Resistance Vs. Free Weights

Exercise using free weights such as barbells and dumbbells is a form of resistance training, a type of training in which you are exercising against a force or a load. Use free weights for a majority of your resistance training to improve the strength of your stabilizing muscles, the smaller muscles located around your joints.

Types

There are several types of resistance training equipment. Train using weight machines to add variety to your lifting program and if you are recovering from an injury. Pack exercise bands with you when you are traveling to maintain consistency in your resistance training program. Do push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups and lunges using your own body weight to effectively work your major muscles at home or in the gym. Free-weights commonly refer to barbells and dumbbells; use them to maximize your free-weights exercise routine.

Significance

Resistance training decreases the rate of muscle loss as you age. According to a statement by the American College of Sports Medicine, you will lose 10 percent of your muscle mass by age 50. (See Ref. 1, pg. 2) You must also use increasingly heavier weights to continue to stimulate muscle and bone growth. Free-weight training enables you to work your muscles in a more functional capacity compared with machine weights. Paul Chek of the Corrective High-performance Exercise Kinesiology Institute encourages the use of primarily free weights. He says the overuse of machines leads to over-development of your major muscles and the under-development of your stabilizing muscles.

Effects

Primarily using free weights for your resistance training program requires you to activate your core muscles to maintain proper form. Strong core muscles enable you to keep your balance, especially if you lose your footing, such as when stepping off the sidewalk or on a rock. Additionally, free weights more appropriately load your skeletal system and stimulate bone growth, increasing your bone density. Free weights enable you to move in a more functional and normal range of motion compared with the restricted range of motion using machine weights.

Misconceptions

Many women believe resistance training using heavy free weights will bulk them up. This is not true. While engaging in a progressive resistance training program will increase your muscular strength/muscular endurance, you will not build muscle like a man because you do not have enough testosterone in your body. You also need to complete a large volume of resistance training exercises for five or six days of the week to build muscles like those seen on women body builders. Training for one hour a day, two or three days of the week, will not bulk you up. The American College of Sports Medicine encourages you to perform two days a week of resistance training to improve your health.

Warnings

Resistance training temporarily increases your blood pressure. Do not hold your breath during any resistance training exercise. Check with your doctor before engaging in a regular resistance-training exercise program, especially if you have a history of stroke.