BookmarkAll About Free Weights
Tips, techniques, and the science behind your muscles
If you're involved in a body improvement program, chances are you're already engaging in cardiovascular activity a few times a week. Cardio is effective when it comes to losing weight and improving the health of your heart and lungs, but don't forget that your muscles need some attention, too. Free weights are a simple way to improve your muscle strength and tone and help your body work better.
What are free weights?
Free weights, quite simply, are weights that are not attached to machines or benches. Almost anything can be a free weight. As a matter of fact, your daily life probably includes a few free weights already-everything you lift, from groceries to library books to your children, is acting as a free weight and improving your muscle strength!
Dumbbells, barbells, and medicine balls are the most popular types of free weights. Whatever you choose, make sure to find the size of weight that works best for you. If you're beginning a free weight regimen it's a good idea to choose adjustable weights or to buy an assortment of sizes, so you can adjust the amount of pounds to your ability and the movement you're doing.
How free weights work
Free weights help your body by allowing you to target specific muscle groups that may need improvement. Remember, though, that lifting weights is never a single-muscle activity. This is another benefit of free weights. Lifting with your arms, for example, engages other muscles such as those in your back and abdomen. Once they're conditioned, these assisting muscles allow you to increase your reps and the amount of weight you're using, and your arms gain in strength much more quickly.
The targeted muscles as well as the assisting muscles that get trained help stabilize your body, improving your posture and making your overall frame much stronger.
The use of free weights is also one of the most effective ways to improve your muscle and nerve coordination. By concentrating on certain groups of muscles, you are essentially training your body how to use those areas, as well as increasing their strength.
Free weight safety
One of the major benefits of free weights as opposed to weight machines is the fact that your movement is not restricted. A weight machine holds you in a certain position, while free weights can be done anywhere and in any posture.
The ability to change positions while using free weights allows you greater flexibility and lets you improve your overall body strength as well as your balance. Keep in mind, however, that this can also increase your risk of injury. While a weight bench or machine restricts you to one safe position, free weights force you to assume that responsibility. This makes it doubly important to ensure you're using the right techniques while lifting.
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