Certain types of exercise degrade muscle, spurring your body to rebuild the muscle larger and stronger than before. Strength training exercise equipment includes weight machines, free weights, exercise balls. If you are a beginner, talk to a fitness trainer before attempting to use strength training equipment. After your workout, give your body at least a day of rest to rebuild the muscle.
Weight Machines
Weight machines use pulleys, levers, bands or other forms of resistance. For example, a stack machine has a tall set of rectangular plates with a hole through the middle. You choose a weight setting by sticking a special metal pin somewhere in the stack of plates. When you apply force to the lifting mechanism, only the plates above the pin move. Other forms of weight machines have different methods for weight selection, but the results are similar.
Free Weights
Free weights, such as dumbbells, are heavy objects that allow a full range of lifting motion. Some free weights are adjustable. For example, a barbell is a long metal pole upon which you load circular weight plates. Typically, you load a barbell with weight while it is on a special rack called a lifting bench. After you finish loading an even amount of weight to each side of the barbell, you attach special clips to prevent the weight plates from sliding off. You then can perform a variety of exercises. For instance, to perform a chest press, you lie on your back on the bench, lift the barbell off the rack and lower it to your chest. To complete the exercise, push the barbell upward and back to its original position.
Exercise Balls
Exercise balls, also known as Swiss or balance balls, are large, inflatable and made of a heavy-duty plastic material that enables them to withstand much pressure. Strength trainers use exercise balls to incorporate muscles used in balancing and steadying the body. For example, try sitting on an exercise ball so that your feet are shoulder width apart. Slowly lean backward so that your legs and torso are horizontal. Return to a sitting position by contracting your abdominal muscles. While the form of this exercise is a simple crunch, your body must engage numerous back and stomach muscles to maintain balance on the ball, leading to greater strength gains.
Other Equipment
Some strength trainers use weighted clothing or attachable weights to add intensity to an exercise. For example, a typical leg lift requires you to lie on your back and raise your legs upward without bending your knees. Adding thigh weights to this exercise increases the difficulty and thus the fitness benefits. Similarly, adding ankle weights or weighted footwear increases exercise intensity for runners. Sometimes this form of strength training simulates real-life conditions. For example, a trainee in the military might wear a weighted backpack to prepare for transporting heavy field equipment in the future.
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