Choosing Free Weights

Many options to add to your home gym

Free weights are a great way to work on balance and coordination while working all your major muscle groups. The best thing about free weights is you can get in shape in the comfort of your own home for a fraction of the cost of a gym membership. They’re easy to store, relatively easy to use and a good set will last a lifetime, with little wear and tear.

Why it’s good to use free weights

• Work more muscles - Lifting free weights means more muscles worked and more calories burned. That’s because your body isn’t supported and forced to use the right form like it is with weight machines. You have to engage stabilizing muscles to complete a free weight rep rather than just the one you’re working. You can also do a number of compound exercises with free weights, which means even more muscle involvement.
• Better range of motion - The movements you perform with free weights are functional, meaning they mimic actions you actually make on a day to day basis, such as carrying groceries, using garden tools and bending to pick up heavy items.
• They often sit unused - Maybe it’s because women are incorrectly cautioned against using free weights, or maybe it’s because machines are so easy to use. For whatever reason, free weights often sit unused while all the machines are taken. Use it to your advantage, you know free weights are one of the best ways to get a toned, tight and functionally strong body in less time.
• They fit people of all sizes - Machines, unless they’re specifically made for women, tend to accommodate taller, wider bodies. With free weights you never have to worry about being too short.

• Dumbbells - These traditional free weights come in a variety of styles and prices ranges, but a basic set of two or three sizes shouldn’t set you back more than $40. Not bad considering dumbbells allow you to perform hundreds of exercises.
• Barbells - Some of the most beneficial compound exercises are done with barbells, including bench presses and deadlifts. No woman’s fitness routine should be without one.
• Kettlebells - You don’t hear about kettlebells much anymore and that’s a shame because the workout they provide is next to none in terms of intensity.
• Medicine balls - These versatile weighted balls are great for strength training with a partner, alone or as sport-specific preparation.

• Arm and leg weights - Some people want to get a little bit more out of their workouts without drastically increasing intensity, so they attach weighted arm and leg bands to their extremities for added burn.
• Weighted vests - Wearing them while you walk, run, or during your daily activities will allow you to burn additional calories.