There are hundreds of exercises that you can perform to strengthen, tone and build your body. Some exercises require equipment whereas others can be performed that just utilize your body weight. Although thousands of exercises and pieces of exercise equipment are available, Most of the work you need to do can be done on some common types of exercise equipment available for your upper and lower body.
Free Weights
Dumbbells and barbells, collectively called free weights, can be used to exercise every muscle in your body. Often used in conjunction with exercise benches, free weights offer lots of versatility and adaptability. Ranging from very light to extremely heavy, free weights can be selected to suit your individual fitness level and goals. Safety can be an issue when using free weights as there is a possibility that they can be dropped, which may cause injury.
Rubber Exercise Bands
Rubber bands are cheap and versatile and can be used to replicate many free weight exercises but without the weight. Rubber exercise bands come in a variety of styles including ones with preattached handles, closed loops and those that can be cut to length to suit your individual needs. Available from sporting goods stores and in a variety of strengths, rubber exercise bands are ideal for those who prefer to train at home or for when no gym is available.
Kettlebells
Kettlebells are from Russia and have been used for over a century, although they have only become popular elsewhere since the beginning of the 21st century. Originally cannonballs with handles attached, kettlebells can be used for many traditional free weight exercises such as biceps curls and shoulder presses. Kettlebells are also used for some specific exercises such as swings and snatches that are not easily replicated with standard free weights. Kettlebells come in a variety of weights--called poods--to suit your individual fitness level but aren't adjustable. You will need access to a range of sizes if you want to perform a variety of exercises.
Resistance Training Machines
Whether you want to exercise your upper body, your lower body or your midsection, there is a resistance training machine to meet your requirements. Some machines use sliding weights as resistance whereas while others use hydraulics or electromagnetic resistance. Resistance training machines are easily adjustable to suit your height, limb length and strength. They use a fixed path so that you don't have to worry about guiding your limbs into position--the machine does it for you. Resistance training machines also remove the risk of dropping a weight on yourself. Because resistance training machines tend to only have one function e.g. the leg extension machine can only be used for one leg exercise, you need access to a range of machines to get a fully balanced workout. Also, the machines tend to be very big and expensive which means that they are more suited to use in gyms than for home training.
Suspension Training Equipment
A number of equipment manufacturers now make suspension training equipment which puts a twist on body weight exercises. By elevating your hands or feet using these specially designed straps, exercises such as push-ups and lunges become much more challenging. Most free weight exercises can be replicated using suspension training equipment and there are also some exercises that are specific to this type of training equipment. Most exercises performed using suspension training indirectly work your core as you need to stabilize your midsection when performing many of the movements. Suspension training equipment is light and portable, making it ideal for home us and while traveling.
References
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2009
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- "Designing Resistance Training Programs"; Steven Fleck and William Kraemer; 2003
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