Fitness equipment staples are the tried and true stuff. Dumbbells, cables, body weight exercises and weight machines are very popular equipment types. Some equipment types are better for certain goals or skill levels but no equipment type is ultimately better than the other. They all have their pros and cons.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Popular Equipment
Free Weights (barbell, dumbbells)
Pros
-Free weights recruit stabilizer muscles for balance and co-ordination. This gets the abs in to every exercise and strengthens the core
-Free weights work multiple muscles simultaneously with less exercises
-There are never ending exercise possibilities.
-This is the best equipment for putting on muscle.
-You only need a couple pairs of dumbbells to get a great workout. This is great if you have limited space at home or if you are on a budget.
Cons
-Free weights are not for beginners because they require a certain level of balance
-Many exercises require a second person as a spotter, to prevent serious injury.
-Free weight exercises preformed incorrectly, have a higher injury risk than most other equipment.
Body Weight Exercises
Pros
-Body weight exercises can be performed anywhere. You don't need a gym or to invest in equipment.
-When you compare body weight to strength, these exercises prove your strength. For example: A 100 pound person might not be able to bench press as much as a 200lb person using free weights, but they might be able to do more chin ups.
-Body weight exercises improve your strength for the weight room.
-They help you to develop a lean and toned body.
-Lower body weight exercises such as the squat and lunge are some of the best exercises to tone and develop muscles in the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves.
Cons
-You use your body weight as resistance, so if you are a beginner and heavy these exercises will be harder to perform than if you are a lightweight beginner.
-They can get boring and hard to progress. For example: After you do 10 push ups you can aim to do more but it's still the same exercise. Adding weight to your push ups or pull ups isn't complete body weight exercises anymore.
-You can't get huge muscles using body weight exercises alone.
-There is an injury risk if you have weak joints, especially wrists. There is significant pressure on them during push ups and pull ups.
None of the equipment in my poll is ineffective or bad to use. They all have their advantages. What you use to exercise depends on your facility and fitness skill level. In the next post I'll discuss the pros and cons to cables and weight machines.
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