If you're really sincere about pursuing a fitness regimen, I'm sure you've considered building a home gym. It can become the special place where you undergo physical and mental training in a Zen-like manner away from the hectic world outside and away from a busy commercial gym where all your friends hang out.

I'm certain you've given some thought as to which fitness equipment you want installed in your gym. You've probably done a lot of reading on Internet fitness sites and discovered most of them have little information and a few are actually unsafe. When you look at glossy ads, trying to make a decision, you find it difficult to determine which equipment will benefit you and which can cause you harm.

One machine that can produce great gains relative to its cost, and one you'll never likely outgrow, is a rowing machine. True, it's not a very versatile piece of equipment like a barbell or an exercise ball, and it can be a very expensive purchase, but it's not nearly as pricy as a good treadmill.

The cost of the superior model of rowing machines and that of treadmills are very different, and I will tell you why. Treadmills have all sorts of electronics and mechanical parts, as well as the need to withstand the impact of people running, no matter what their size. The rowing machine, however, is less complex, so those parts don't have as high a price.

You may think a rowing machine offers only a single set of exercises, and the only thing you can vary is repetitions. However, it is possible to perform the same types of sprints and distance training you do on a treadmill or stationary bicycle. The significant difference with a rower is the workout you give your arms and chest.

It does have its limitations, though. A rowing machine isn't all that useful for developing most beach muscles. Your abs, triceps, chest, and shoulders will need added work to balance what the back, biceps, legs, and butt get with the rower. And, at least for your legs, it does lock you into one pattern of movement, so you probably don't want to use a rowing machine as your only exercise lest you risk repetitive strain injuries.