Many people have experienced visiting a gym and seeing all of the weight training equipment that is available for use. But many people are not sure what the difference is between weight training and weight lifting. Weight lifting is a sport that concentrates on building up strength in the muscles that are required to lift huge weights in short bursts. Most people have seen weight lifters in the Olympic games. This is very different to weight training, the purpose of which is to build up many of the body’s muscles for both strength and endurance and so it can also be called strength training. Also the muscles targeted in weight training are not just limited to those required in weight lifting but to muscles all over the body. The result of this is that the body ends up being sculptured as well as becoming stronger. Hence weight training is also a wonderful way of losing weight and when combined with an exercise regime like aerobics or walking, can produce excellent weight loss results in a relatively short period of time. As such, weight training equipment can also come under the umbrella of fitness equipment or exercise equipment.

Many different types of weight training equipment can be seen when entering a commercial gym. These include equipment used with free weights like dumbbells, weight bars and the weight bench and sit up bench as well as weight machines like the nautilus machine, rowing machines, chin up machines and even the electric treadmill and exercise bike if you are keen to include cardio equipment in your weight training program.

When people first begin a weight training program they are often unsure as to whether they should concentrate on using free weights or use the weight machines instead. The weight machines I’m talking about here are those that often have four sides with a different exercise set up on each. For instance, on one side their may be a bench where the bench press can be done, on another side there may be a bar and stool for the lat pull down, on the third side there may be another bar for doing triceps and on the fourth side their might be a rowing machine. The weights for each of these exercises are located in the middle of the machine on bars that are pulled upward when each exercise is performed. The weights are held in place by a small pin that can be pulled out and adjusted to increase or decrease the number of weights that are being lifted. When doing weight training exercises like the bench press on a machine like this, the muscles that are targeted are very specific. This is because the bar that is being lifted, along with the weights that are connected to it can only go in one direction. They cannot waver to one side or the other side at all. Some people feel that this is a negative and as such prefer free weights.

When performing the same exercise with free weights, the desired weight is added to a bar that is placed on holders located at the sides of the bench. The person then lies down on the bench under the bar and begins to lift the bar above their chest. In this situation, the weight trainer does not have a machine holding the bar steady for them. Instead, it is up to the person lifting the weight to keep it steady and stop it from wavering from one side to the other. As such, several more muscles are used in this form of the exercise than when doing the same exercise using a weight machine and can therefore generate faster results in less time.

One reason why people will still choose weight machines over free weights when selecting their weight training equipment is in the situation where they are training on their own. Weight machines are far safer than free weights because the bar that is connected to the weights is naturally pulled away from the person lifting them. Free weights on the other hand, particularly in the case of the bench press, naturally drop towards the person lifting them and if the that person has reached a state of muscle exhaustion, can actually drop on top of them. It is wise therefore when using free weights to have a spotter which is another person watching and ready to assist you if you find yourself in this position. As a result many people using free weights as their weight training equipment of choice will train in pairs.

For those interested in creating a home gym, it is a good idea to collect a range of both home gym machines and free weight sets. The exercise machines can include aerobic equipment like an electric treadmill or cycle as well as weight training equipment like a nautilus machine. Free weights can include dumbells of various sizes, small bars suitable for the hands as well as long weight bars for bench press or upright row. It’s also a good idea to get weight lifting gloves to protect the hands from the metal grips on the bars and a weight lifting belt to help guarantee that you won’t give yourself a hernia. All of this can be purchased from weight lifting stores but if you would prefer to buy discount fitness equipment or used fitness equipment then a quick search on the Internet will provide you with a wealth of options and a far better price.