What are Free Weights
What are Free Weights
Free weights are any training weights that are not attached to another piece of equipment or gym machinery. It is “free” meaning you can pick it up, move it, and really do whatever you want with it. They are any piece of weightlifting equipment that does not restrict the range of motion you can use it with. The only thing you are working against is the force of gravity on the free weight itself. These types of weights are used to build strength, speed, muscle, balance, and flexibility. Weightlifters of any level can benefit from free weights as long as they use the proper type for training at all times. Pick them up and do what you want with them.
Types Of Free Weights
1. Dumbbells
Dumbbells are the go-to for joint isolation exercises, including shoulder raises, chest extensions, rear deltoid flyes, bench presses, biceps curls, and more. Each exercise has its own unique benefits. Depending on your goals, you may want to use some of these exercises or a combination of all of them. No matter which training method you choose, dumbbells are a very flexible piece of fitness equipment.
2. Barbells
Barbells consist of a long bar with weights on both ends. Some are simple straight bars, while others have special shapes and grips, including EZ bars, grab bars, hex bars, and more. Typically, people use them for weightlifting, bodybuilding, and powerlifting activities. In short, barbells are the best way to build strength and muscle in the gym or at home.
Some exercises you can do with a barbell include:
- Deadlift
- Overhead press
- Bent-over row
- Bench press
- Back squat
- Power clean
It’s common to load a barbell with weight plates, but you can also get a great workout using just a bench.
3. Standard & Olympic weight plates
There are 2 types of weight plates: Standard and Olympic plates, and Olympic plates are more common and more versatile.
In addition to attaching plates to a barbell for large compound lifts such as bench presses and deadlifts, you can use these barbells alone to perform the following exercises:
- Lateral raise
- Front shoulder raise
- Plate push-up
- Expenses press
- Side bend
- Squat reach
4. Kettlebells
Kettlebells are great for explosive movements. Because of the weight and handle shape of kettlebells, you can do a lot of specific, intense lifts with kettlebells that you can’t do with other weights.
Some wonderful exercises to begin include:
- Goblet squat
- One-arm row
- One-arm press
- Shoulder halo
- Around the leg pass
- Chest-loaded swing
5. Medicine balls
Medicine balls are mainly heavy balls that are about 13.7 inches in diameter. People often use them for strength training and recovery. They are mainly used in sports medicine to help with neuromuscular control and strength building.
Most of the time, they weigh between 2 and 25 pounds, and there is a clear difference between medicine balls and exercise balls, which are usually larger.
Even if you are not recovering from an injury, though, you can still find medicine balls in several gyms.
Medicine balls work well for certain exercises, including:
- Side to side bangs
- Ball twists
- Ball knocks
- Squat tosses
- Wall ball
They’re also fun to use and, surprisingly, they can give you a great full-body workout.
6. Sandbells
It’s essentially a bag filled with specially formulated sand to add weight—a compact, easy-to-grip sandbag.
Other exercises you can do with sandbells include:
- Woodchop
- Bent-over row
- Rainbow slam
- Skater
- Russian twist
- Hip swing
- Sandbells are fantastic for individuals who desire something a little much safer.
Benefits of Free Weights
Free weights are a type of resistance training equipment that has proven to be very effective. There are many benefits to using free weights.
According to the American Council on Exercise, training with dumbbells provides better overall conditioning than using machines because they mimic natural movements. Since you are not restricted by the weight you move, many trainers use exercise weights to help athletes and clients build the muscles they need in sports and in life. Plus, weights involve balancing muscles throughout your body as you balance the weight, so you get stronger while improving your balance.
When the weight you use is not tied to anything, the possibilities of what you can do with it are virtually endless. “Dumbbells provide more freedom of movement in many exercises,” says Maietta. Take squats, for example. Perform a squat using a leg press or Smith machine, then bend at the hips and knees, and that’s it. Everything else is fixed, so you don’t have to worry about rocking back and forth, and your body can’t get out of a straight path. Now, do the same squat with free weights, and suddenly your muscles have to work to keep you from rocking, and your body doesn’t have to move in any fixed path. (PS: Which is better dumbbell or barbell ?)
It’s awesome for a number of reasons. It’s just like how we move in our daily lives. Second, it fires up and trains more muscles. Third, training more muscles means a greater strength advantage, and a lower risk of muscle imbalances and injuries.
Plus, and perhaps most importantly, it feels awesome to lift a piece of metal off the floor like a badass.
“Overcoming the difficulty of doing something new, and then picking up something heavy, that’s what it’s all about for me,” says Allison Tenney, C.S.C.S., a women’s strength coach.
Cost and Maintenance of Free Weights
Weight training is relatively inexpensive compared to weight training machines. With just a barbell, some plates, or a pair of dumbbells, you can get a comprehensive, full-body workout. (PS: What Dumbbells Should I Buy ? and What Barbell should I Buy ? ). Additionally, barbells require little maintenance, unlike machines with moving parts that break down after a few years of use.
Free weights are any type of weight training equipment that does not restrict the range of motion you can use. Weightlifters of all ability levels can benefit from using free weights, as long as they always train in the correct manner and understand the capabilities and limitations of this type of equipment.
Because you are not restricted in the ways you can move the weight, many trainers use free weights to help clients and athletes build the muscles they need for their sports and everyday life. Additionally, free weights engage the supporting muscles throughout your body as you balance the weight, so you get stronger while improving your balance.
Free weights are fairly inexpensive compared to weight training machines.
