Weight Training Equipment

In the world of weight training there are numerous machines, racks and other equipment. While many of them offer different styles, shapes and colors, there are a few characteristics that are universal to all equipment that one should consider. When choosing a squat rack keep in mind safety, material strength and size.

photo credit: jontunn

The first element of any free weight system is safety and when it comes to squats it is the most important thing to research. Consider that squat workouts can tend to involve some heavy weights. A quality squat rack will be made of high gauge steel and strong welds. Inspecting the welds on a squat rack, or any piece of equipment, can be done visually. Ensure there are no crack and that all welds on the rack are uniform in size and shape. Haphazard looking welds can suggest poor quality. The squat rack must have some sort of safety landing for the barbell should the weight lifter have an emergency and need to bail out. Things happen and even a good weight lifter may run into a problem.

Another characteristic of squat racks that should be considered is the rack’s footprint. It sounds painfully obvious, but there has been many a weight lifter who found a rack that had everything, paid for it and ordered delivery. Only to find that the rack took up entirely more floor space than anticipated. Perception can be deceiving. You may have sworn that the rack was five feet wide when it was actually six. It pays to measure the space you intend to place the rack prior to shopping for it. In addition to the size of the rack it is also important to remember that the bar and weights will extend beyond the width of the actual rack. Once more it seems obvious but also remember the carpenter’s mantra “measure twice, cut once.”

Finally, think about what you may need versus what you want. There are many racks that offer a slew of options. A good basic rack should include a safety measure and some weight plate storage racks. There are higher end multi-function racks that offer a great number of accessories to include things like shaft guided barbells with safety hooks. Your budget will govern much of your decision making process and it’s important to not get caught up in all the bells and whistles available. Think about what you are really going to use. Once again, there are so many styles and shapes in the market but the most important things to consider are safety, material strength and size.

Purchasing weight equipment can be very pricy. First you have to ask yourself, why purchase weight equipment if you can get a gym membership. Purchased gym memberships, most of the time you’re not going your money worth. Most people grow lazy with gym memberships. They pay the fee the monthly or yearly fee to attend but they don’t go as much as they expected they would. Most gyms also require you to sign a yearly contract, so rather you go or not you have to pay.

photo credit: jontunn

Weight equipment only requires you to pay once, and you keep it for life. That is why the demand of finding cheap weight equipment is growing rapidly. Finding cheap weight equipment can be difficult due to the “over talk” about these weight training equipment you see on television. It’s over shadowing the light of the “little guys”. The first thing you need to know when purchasing weight equipment is that you don’t have to pay for the big brand names to get a good quality machine. All you need to know starting out is what type of machine you want; rather it’s one that works the lower body, upper body, or the abdominals. Once you chose what type of machine you want, make a price range budget that you are willing to pay for this equipment. After you decide a reasonable price range, start researching brand names for this type of equipment. Look up the pros and cons of each brand name that appeals to you. You should come down to at least two or three different brand names. See which brand name good qualities outweighs the bad. Make sure you check out the warrantees on the equipment brands. Some offer a short warrant and that should raise a red flag alert in your mind.

After choosing which brand of equipment out weighs the bad you should have about 2 brands in mind. This is the most important part, find these weight training equipment brands at a local merchant that sells fairly used equipment. Buying new equipment is good but if you can find a lightly used machine that still does what it’s build for then that is the way to go. When you find the right equipment the next step is to check the price. The price of the weight training equipment should be within the price range of the budget you wrote out previously. If so the last step is to make your purchase.

In the weightlifting world there is an old addage that goes ‘bench is for show, squat is for go’. That is true. Squats are good for your legs, the most important part that you will need in playing a sport. If your aim is to become cut and have that impressive upper body then there is nothing better than the bench press. When choosing the right weight bench, you have to take into mind just exactly what you are trying to accomplish. Are you trying to become cut or are you a competitive weightlifter or bodybuilder who is trying to put on mass. Once you take this into account then you will know what kind of bench that you want.

photo credit: mrflip

Actually the first thing that you need to ponder is your budget. Do you have the money to purchase a bench in the first place. If you are looking to do just assistance exercises such as dumbell exercises or abdominal work then a cheap bench would suffice. If you plan on doing heavy benches then I would advise you into checking into a power bench which obviously is going to cost you alot more. Is this going to be something that you plan on doing for a long time or is it just a thing that you want to do to shed off some pounds. If you plan on being in the game for a long time then it wouldn’t hurt to get an expensive bench. Think of it: would you rather spend money on a shoddy bench that could liable to break and get you hurt or pay for a high quality bench that will last a lifetime. These are the things that you have to take into account.

Again, the most important factor that you have to take into account is its intended use. You can get regular flat weight benches that are made for assistance exercises. If you are looking to get into bench pressing then you want to buy a bench that has a rack. Most of these also come into a package where you can purchase weights with it. One popular set that I know of is one by the York Barbell Company of Pennsylvania. You can get a power bench with 310 pounds of weight. York now is mainly into the Olympic weightlifting game but you can easily go on Ebay or another auction house and find one.

Your budget and the intended use are the two main factors when choosing a weight bench. If you are able to satisfy the two then you will have no problem in finding the weight bench that is best for you.

If you are tired of paying that monthly gym fee when you only do a few exercises then consider buying your own freeweights, and barbell set to work out form home.

If you are in the market for a barbell set you have many ways of choosing the one that will fit your needs. The first thing you need to do is take a look at how often you are going to be using this barbell set, if you are only going to lift once a week then it would be illogical to purchase the top of the line set that will run you a couple hundred dollars. Then again you don’t want to purchase the smallest and cheapest barbell set because of the fact you don’t lift often. It all depends on your personal needs and financial budget, take a look at the top brands verses the generic ones and compare quality and amount of weight offered before you make a decision.

Once you have a basic idea of what your barbell set needs are you can start looking at either your local athletic shop or on the internet for options available. What you are going to find in a local shop is a more concrete set of barbells, just your basic low end, middle end, and high class set. If you want a larger variety you can sacrifice the convenience of purchasing from an athletic store and look online for barbell sets available.

If you choose to look online for a barbell set then you have literally hundreds of options of going about the process. The most efficient and effective method is going to a major manufacturer of barbell sets main website and taking a look at their inventory. What most shop owners do is buy directly from the manufacturer those three main barbell sets then by increasing the convenience of purchased they raise the price of the barbell set. With access to the internet you can do exactly what most shop owners do and get that barbell set you are looking for at a cheaper price than what any local store can propose, the only thing you are sacrificing is time to receiving your set and the price of shipping.

photo credit: jontunn

If you are looking at other ways to choose a barbell set online you can use the most basic and common method of searching by visiting a basic search engine and typing in barbell sets for sale. Once you have all of your sets available you can decide on which one to buy by going back to your original needs and price range. Try and go for a more generic barbell set at a cheaper rIf you are tired of paying that monthly gym fee when you only do a few exercises then consider buying your own free weights, and barbell set to work out form home.

If you are in the market for a barbell set you have many ways of choosing the one that will fit your needs. The first thing you need to do is take a look at how often you are going to be using this barbell set, if you are only going to lift once a week then it would be illogical to purchase the top of the line set that will run you a couple hundred dollars. Then again you don’t want to purchase the smallest and cheapest barbell set because of the fact you don’t lift often. It all depends on your personal needs and financial budget, take a look at the top brands verses the generic ones and compare quality and amount of weight offered before you make a decision.

Once you have a basic idea of what your barbell set needs are you can start looking at either your local athletic shop or on the Internet for options available. What you are going to find in a local shop is a more concrete set of barbells, just your basic low end, middle end, and high class set. If you want a larger variety you can sacrifice the convenience of purchasing from an athletic store and look online for barbell sets available.

If you choose to look online for a barbell set then you have literally hundreds of options of going about the process. The most efficient and effective method is going to a major manufacturer of barbell sets main Website and taking a look at their inventory. What most shop owners do is buy directly from the manufacturer those three main barbell sets then by increasing the convenience of purchasing they raise the price of the barbell set. With access to the Internet you can do exactly what most shop owners do and get that barbell set you are looking for at a cheaper price than what any local store can propose, the only thing you are sacrificing is time to receiving your set and the price of shipping.

If you are looking at other ways to choose a barbell set online you can use the most basic and common method of searching by visiting a basic search engine and typing in barbell sets for sale. Once you have all of your sets available you can decide on which one to buy by going back to your original needs and price range. Try and go for a more generic barbell set at a cheaper rate, if you can find a set of high quality without a brand name then go with it this will save you money at the sacrifice of a brand name.

Overall if you are looking into purchasing a barbell set the choice of which one to go with can be tough, but as long as you properly define your personal needs and don’t go over budget choosing the correct barbell set will be easy.ate, if you can find a set of high quality without a brand name then go with it this will save you money at the sacrifice of a brand name.

Overall if you are looking into purchasing a barbell set the choice of which one to go with can be tough, but as long as you properly define your personal needs and don’t go over budget choosing the correct barbell set will be easy.

Welcome to the wonderful world of weight training equipment.  If you’re interested in getting into weight training, you will either need to join a gym, or create one in your own home.  Either way, you will need to familiarize yourself with the equipment used for lifting weights.  This article will give you a brief, non-exhaustive overview of what your general options are when it comes to weight training gear.  We will begin by examining the different types of weight setups available, looking at the actual weights themselves, and seeing what kind of racks and benches you will be needing.  We will finish up with a brief look at the world of body weight training equipment.

Types Of Weights

Before we delve into the different kinds of weights available, let me say that this site will be mostly focusing on what are known as free weights rather than machines.  As their name suggests, free weights are simply heavy pieces of (typically) metal with some sort of grip.  Countless exercises can be performed with these basic tools.  A machine, on the other hand, is a large mechanical device devoted to one particular exercise, for example, the leg press.  There is much debate about which type of equipment is best to use, but I’m going to skirt that debate and just tell you that I think free weights are the way to go.  Free weights, unlike machine, force you to involve your whole body in a workout, which gives you a more complete, real world workout.  Machines attempt to isolate your muscles in ways that they never do in the real world, which isn’t optimal in my opinion.  I shall be writing more on this topic later, but for now, I will simply be listing types of free weights rather than machines.

Dumbbells

photo credit: rick

Dumbbells are quite simple.  Typically coming in pares of a given weight, dumbbells are the most versatile weight training gear on the market.  With a full set of dumbbells, you can do any sort of weight training program in existence, apart from those with a very specific barbell focus, and even there they serve some use.  Dumbbells can come in fixed weights (as picture), or in an adjustable form that allows you to add and remove weight from a fixed handle.   These should be the core of any weight training setup.

Barbells

photo credit: Toesmasha

Barbells.  The name conjures up images of brawny men struggling to lift immense amounts of weight.  Indeed, if you are going to lift heavy, barbells are the way to go.  Heavy squatting and deadlifts will have you putting on muscle faster than any other method, and the barbell is the tool you use to get this done.  Barbells are pretty much all adjustable, unlike dumbbells.  There are two major bar sizes, the “standard” size and the “Olympic” size.  The Olympic sized bars are thicker and beefier to hold added weight.  These are the most common at commercial gyms.

Kettlebells

photo credit: kl.fitness

A kettlebell is a fun type of weight that has been increasing in popularity.  Resembling a canon ball with a thick handle attached, kettlebells are used more or less like dumbells, though they do provide a different “feel” to the exercises.  Something to think about if you want to change things up.

Racks and Benches

Weights are great and all, but you’ll need some of this gear here to take full advantage of your weights, the barbells in particular.

Bench

A simple weight bench allows you to do a wide range of exercises.  This is pretty much the core of any weight training set up once you’ve purchased the weights.  They come in many different styles, but you can’t go wrong with a good basic bench.

Squat rack/Power Cage

photo credit: jontunn

Squats are an amazing exercise, but they require putting yourself underneath a heavy bar.  A squat rack will allow you to do this.  If you’re serious about weight training, you’ll be wanting to squat, and a rack is essential.  A power cage is like a squat rack that surrounds you.  Movable bars can be placed underneath you to catch the bar if you have to drop it off your back.  This eleveates some of the need for a spotter, increasing safety.  Power cages often have other features added on, such as pull up bars and dip stations.  More about those in our next section…

Body Weight Training Gear

Sure, this isn’t weight training as most people see it, but these bodyweight training essentials are an excellent item for anyone serious about fitness to consider purchasing.

Pull up bar

Pull ups are a great exercise, and adding a pull up bar to a home gym (or even just a bedroom) is a great idea.  You can even get “door gyms” that mount on your doorframe, holding themselves in place via a cantilever.  Handy.

Rings

photo credit: Raphael Goetter

Gymnastics rings are one of the ultimate tests of strengths. With a set of rings, you can do pull ups, dips, muscles ups, and a huge variety of strength building moves. An amazing challenge for athletes of any level.

So, this should give you a nice quick overview of some basic weight training equipment.  Be sure to explore the rest of the site to learn more about each in further detail!