Gym Equipment

Why Purchase Gym Equipment

For many years strength training was thought to be only for athletes and advanced exercisers. In more recent years strength training has come to the masses because its benefits are becoming widely known.

Strength training with the right gym equipment only a couple of times a week has been shown to change the way your body looks and feels with such benefits as increased metabolism, enhanced sport performance, and the prevention of injury.

The first key to successful strength training is choosing the right gym equipment and learning to use it properly.

Weight lifting equipment comes in many forms... from Free Weights to home Multi Gyms. In fact when it comes to strength training your choice of exercise equipment is endless. But as you probably know not all weight lifting equipment is created equal...

If you're a seasoned weight lifter then you'll know exactly what you're after. If you're relatively new to strength training you may still be unsure as to what type of weight lifting equipment is best for you. Here's a quick guide...

Free Weights

Most experienced weightlifters favor free weights such as dumbbells and barbells. If building significant muscle mass is your goal then free weights are the best option. Dumbbells are safer than barbells in that you can push yourself to failure on most exercises without having to worry about being crushed by a 250lb barbell. A disadvantage of free weights is that certain exercises are hard to perform. There's nothing really you can do with free weights that mirrors a lat pull down machine for your large back muscles.

Working your legs is also tricky because the amount of weight they can handle is usually more than is safe to perform with a training partner to spot you. Of course the lack of a spotter (not required with a ProSpot Power System) is the biggest disadvantage.

In terms of price free weights are cheaper than other types of weight lifting equipment such as home gyms. Having said that, once you've bought enough weight to overload your largest muscle groups and added the cost of a weight lifting bench there might not be much difference.

Strength Machines

Just as you can significantly increase your lean muscle mass, strength and tone with machines at the gym, you can with a multi-station or single station strength machines. Starting with the disadvantages... you are restricted in your plane of movement.

If you think about a lifting a set of dumbbells, they fit round your physique and movement pattern. A machine moves in a fixed plane(s) of movement so you have to fit around it. Secondly you're limited to the weight you can lift. If you've been weightlifting for several years and have exceptional strength stick to free weights.

Strength machines are much safer than free weights, especially if you don't have a training partner. You can also push yourself to failure on each exercise. Their biggest advantage though has to be convenience and ease of use.

Just pull the pin out to change the weight. No lugging heavy plates on and off barbells in between exercises. In terms of space requirement there's little to separate the two.