Free Weight Home Gyms

As the name implies, free weight home gyms use separate bars and weight plates to change the resistance and range of motion. The changes must be made manually rather than relying on built in weight stacks or rods or cables to change resistance.

Free weight home gyms are often used by more experience weight lifters to provide the extra weight and range of motion they need for maximum muscle building. The machine itself does not restrict the users' range of motion or weight used. Some free weight machines incorporate guide rods that permit less experienced users to exercise without a spotter.

Experienced weight lifters will improve their results using a free weight home gym rather than other types of home gyms. When used to its full potential, a free weight home gym will help develop a greater range of muscles, increased ligament and tendon strength.

Free weight home gyms can be divided into three basic types:

Traditional

Power Rack

Power Cage

Traditional free weight home gyms are the most common and usually have:

• a bench to lie or sit on during workouts
• a rack or stand on either side of the bench to position the barbell between exercises
• a barbell
• 2 dumbbells
• weight plates
• retaining collars to keep the weight plates in the bars

Less expensive units provide for only limited upper body workouts while more advanced models offer options for full body workouts. Options often include rowing, leg curls, leg extensions, inner and outer thigh exercises, abdomen crunches, and pull-downs.

If you have limited space, say a corner of a room are part of a garage, a single-station free weight home gym is ideal. If space is not a consideration and where more than one person will be working out at the same time consideration should be given a multi-station gym.

Power Racks are free standing racks that holds and positions the barbell. In use, the barbell is centered over the back and shoulders and the lifter takes a short step to clear the bar from the rack and lifts with his legs. Power racks are designed for power exercises such as squats and dead lifts.

Power Cages are used in the same manner as a power rack but are shaped differently. Their shape restricts the lifter in his forward and backward movement.

Most free weight home gyms are sold without the weights or with a limited amount of weight included. The plates are purchased separately and also have to be loaded and changed out you change exercises. The benefits of a free weight gym should be measured against the convenience of a weight stack or cable or rod home gym.

Safety should also be kept in mind when looking at a free weight system. This is especially important with small children around as even a light weight plate can hurt young feet and hands. With young children, a home gym with built in weight stacks that are protected by shrouds to prevent fingers getting caught between the plates may be your better choice.

Keep your goals in mind while shopping. If you are inexperienced and want a gym for basic workouts you will not need an advanced gym with all of the options and extra weights included. But do look for a that may permit expansion.

One of the great benefits of free weight home gyms is also one of their negatives. For the most part, they are very durable which means large and heavy. You want to locate your gym in the basement or at least on a ground floor with good load bearing support. Overhead clearance should also be kept in mind.

It is needless to say that the gym must also fit you as well as your space. If you feel cramped or overly stretched reaching the different stations you will not use the gym as much as you should. You also want to make sure that the gym will accommodate any existing equipment such as weights and bars that you already have.

A free weight gym is no place to try and save money by getting cheap construction. Make sure it is made from heavy gauge steel. Welded joints are better than bolts for the long haul. Your new home gym should provide years of secure and safe workouts, no matter how much weight you intend to load up. While it should last you a lifetime, make sure that the manufacturers' warranty in pads and upholstery is at least for 3 years.