A good gym will also have a selection of free weights as these help with full body fitness as you are forced to support your body while lifting weights.
What are free weights?
Free weights are heavy free-standing pieces of home gym gear such as kettlebells, barbells and dumbbells where you lift the weight but you are usually standing while doing your repetitions. We would also include equipment such as medicine balls and battle ropes in the the category.
Free weights offer resistance that isn’t fixed. They can be picked up. They work against gravity, relying on your body strength to keep them upright. You can move free weights in any direction—laterally, vertically, diagonally—and can play around with unique movement paths, such as bending or rotation.
Here are some benefits of using free weights:
1.They’re versatile
With home gym gear like dumbbells you can do load bearing in different directions and planes by rotation with single arm movements or combining with exercises using different body parts (e.g. stepping forward, doing a row/squat/swing, stepping backward) which will increase your coordination.
Bicep and tricep curls are arguably easier to do with free weights than on a machine, as is working laterally (side-to-side).
2.They may be less intimidating to use
Some people find gym environments intimidating, particularly when faced with a complex-looking machine or a packed weights room. With free weights, you can grab a pair of dumbbells and have a complete total-body resistance workout without having to move around, switch weights or wait for equipment.
3.You’ll get maximal muscle activation
When you use machines, the muscle you’re targeting is isolated. For example, if you do an overhead press using a machine, you’re isolating your shoulders, because the plane of motion is controlled and your body is stable.
If you do overhead press standing using a barbell, you have to focus on balance. Your core is engaged and your body is stable, so more muscles are recruited. Each one has benefits, but more often than not, recruiting more muscles to stabilise a movement has major benefits for full-body strength building.
In 2018, a study found that grip strength is a more important indicator of heart health than blood pressure. As we age, our grip strength tends to decline rapidly, with every drop in strength increasing our risk of cardiovascular disease. So, it’s safe to say that lifting heavy can actually help to keep us alive.
4.They allow you to follow a natural movement pattern
Free weights are more likely to help you follow a natural movement pattern or realistic range of motion, and replicate real-life movements.
Free weights allow you to mimic the kinds of movements you do outside of the gym. That means you’ll be more adept at carrying, lifting, pushing and pulling. You’ll also be less likely to injure yourself in the process, because your muscles will be strong enough to execute the moves properly.
- Weights improve athletic performance
There’s a reason why professional athletes are required to log hours at the gym. If you play sports, lifting free weights will improve your game too. Runners, for example, can do single leg deadlifts to ensure each specific lower-body muscle is strong enough to perform and to prevent injury. Tennis players often do dumbbell flies and lat pull downs to strengthen the same upper body muscles that they use when serving.
As well as specific skill training, cricketers and footballers need good core strength so free weights provide excellent work outs to boost the performance.
