Different Weight Training Equipment to Choose From

Lots of people nowadays are into weight training exercises to stay fit and healthy. Other than that, they also want their body to be well sculpted for “aesthetic” and endurance/strength purposes.

Deciding on what weight training equipment to choose is not a big issue if you decided on what parts of your body you need to improve on and the correct weight training you will use. You can read my articles -- alexandriaruthk's articles on “simple tips when choosing a workout” and “cardio or strength workout” to get you introduced to weight training and workout basics.

I am very fascinated with people doing trainings specially with weight training because they seem so cool and they are well disciplined in maintaining schedules, and routines that is why I researched about this hub. I even went to a fitness gym twice to be able to see some weight training equipment and I enjoyed my visit there very much. The woman is wondering why I went there but she was very accommodating. She looked at me twice and blink once. I saw her eyes rolled. To be honest, stereotypes of those people who use weight training is that it used for bodybuilding, weightlifting purpose, but this is not true, most people want to be fit and stay healthy. Proper diet and exercise is the best way to lose weight. Then you can maintain weight and get the muscles you want to have.

In this hub, I will discuss the different equipment used in weight training, their characteristics and what are their functions. So come on now, we will take a look at the fascinating world of weight training equipment.

• Weight training is a is a common type of “strength training” and is synonymous to physical training to develop the strength and muscle quality. It utilized several equipments for specific muscle groups. There are many available weight training equipment to choose from for specific muscles you want to develop. The theory behind weight training is that it utilizes the “force of gravity -- the form of weight equipment you use” inversely affect the force generated by the muscle through contractions. It is used as part of athletes training agenda.

1. The Barbell -- is a very traditional form of weight training equipment, and most of us have seen this already. Aside from weight training, it is also used for weightlifting and power lifting. The weights are often secured with collars to prevent them from sliding off during the exercise to prevent accidents while swinging the unevenly-loaded barbell through the air. "It consists of a metal bar, one or more sets of weight plates, and a set of collars. The ranges of a barbell is usually 4 feet (1.2 m) to 7 feet (2.1 m) and the central portion varies in diameter, but is close to an inch. It is often engraved with a knurled crosshatch pattern to help lifters get a good grip. Disc weights (plates) are slid onto the outer portions of the bar to obtain the desired total weight."
2. A weight training bench is a piece of weight equipment which is similar to a bench you see anywhere. They come with different types like horizontally fixed, fixed inclined in a folded position with one adjustable portion, with two or more adjustable portions, with racks to hold bars.
3. A cable machine -- A cable machine is very user friendly as it allows many exercises to be done on it. One end of the cable is attached to a perforated steel bar that runs down the centre of the weight stack.This equipment used in for the purpose of weight training and "it usually consists of rectangular, vertically-oriented metal frame about 3 meters wide and 2 meters high, with a weight stack at each end, plus the cables that connect the handles to the weight stacks run through adjustable pulleys that can be fixed at any height. In order for you to use and select the desired amount of resistance, move the metal pin into the labeled hole in the weight stack. The other end of the cable forms a loop, which allows the user to attach the appropriate handle for the exercise and it has been said that most cable machines have a minimum of 20 pounds (~9 kilograms) of resistance in order to counter-balance the weight of the typical attachment".
4. A bar dip is a U shaped bar which will grip the one using it at the waist. When you do the exercise, you need to raise and lower the body with other parts of your body like triceps, chest etc. “By leaning forward the user can work the chest more and the triceps less and conversely, by keeping the body upright, the triceps are worked to a greater extent than the chest.” You are going to hold the bar with both hands and support their body weight on it. Usually you also need a belt dip for resistance.
5. Dumbbell is a free weight, sometimes it comes in pairs or singles . It is one of the traditional method of weight training. There are three types of dumbbells : adjustable, fixed weight and selectorized dumbbells. This is like a dumb bell form of equipment --
6. Halteres - In the ancient times they used halteres in Greece -- which is also called “weights” which simply means dumbbells. According to archaeological evidence, “the athlete would swing the weights backwards and forwards just before take-off, thrust them forwards during take-off, and swing them backwards just before releasing them and landing and halteres were made of stone or metal, and weighed between two and nine kegs.”
7. Indian clubs -- is popular in the early 20th and late 19th century in US, some parts of Europe as well. It looks like a bowling pin, made of woods and comes with different sizes and weights and they are swung around. “They can range from a few pounds each, up to special clubs that can weigh as much as 50 pounds. They were used in carefully choreographed routines where the clubs were swung in unison by a group of exercisers, led by an instructor in the front, similar to modern aerobic classes. Indian club is used in India and is used by martial arts.
8. To train for endurance and strength Iron rings are utilized by martial artists for training purposes. It hardens the muscles, skin, bones, arms and fists.You must have seen these used by Jackie Chan in some of his movies. There are different types of rings like : Chi Sau ring -- used of body conditioning purposes , while some are made of metals -- brass or steel. Rattan rings are made of wood. They come usually as sets, two small and larger ones.
9. The kettlebell is sometimes called “girya” which looks like a cannonball with a handle with adjustable weights. There are appropriate programs available for kettle bell weights. There are sizes that range from 5lbs to 70lbs, the traditional Russian kettlebell is usually one which weighs almost 35 lbs.
10. The leg press is another form of weight training exercise in which one pushes away or resist a weight using your legs. It is a form of resistance training as well. The process itself is very easy mostly for women as well. It used endurance and is a good basis for your lower torso strength. It comes in two different forms (1) seated leg press -- The user sits upright and pushes forward with their feet onto a plate that is attached to the weight stack by means of a long steel cable and (2) sled' type leg press -- plates are attached directly to the sled, which is mounted on rails and the user sits below the sled and pushes it upward with their feet. These machines normally include adjustable safety brackets that prevent the user from being trapped under the weight.
11. Squat rack cage, power rack or squat cage : this utilized a barbell and it is an item which comprises “four vertical posts with two movable horizontal bar catchers on each side.” This is often used for limited-range exercises, in which the athlete can handle far more weight than in their full-range equivalents plus it also allows “for a safe free-weight workout: if for example, in the bench press, a bar catcher is placed right above the athlete's chest, it becomes possible to load the barbell with the maximum weight, since the bar will prevent the barbell from crushing the chest in the case of a sudden muscle failure.”
12. The Smith machine is also a form of barbell which you can swing and is generally used for weight training. It is a barbell which is moved in a vertical way as well as backward and forward movements it often includes a weight rack in the base to help stabilize it.
13. Solo flex-- in lieu of the pulley, this utilized an an elastomer Weight strap made of heavy-duty rubber to create variable resistance. This comes with DVD as well. "As any spring or elastometer is stretched the force required to keep it moving increases exponentially, plus the barbell arm is a variable geometry lever that increases in leverage exponentially to match the force required. The result - a predictable and constant load to the user.”
14. The trap bar-- this is a group of bars welded into a shape which lies flat in a plane, with a bar stock, coaxial stub bars and s et of handles : comprised of: A bar stock welded into a circular, square, trapezoidal, or hexagonal shape, sized to allow a human to stand in the middle; 2 (almost always) coaxial stub bars, welded to opposing positions on the outside of the perimeter of the hollow portion; and set of handles pointing forward and back, welded inside the hollow portion.
15. Stack machines - the weight stack form a cable machine weighs almost 14 lbs each plate. This is a set of massive rectangular plates that are pierced by a vertical bar which has holes drilled in it to accept a pin plus each of the plates has a channel on its underside (or a hole through the middle, as shown in the diagram) that aligns with one of the holes. How does it work? -- “While the pin is inserted through the channel into the hole, all of the plates above the pin rest upon it, and are lifted when the bar rises. The plates below do not rise. This allows the same machine to provide several levels of resistance over the same range of motion with an adjustment that requires very little force to accomplish in itself.”
16. Bow flex --- is the brand name for a series of weight training machines used for aerobic type of exercise -- and at times for strength training. The equipment is made of polymer rods to make or create resistance. The latest release was of 2008 with the following qualifications:

• Bow flex --- PR3000 Home Gym (2008) with No Bench, Seat only
• 35 exercises
• 210 lb (95 kg) weight resistance, upgradeable to 310 lb
• 81” H x 64” L x 41” W

It is very important that you know your objectives in using the different set of equipments for weight training exercises. If you are in doubt after researching about the different ways to achieve your objective asked a trained professional to help you decide which options are best for you, like whether you will be home trained on your own or you need a fitness center and what kind of equipment is bets suited for you based on you physical characteristics and objectives.  Weight training exercises or workout are a kind of anaerobic exercise which helps in the endurance or physical strength purposes.