After the year we’ve had, maintaining a gym routine has become almost impossible. Closures, gym rule changes and limitations on capacity have made it more trouble than it’s worth visiting a gym. If you have let your gym membership lapse and are not sure if you are going to renew, perhaps it’s time you thought about developing a home gym.
Despite what so many late-night infomercials tell us, you don’t need particularly fancy equipment to get a decent home workout. The versatility of most weights means hundreds of exercise variations can be performed using a minimal amount of equipment. Once you start researching home gym equipment you’ll inevitably have to decide on what kind of equipment you’re going to purchase. Are you going to create a free weight home gym or use weight machines? The ideal scenario is a combination of both; however, this will push up your budget and put demands on available space. For most of us, it’s going to be a choice between free weights or machine weights. So what is the right choice for you?
The Advantages of Free Weights
Free weights, e.g. equipment like dumbbells, barbells and benches are the most common type of home gym equipment. Just about any weight lifting exercise is possible using one or a combination of these three items. And that’s the crux of why free weights are so convenient: they are versatile. Almost any weight lifting programme can be completed using little more than a single barbell and a few dumbbells of varying weights. Also, by their very nature, free weights better mimic how our bodies move, meaning these weights engage the stabilisation muscles. Strong stabilisation muscles are vital for fitness and manoeuvrability.
Dumbbells and bars also take up less room when compared to machines, making them an attractive option for individuals with limited free space.
While not an inherent advantage of free weights, during transit, most dumbbell sets will weigh less than flat-packed machine weights. When buying online, shipping will likely be calculated by weight and distance. So to avoid hefty delivery charges we recommend buying from an Irish retailer. When purchasing dumbbells in Ireland or a weight bench in Ireland we recommend using GetLocal.ie.
The Advantages of Machine Weights
While certainly bulky and more expensive than their free weight counterparts, machine weights still offer some unique advantages. As machine weights are ether on tracks or connected to a pulley system, they force controlled movements that reduce the risk of injury. Most machines also have a range of built-in safety features like quick release weights and safety bars that prevent overextension. Due to the rigid movement imposed by weight machines, significantly less pressure is put on joints. Weight machines also make it easier to isolate muscles. This ease of isolation makes addressing specific weaknesses easier. For example, you may have a strong chest but a comparatively weak back. A weight machine like a lateral pulldown will help to address this issue by isolating your back muscles.
Finally, if you’re recovering from an injury and are hoping to ease back into a weight training programme, weight machines are the safer option.
The innovative design of modern weight machines allows a person to perform a variety of exercises on a single machine.
In Conclusion: What Weight Type is Right for You?
The appropriate home gym equipment for you is dependent on a number of different factors. If you have limited free space, a rack of dumbbells may be the best option. If you’re recovering from an injury or have issues with your joints, the safety of a weight machine will be the better buy.
As a rule of thumb, if you’re under 45 and want to increase your fitness and muscle mass, we recommend free weights. If you’re over 45 and want to maintain your current fitness level we recommend weight machines.
Whatever option you select, we always recommend buying local and buying Irish.