If you want to increase your muscle mass and body strength, try free-weight exercises. When you lift weights, your muscles tear slightly. With proper nutrition and adequate rest, your body rebuilds the torn muscles bigger and stronger, leading to increased muscle tone and strength. Too much exercise or failing to use proper form can limit the effectiveness of your workout, so ask a doctor or fitness trainer to help you design a weightlifting routine to match your needs.
Dumbbell Exercises
Many dumbbells are metal, but some include soft rubber covers that make them more comfortable and provide added safety. Typical uses of dumbbells include the following: For a biceps curl, hold a dumbbell in your hand and then bend your elbow upward, causing the biceps to contract. For a triceps kickback, lean forward while holding a dumbbell in your hand, then straighten your arm backward, lifting the dumbbell upward. There are many other types of dumbbell exercises, each of which strengthens specific muscle groups.
Barbell Exercises
A typical barbell is a long metal pole with special collars that prevent removable weight plates from sliding off during an exercise. Before every exercise, you can add or subtract weight plates as necessary. Typical barbell exercises include bench presses and overhead lifts. Bench presses require you to lie on your back while gripping the barbell with both hands. You then repeatedly raise the barbell upward toward the ceiling. Overhead lifts are similar, except you must lift the barbell toward the ceiling while standing upright. To use barbells, you also need a weight bench, which is a padded seat that has a metal rack upon which you can rest the barbell between exercises.
Medicine Ball Exercises
Though not as common as dumbbells and barbells, a medicine ball can be used in any weightlifting regimen. A medicine ball is a weighted sphere that you hold in your hands while performing controlled movements, such as sit-ups, side bends or stomach crunches. The added weight of the medicine ball increases the intensity of the exercise, leading to greater strength gains.
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