengthening lower body muscles.

Rowing Machine

A rowing machine is a cardio exercise machine that replicates the motion of rowing a boat. It is also called a rower or rowing ergometer. Similar to a stair climber, it combines both cardio and strength training, and since it is a low-impact exercise, it is also ideal for those who want to avoid stressing their joints.

Strength Machine List

Lat Pulldown

The lat pulldown is a machine primarily used to train the latissimus dorsi muscles in the back. "Lat" is an abbreviation for "Latissimus dorsi." Typically, as shown in the image, most machines involve pulling down a lat pulldown bar, but there are also isolateral types with independent arms and types that move in a circular path.

Seated Row

The seated row is also a machine for training the back, but unlike the lat pulldown, it involves a pulling motion of a handle (bar) while seated. Since it uses a low pulley, it is also called a low pulley row, or simply pulley row, low pulley, or cable row. 

Lower Back

The lower back machine primarily targets the erector spinae muscles in the back, hence its name "Lower Back." The motion involves raising the body from a bent-over position, and the mechanism is largely consistent across different manufacturers.

Chin & Dip

The chin and dip machine, as its name suggests, is for performing chin-ups and dips. Machines with a counterbalance, as shown in the image, assist in the movement, making them safe for beginner trainees. Stand-alone types without a counterbalance can also be used for abdominal exercises like leg raises.

Shoulder Press

The shoulder press is a machine primarily used to train the deltoid muscles in the shoulder. As shown in the image, many types have multi-grip handles, allowing you to vary the load depending on your grip. Some manufacturers also name it "Deltoid Press," as the deltoid muscle is called "Deltoid" in English.

Chest Press

The chest press is a machine primarily used to train the pectoralis major muscle in the chest. There are various types of chest press machines, including those with a convergent path that squeezes the pectoralis major, and those with a circular path as shown in the image above. There are also incline chest press machines for targeting the upper pectoralis major and decline chest press machines for the lower pectoralis major.

Pec Fly

The pec fly is also a machine for training the pectoralis major, but the movement differs from the chest press. "Fly" is derived from "Butterfly," and the motion involves opening the chest wide and then bringing both arms together towards the center of the body. Therefore, it is also called a butterfly machine. Furthermore, by reversing the body's orientation, the pec fly can train the posterior deltoid muscles, which is why the machine is often named "Pec Fly/Rear Delt."

Pullover Machine

The pullover machine primarily trains the pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi muscles. The dumbbell pullover is a well-known exercise, but this machine is designed to allow the same movement with higher weights and greater safety. It is often not available in general gym chains, so if you see one, be sure to try it out.

Arm Curl Machine

The arm curl machine targets the biceps brachii. As shown in the image above, there are arm curl machines where the left and right arms are independent and used in an upright position, and types where the elbows are fixed on a pad in a slightly leaning forward posture, pulling a bar with both arms. The latter is also known as a preacher curl machine.

Abdominal Crunch

An abdominal crunch machine is used to train the abdominal muscles. While bodyweight crunches using a sit-up bench are popular, there are also specialized machines for abdominal exercises that apply resistance using weights.

Leg Extension

 

The leg extension is an exercise where you extend the knee joint while seated on the machine, primarily training the quadriceps. It has a low risk of injury and is easy for anyone to use, making it a popular machine for people of all ages and genders. There is also a machine called a Leg Extension & Curl, which combines the leg extension with the leg curl (described later), and is particularly popular in personal and home gyms.

Seated Leg Curl

The seated leg curl is an exercise where you flex the knee joint while seated on the machine, primarily training the hamstrings. Like the leg extension, it has a low risk of injury and allows for safe hamstring training. The lying leg curl, performed lying face down, is also popular.

Leg Press

The leg press is a machine that broadly trains the thigh and gluteal muscles, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. There are various types of leg presses, but the most common is the 45-degree angled plate-loaded type. While it is used by advanced lifters for heavy exercises, it is also a convenient machine for beginner trainees to use easily.

Adductor Abductor

The adductor abductor is a machine that combines an adductor machine for training the inner thighs and an abductor machine for training the outer thighs. The adductor motion involves bringing both legs together from an open position, while the abductor motion involves opening both legs outwards from a closed position. It is a popular machine, especially among women, as it effectively trains the gluteal muscles.

Calf Raise

The calf raise machine is used to train the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus). The image above shows a standing type, but there is also a seated calf raise machine where you perform the exercise in a seated position.Since other machines like the leg press can also be used to perform calf raises, they are often not implemented in general gyms.

Hip Thrust

 

The hip thrust is a machine that primarily trains the gluteus maximus, and some manufacturers also call it a glute drive. While barbell hip thrusts are also popular, the machine version is easier to use, making it especially recommended for women.

Cable Crossover

The cable crossover is a machine that trains the pectoralis major, involving pulling cables from both sides and crossing them in front of the body. Cable exercises offer high flexibility as the trajectory of movement changes with the position of the pulley and the body's angle, making it slightly challenging for beginner trainees. On the other hand, it is preferred by intermediate and advanced trainees for its ability to precisely target specific muscles.

Smith Machine

The Smith machine is a training machine where the barbell moves up and down along a predetermined rail. It offers higher safety than free weights and is convenient for beginner trainees to perform exercises like bench presses and squats. It is also useful for advanced trainees when performing high-weight exercises such as incline presses and shoulder presses.

Dual Adjustable Pulley

The dual adjustable pulley is a machine designed to perform almost all cable exercises with a single unit. It is also referred to as a functional trainer or cable machine. In addition to the cable crossover mentioned above, it can train the entire body through exercises such as press downs, arm curls, lateral raises, crunches, and kickbacks.

Conclusion

We have introduced a list of gym machine names. This article only covers basic machines, but there are many other specialized machines available from various manufacturers.

If you have any questions about gym machines, please feel free to contact Uchino Gym.