How to Buy Strength Training Equipment
by: Douglas Brooks, MS, Exercise Physiologist

There are good arguments for putting almost any type of strength training equipment into your home gym. But, the key to any type of strength training equipment is whether or not it provides progressive resistance. In other words, can you adjust the resistance to be easier or harder?

Adjustable resistance lets you work out at the right level of resistance for your fitness level. It's neither too easy nor too hard, and when you become stronger you can keep building that strength by increasing the resistance! Free weights and benches, multi-station weight machines and pulley/cable systems are all good examples of equipment that can provide progressive overload. This keeps you progressing and the results coming.

Introduction to Strength Training Equipment
While equipment choices generally do not make or break a resistance training program, they can have a big impact if you choose poorly. There is a wide variety of strength exercise equipment available for you to effectively train your entire body, with overlap from category to category. Types of strength training equipment include:

Free Weights and Benches

Dumbbells, barbells and hand-held weights can be used to create a myriad of exercise options that are biomechanically correct. Free-weights also require balance and stabilization. That's important because what you do in every-day-life, and the sports you participate in, also require balance, stabilization and coordination. And, don't believe the myth that free weights are riskier to use than machines. Both must be used correctly to minimize the chances of injury. Here's how they work:

• Barbells (long bars) and dumbbells (short bars held in each hand) generally have "free-weights" or "weight-plates" attached to them. The plates can be attached securely with retaining "collars" or more permanent fixtures that eliminate the possibility of the "free-weight" falling off during exercise. "Fixed" dumbbells are not adjustable, have little possibility of coming apart on you, and you can grab the pair you need, do your exercise, and you're on to the next one.
  
• Free weights don't take up much room, and are inexpensive and versatile. At a minimum, you need to purchase about five to seven pairs of fixed dumbbells. For example, a woman new to exercise might want to have a set of 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 20 and 25 pound dumbbells. A man just starting out could add 30 and 35 pound dumbbells to that lineup.
  
• Free weights, especially dumbbells, offer great versatility for strength training. And exercises using dumbbells can be varied by holding the dumbbell in different positions. For example, you can do a biceps curl with your palms facing forward, facing your thighs, or even facing the rear to work your muscles in different ways.
  
• Adjustable weight benches will give you the most bang for your buck. Look for seated benches that have adjustable back angles, or flat benches that can incline or decline.
  When you progress to the point where you are lifting heavier barbells, racks that hold the barbell and weight plates may be a good accessory to enhance the safety of your workouts, especially when starting or ending exercises.

Multi-Station Weight Machines

Machines have built-in safety features. For example, when you can no longer push a weight, you can lower it to its resting point and move out from under it. There is no danger of plates falling off or getting pinned under a bar when using machines. Machines also remove balance as a factor. Here's how they work:

• Higher-end home gyms may have multiple weight stacks, a removable bench that lies flat and inclines at several different angles, and you should be able to train most, if not all of the major muscle groups. Plus, you can push yourself without needing a partner to spot you since the weight can't fall on you.
  
• Most multi-gyms take up as little as 4' x 8' of space. Many with multiple weight stacks require few adjustments as you move from exercise to exercise, and often more than one person can work out at a time.
  
• Many multi-station machines are set up with cables that are routed to selectorized plates or weight stacks. The guide rods and cables should operate smoothly and quietly. Some movements can be limited by what the cable connects to, for example, a straight bar or chest flye attachment, but they offer a wide range of exercises that can be performed safely, without a spotter. It's a plus if the machine allows you to target all the major muscle groups.
  
• One of the biggest advantages of machines is that they encourage directed lifting. That means they help ensure correct movements, which helps prevent cheating when fatigue sets in. Dumbbells, for example, can be swung for momentum, rather than being lifted slowly and steadily. A machine generally holds the body in a secure position with the seat, belts or pads, and doesn't require muscles to stabilize the position as free weights do.
  
• While machines are often more expensive than free weights, many multi-station gyms offer good value, simple adjustments and exercise variety. Some machines offer high-tech options like variable resistance during the motion, which can tax muscles in ways that traditional dumbbells can't. Changing the resistance on a machine may simply mean inserting a pin, versus sliding plates on and off barbells or dumbbells.

Pulley or Cable Systems

Pulley or cable systems generally allow complete movement freedom so exercises can be performed safely and correctly. That's why you often see this type of equipment used in rehabilitation and medical settings. Plus, you can target all of the major muscle groups of the body. Here's how they work:

• Some cable/pulley systems use weight stacks for resistance and the cable(s) connect to exercise devices such as handles and various types of bars. Types of handles or bars include split ropes or straps, lat pull-down bars, curl bars, or rowing bars.
• Other cable/pulley systems use gravity and the body weight of the exerciser for resistance. The Total Gym is an example of a pulley-cable system that attaches to hand-grips and uses the exerciser's body weight to provide resistance. Percentage of body weight lifted while exercising on the Total Gym can be varied by making simple adjustments in the incline of the bench.
• Advantages of a cable/pulley system include easy range of motion adjustments. You are not usually restricted in one path of motion, so adjustments can be made in body position and angles of movement throughout the entire range of motion.

Before investing in strength training equipment, take the time to try out free weights and machines. Both offer many benefits, so let cost and your personal preference direct you to what is most appropriate for your needs. You'll probably find that some combination of both will cover all your bases.

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