Free Weights vs Home Gyms

Weight lifting equipment is the foundation of any strength training program. Most of us that discuss barbells or free weights imagine 7 time Mr. Olympia Arnold a.k.a. "Terminator" in his heyday.

The truth is that free weights have been around since the beginning of time for strength and muscle growth, remember Hercules?

The more serious lifters combine weight machines with free weights to supplement their workout programs since they complement each other so well.

For this article, free weights refer to both weights and related equipment to free weights. Free weights do not depend on cables, chains, hydraulics, or weighted stacks and may include:  barbells, dumbbells, and kettle balls. Exercise equipment used with free weights include:  weight-benches, squat racks and curling benches as examples.

A big advantage of free weights is the versatility it offers you. With a set of dumbbells and a flat bench, you can perform literally hundreds of different exercises and target dozens of muscle groups.

Another advantage of free weights is the natural range of motion provided. You can work your muscles more thoroughly with free weights than on a machine that is on a fixed range of motion.  A quick way to see this is to perform a simple bicep curl; first with a machine and then with a dumbbell. You should notice a difference in the muscle groups used when lifting; notice how your hand rotates with the dumbbell versus a machine when you bring up the weight (this is called supination).

Free weight home gyms can be any workout space containing traditional dumbbells, barbells and benches; yet also include machines that mimic the range of motion of free weights.

Free Weights vs. Home Gyms Pros and Cons.

Home gyms tend to be safer when lifting heavy weights and you usually don't need a workout partner to assist. Another benefit of weight machines is that balance and strength are more controlled by the machines fixed motion and use of built in safety catches.  Machines are easier to use when starting out if you are unfamiliar with the variety of excercises available to you (all of these home gym exercises are possible to do with free weights, kettle balls , and even resistance bands).

Free weights have been preferred by avid strength-training types including bodybuilders because they allow for the greatest range of natural motion and heaviest lifting possible. With machines you are often limited to a fixed plane of motion, and fixed poundages for lifting. For most of us, the weight stack limitation is not an issue. Most of us do not throw around 300 or 400 pounds of metal daily.

Free weights use core stabilizer muscles since you involve more muscle groups for balance while lifting the weight. Free weights are safe as long as the user takes precautions with safety while lifting. It may take a little getting used to if jumping from the weight machine to free weights at first.

Today, technology has advanced to a point where the home gyms allow for a much more natural range of motion that was once reserved for free weights. Another plus is that many of these systems come with exercise charts and instructional DVDs to help the novice learn the skills and variety of exercises possible on these machines.

No home gym is truly complete without both weight machines and free weights since they complement each other perfectly.