Free Weights Exercise Equipment - The Essential Asset of a Home Gym
A discussion about free weights exercise equipment can get a little confusing since it covers such a wide range of equipment. Free weight home gyms can refer to a room that contains traditional dumbbells and barbells; or it may include machines that can mimic the range of body training movements that were only possible with free weights. Free Weights vs. Weight MachinesEssentially, weight machines try to emulate many of the advantages that users enjoy when lifting free weights. There are pros and cons to each type of free weights exercise equipment. For example: weight machines are safer when lifting heavy weights and you don’t need a spotter. Machines are also easier for novices to use especially if you are unfamiliar with the variety of presses, curls, flyes, rows, crossovers, and extensions (all of these home gym exercises are possible to do with free weights and resistance bands as well). Compare Prices of Dumbbells
Free weights are preferred by pros because they allow for the greatest range of natural motion; with machines you are often limited to a fixed plane of motion. Free weights also use more stabilizer muscles as the lifter must work to balance his body while picking up an un-tethered heavy weight. That being said, there is now free weights exercise equipment such as free motion and cable home gyms available that mimics some of the attributes of free weights. Many of these systems come with charts and instructional DVDs to help the novice learn the skills and variety of exercises possible on these machines. Starting Out: The Free Weights Set-UpTo create a basic home gym using free weights, you will want to purchase at a minimum:
Let’s take a moment to look at each of these individually.
Dumbbells come in either fixed or adjustable sets. A fixed set and a rack to hold them will take up a lot of space. Adjustable dumbbells are more affordable; and the chrome bar and clip will allow you to add or remove weight plates as you progress in your training. Compare Weights and Dumbbells Here
A barbell alone weighs about 45 pounds, so adding two 25-lb plates means you would be lifting 95 lbs. If you buy an Olympic (not standard) set of weight plates it will cost you anywhere from $500 to $1000. You don’t have to buy a full set of plates all at once; purchase them as needed.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can design a home gym without exercise equipment such as an adjustable bench. It is the cornerstone of a free weights gym. With it you can do dumbbells presses, flyes, and curls; then add an attachment and do leg extensions and leg curls. You’ll also be able to push your bench under a power rack and do presses with a barbell. Continuing On: Using Machines
Free weights exercise equipment includes free-standing cages such a power racks and squat racks. Other machine systems have moving parts, such as Smith Machines, where the bar loaded with plates runs vertically on a carriage. Still other equipment includes functional trainers, lat pull downs, multi-station home gym systems, and dozens of stand-alone specialized strength training machines. These systems are capable of providing a number of exercises for a full body workout.
Novices should stick with machines until they are comfortable with lifting practices and learn how to work with free weights safely and effectively. More experienced lifters use both machines and free weights and often use racks to complement their training -- especially when self-spotting workouts require it. Ideally, if you plan to use a mix of both machines and free weights exercise equipment such as a set of dumbbells in your home gym, you’ll be on your way to a stronger, fitter body in no time. Weight Training for Women - 5 Compound Exercises for Basic Fitness Weight Training For Men: 5 Classic Exercises to Help You Get Strong Reviews
PowerBlock Adjustable Dumbbells - The legendary block weights. If you don’t have room for a bulky home gym machine, or a full rack of free weights, get these. Related Sites Learn the Best Arm Exercises - Visit All-About-Arm-Exercises.com to learn the best bicep and tricep exercises. Learn shoulder, chest, back, and rotator cuff exercises. Return from Free Weights Exercise Equipment to the Best Home Gyms Index Page
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