Compound exercises build strength faster

The more muscle groups you work out with a single exercise, the more calories you’ll be burning during the exercise and the faster you’ll get a complete workout. For example, performing a lunge simultaneously with dumbbell front raise will work both your upper and lower body, and performing a pullup works the arms, chest, and back muscles. Some of the highest-impact compound exercises are pushups, pullups, chinups, squats, deadlifts, dips, chest presses, and military presses. Check out this great listing of compound exercises, which includes a photo guide and form tips for each exercise.

Good form is key to preventing injury

The most important aspect of training with free weights is maintaining proper form throughout the exercise. Most people begin strong, but as your muscles fatigue it’s easy to lose good form and put yourself at risk for injury. Work out with enough weight to challenge yourself, but don’t choose a weight you can’t lift with good form. The fastest way to interrupt your strength training program is to injure yourself, so if you want long-term results, it’s important to use good form for every rep and every set to keep yourself healthy and pain-free. When you’re learning new exercises, use a very light weight or no weight at all to practice the motion, and focus on learning and maintaining good posture, alignment, and breathing throughout the motion. Add weight slowly at first. It’s usually easier to learn good form when you’re not struggling with the weight.

Learning good form in person from a personal trainer is usually the best way to make sure you’re performing your exercises properly, but if you work out from home a good resource for learning good form is SportsInjuryClinic.net’s free weights exercise directory.

When in doubt, use a machine or a spotter

Although free weights provide definite benefits over machines for long-term use, if you’re unsure of the proper technique for an exercise or have existing joint pain or muscle damage, a weight training machine can provide needed support during an exercise and can help you learn to perform an unfamiliar motion safely. If you’re starting to challenge yourself with heavy free weights, make sure you have a well-trained spotter or work out with a piece of safety equipment to prevent you from getting stuck under a heavy weight or dropping weight on yourself.

If you’ve never worked out with a spotter before, you might want to read this article describing how to be a good spotter.

Challenge yourself with new exercises

Keep your workout interesting and challenge your whole body by varying your exercise choices over time. If you’re looking for new routines, the internet is a great place to start, since plenty of fitness enthusiasts like to describe and post detailed guides to the workouts they follow. Muscle & Strength’s workout routines database is a good resource to check.

If you’re designing your own workouts, keep in mind that it’s important not to overtrain any one muscle group. There is a definite point of diminishing returns if you work out the same muscles too frequently. This discussion of proper splits for weight training can help you understand good strategies for developing effective workout routines without overtraining.

Barbell Back Squats

Barbell back squats are the foundation of any series strength training programs, because squats engage all of your leg muscles simultaneously and also engage about 95% of the rest of your muscles as stabilizer muscles. Learning proper form and choosing a challenging weight for barbell back squats will help you build strength and muscle mass faster than any other single exercise. This video demonstrates the barbell back squat:

Practice proper form for your squats before working out with the barbell. To begin, place your feet about shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed slightly outward. Keep your entire foot firmly on the ground while lowering your hips toward your heels. Go as low as you can while maintaining a slight arch in your lower back and keeping your upper back upright and your head up. If you have healthy knees, deep squats are perfectly safe, and the maximum range of motion will produce the most benefit from this exercise. If you have injured knees, you can play it safe by going no deeper than thighs parallel to the floor. One the ascent, list straight up, without twisting or turning the body in any direction. Check with a fitness expert if you are unsure of your form, and once you feel solid in your form, start adding weight.

To perform a barbell back squat:

1. Place a barbell on a squat rack at about collar-bone level.
2. Grip the bar with an overhand grip and your hands spaced slightly wider than shoulder width.
3. Tuck your head under the bar and position your body so the bar rests across your upper back and shoulders. You should never rest the barbell on your neck or spine. Keep in mind that the lower the bar rests on your back, the easier it is to maintain an upright head and neck position.
4. Position your feet shoulder width apart with your toes pointing outward.
5. Inhale as you bend your knees and lower yourself into a full squat, keeping in mind the proper form described above.
6. Exhale as you ascend, powering through your sticking pointing as steadily as possible.

Barbell Front Squats

The barbell front squat is a modified version of the barbell back squat, performed the same way except that the barbell is placed in front of your shoulders.

To perform a barbell front squat:

1. Place a barbell on a squat rack at about collar-bone level.
2. Grip the bar with an overhand grip, then position the bar across you collarbone either by moving your body beneath the bar or lifting the barbell toward you so your elbows are pointing up and forward, your upper arms are about parallel to the floor, your palms are facing up and your fingers are hooked below the barbell.
3. Position your feet shoulder width apart with your toes pointing outward.
4. Inhale as you bend your knees and lower yourself into a full squat, keeping in mind the proper form described above.
5. Exhale as you ascend, powering through your sticking pointing as steadily as possible.

Barbell Lunges

Barbell lunges use the same barbell form described for the back barbell squat. To perform a barbell lunge:

1. Place the barbell across your upper back and shoulders.
2. Stand straight, engaging your abs, and inhale.
3. Take a large step forward with your lead leg and plant your foot firmly on the floor. Allow your following leg to bend slightly at the knee.
4. Maintaining an upright posture, lower your body toward the floor by allowing your lead knee to bend to 90 degrees. Make sure your lead knee is directly above your lead foot and does not go past the front of the lead toe. Lowering your following knee as much as necessary, but do not allow it to rest on the floor.
5. Forcefully exhale as you push off the floor with the lead leg to get back into starting position.
6. Switch lead legs and repeat.

There are a wide range of lunge styles, but two of the most common are stationary and stepping lunges. In a stationary lunge, you lunge forward and then push up back to the same starting point. In a stepping lunge, you lunge forward and then push up to the point where your lead leg was planted, so each lunge takes you forward as you alternate lead legs.

Barbell Step-Ups

Step-ups are a great exercise because they mimic motions performed in real life, engaging multiple stabilizer muscle groups as your body moves through multiple planes of motion. To perform barbell step ups:

1. Place the barbell across your upper back and shoulders, as in the barbell back lift.
2. Stand before a study step up box or bench. Stand straight, engaging your abs, and inhale.
3. Step onto the box with your lead leg and plant your foot firmly.
4. Shift your body weight onto the lead leg while keeping your torso upright.
5. Exhale forcefully as you straighten your knee and drive your body up to plant your following foot firmly beside your lead foot.
6. Inhale, then slowly exhale as you bend the knee of your lead leg and allow your following foot to return to the floor.
7. Step off the box with your lead leg, switch lead legs, and repeat.

Sprints

Sprinting combines the benefits of aerobic and anaerobic exercise, as well as being a great functional exercise. Working on the speed of your sprints will help you develop more explosive power in your legs, as well as improved whole-body coordination.

When you’re working out with free weights, learning proper form and technique is critical if you are to avoid injury and gain the maximum benefit from each exercise. One of the most widely used free weight exercises is the bench press, but without proper form you risk injuring your shoulder, back, wrists, elbows, and ribs. To gain the maximum benefit from bench presses, make sure you’re taking each of the six steps outlined below to maintain perfect form.

Step 1: Check Your Handspacing

Optimal handspacing on the weight bar will allow you to maximize the amount of pushing power directed upwards, rather than outwards toward the weight plates or inwards away from the weight plates. To ensure you have your hands spaced corrected, you’ll need to begin with a spotter and a weight bar with all weight plates removed. Assuming the bench press position on your weight bench, and unrack the unweighted bar as you normally would for the exercise. Lower the bar to your chest, and have your spotter examine the orientation of your forearms. The line from your wrists to your elbows should be as close as possible to perpendicular with the floor. Move your hands until you have achieved this position, then note the placement of your hands on the bar. This is the position where you should grip the bar when you begin the bench press.

Step 2: Lock Down Your Feet and Shoulders

Once you have determined your proper handspacing, put some weight on the bar. To properly position your feet, recline on the bench and place your feet on the floor, with your heels tucked slighly behind your knees so your knees form about an 80 degree angle.

To maximize your shoulder stability during the exercise, reach up and grip the bar with your palms at the back of the bar, then lift your torso slightly while squeezing your shoulder blades together and rolling your palms so they are directly below the bar. This movement forces your shoulders back and puffs your chest out, creating an optimum position for exercising the pectoralis major. Continue to squeeze your shoulder blades tightly together throughout the remainder of the exercise.

Step 3: Lower the Bar

With the handspacing and grip position determined by steps one and two, and continuing to squeeze your shoulder blades together, remove the barbell from the rack and lower it slowly, under complete muscular control, to a point directly below your sternum, or breastbone. Inhale as you lower the weight, then gently touch the bar to your chest. Never bounce the bar off your chest, as this can injure your ribs or sternum.

Step 4: Drive with Your Legs

Making sure your feet are firmly planted as described in Step 2, drive your legs by pushing off your feet as if you are trying to slide up the bench. Practice this first with an empty bar; if you’re doing this motion correctly, you should start to slide up the bench. When you’re pressing a weighted barbell, however, the weight should anchor you to the bench, so the added leg power should simply help drive the barbell up when you begin to push with your arms.

Driving with your legs during the chest press is one of the best ways to maximize your power at the beginning of the upward press motion.

Step 5: Raise the Bar

As you drive your legs, push upward with your arms and exhale in a slow, controlled, forceful way through pursed lips. The bar should move in a slight arc from over your ribcage to above your face as you lift the weight, and you should try to exhale smoothly from the start of the upward motion until your arms are fully extended forcefully through pursed lips. Move the bar upward steadily and try not to slow down until you reach your lockout point.

Keep practicing your bench press form until you’ve mastered handspacing, foot position, shoulder position, driving with your legs, and raising the bar smoothly, and you’ll be on your way to the perfect bench press.

Types of free weights

Dumbbell

A dumbbell is piece of weight training equipment comprised of two equal weights connected by a bar, typically held in one hand during exercise. Dumbbells are typically sold and used in pairs. The most basic form of dumbbell, the fixed-weight dumbbell, consists of two equal weights permanently connected by a bar. Fixed-weight dumbbells are often called “hand weights.” Another type of dumbbell is the adjustable dumbbell, whose weight can be changed by adding or removing weight plates to the bar. A “selectorized” adjustable dumbbells uses a mechanical element such as a dial or pin to help the user change the weight.

Barbell

A barbell is a piece of weight training equipment comprised of a weightlifting bar on which one or more pairs of weight plates are attached, often using collars to prevent the weight plates from slipping off the bar. The length of a barbell bar typically ranges from 4 feet to 7 feet long, and barbell exercises are therefore often performed by holding the barbell with both hands.

Kettlebell

A kettlebells is a piece of weight training equipment comprised of a weighted ball, or sphere, with a single handle attached to the top. Kettlebells often resemble cannonballs with an attached handle.

Medicine ball

A medicine ball is a piece of weight training equipment comprised of a weighted ball, typically no wider than the shoulder span of the user. Some medicine balls incorporate handles, while others do not.

Free weight accessories and related terms

Collar

A collar is a device used to secure a weight plate to the end of a weightlifting bar.

Exercise ball

An exercise ball is an inflated ball which may be sat upon, reclined upon, or otherwise used to support the body during a weight training exercise.

Exercise mat

An exercise mat is a padded surface used to protect the floor during weight lifting workouts where you may wish to drop weights to the floor at the end of a set.

Inversion table

An inversion table is designed to let you recline with your feet above your head while performing a weightlifting exercise.

Wearable weight

Wearable weights include weighted gloves and weighted pads that can be strapped to the arms or legs. These are typically used to increase the effort required during cardiovascular workouts.

Weight bar

A weight bar is the bar portion of a barbell to which the weight plates are attached.

Weight bench

A weight bench is a piece of equipment that supports the body during a weight lifting exercise. A basic bench might be just a padded horizontal surface that can be reclined upon for press exercises, while an adjustable benches might have a seat and backrest component that can be set to different angles for performing exercises while seated upright, partially reclining, or fully reclining.

Weight plate

A weight plate is a weight designed to be attached to a weightlifting bar. Plates are typically disc-shaped with a hole in the center and may require a collar to be securely attached to a bar. Weight plates may be used as part of a barbell or an adjustable-weight dumbbell.

Weight rack

A weight rack, or weight tree, is a stand used to store weight plates, or, alternatively, a stand used to store dumbbells.

Weight set

The term weight sets may be used to describe a collection of dumbbell pairs, a single pair of adjustable weight dumbbells, a collection of adjustable dumbbell components, or a collection of barbell components.

Weightlifting belt

A weightlifting belt is a supportive strap wrapped around the lower back to support the back during exercise and protect against back strains.

Weightlifting gloves

Weight lifting gloves are designed to protect the hands during free weights exercise and prevent callouses, soreness, and wrist ache.

Almost any well-designed strength training routine can help you achieve the major benefits of strength training, from increased muscle and bone strength to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. However, the specific equipment you choose to exercise with will affect the quality of your workout and, if you’re using a home gym, your budget and space requirements for your equipment, so it’s important to know the benefits and drawbacks of different equipment types and pick the equipment that best supports your workout goals. One of the major decisions you have to make before starting any strength training workout is whether to use free weights or strength training machines. If you’re struggling to decide, consider which of the following cases best describes you.

In general, free weights will give you a greater range of motion during exercises and will require greater overall balance and coordination to maintain good form. This means free weights may be the better option if:

• You like variety in your workouts: Because free weights give you a full range of motion, it’s easy to make slight modifications to a familiar exercise to target different muscles or make the exercise more challenging. Free weights give you full control over your form and technique. Free weights can also be incorporated into a variety of cardiovascular workouts for novelty, challenge, and cross-training.
• You want to start a home gym on a tight budget: For the price of just a few sets of fixed-weight free weights or a single pair of adjustable dumbbells, you can perform many of the exercises available on a much more expensive piece of gym equipment. Free weights are indispensable basic equipment in any home gym.
• You want to start a home gym but have limited space: Whether you choose fixed-weight free weights, space-saving adjustable dumbbells, or lightweight resistance bands, you can perform free weight exercises and then store your equipment on a shelf or in a closet. Free weights give you the ability to work out at home without using up a spare room or filling up an already-cramped living space.
• You’re strength training for a specific sport: Free weights give you the range of motion needed to naturally simulate the movement patterns you’ll use during many sports, rather than locking you into the predetermined motion pattern of a machine, so your strength training gains will translate better onto the field or court.
• You’re trying to maximize your overall strength and balance: Because you need to use stabilizer muscles to maintain balance and proper form during free weights exercise, your overall strength and balance can improve faster when working out using free weights. This means experienced weight lifters and others who have learned proper weight lifting technique will usually benefit from the added challenge of lifting free weights.
• You find machines uncomfortable to use: For people who are above- or below-average in height, free weight exercises can be more comfortable than machine exercises because you are not constrained to the bench or weight grip dimensions of a machine.

On the other hand, strength training machines will enforce a specific movement pattern, which means they may be a better choice if:

• You’re new to strength training or learning a new exercise: Strength training machines can be the easiest way to learn proper technique for each exercise while avoiding the risk of injury, because machines enforce a specific motion pattern and often provide the proper ergonomic support for the exercise. If you don’t want to get a gym membership or invest in a home gym just to learn new exercises, then consider starting out with a detailed free weights exercise instructional guide or video that demonstrations proper exercise form in a way you find easy to understand.
• You’re in physical therapy or rehabilitation: Machines can give you the ability to isolate a muscle more easily than some free weight exercises, and machines can provide support to minimize additional injury during exercise, which may be important to achieving a physical therapy goal.
• You like to lift weight without a spotter: For those who choose very challenging weights during their workouts, using machines can be safer than using free weights because a spotter is not required.
• You like to move quickly through your workouts: For some strength training routines, the ability to quickly get up and move from machine to machine (or from machine station to machine station) can decrease the overall time required to work out compared to changing weights and getting into proper position using free weights.

If you still can’t decide whether free weights or machines are right for your strength training goals, consider talking to a personal trainer at a local gym to get a tailored recommendation. When you’re first getting started, remember that the most important thing is to learn to perform your strength training safely, and whether you choose free weights or machines, you can still get a great workout that will help you achieve your fitness goals.