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If the only weights you have ever taken an interest in are those displayed on your bathroom scales, carry on reading. Exercising with free weights (a barbell and dumb-bells) is invaluable for the person looking to slim down, because the extra muscle you build will eat away at calories even when you are just sitting doing nothing. In addition, weight training is a great way to improve sporting performance, and can even help prevent some injuries. Relatively inexpensive and not requiring much space, free weights are an incredibly effective and versatile item of exercise equipment. Apparently, there are over 200 different exercises you can do with just a pair of dumb-bells and a padded bench.
In spite of all these benefits, many women avoid using weights because they think it will cause them to develop bulky muscles. But a woman's body does not allow this to happen easily - it takes an extreme training programme and is therefore not something worth worrying about.
The basics
Each exercise with either the barbell or dumb-bells is repeated a certain number of times (reps) before stopping. That is said to be one set completed. You then rest for a short time before starting the next set. Everyone has different requirements and should seek personalized expert advice regarding exercises, reps, sets and rest periods, but, in general, if your aim is to build strength, using a relatively heavy weight and doing a low number of reps will prove most effective. If, on the other hand, you are more interested in building muscular endurance, use a relatively light weight and do a high number of reps. Beginners, of course, should always start with a light weight. As you improve over time, the size of the weights used should be increased little by little.
Precautions
Safety should be your main priority when using free weights. Even after you have obtained your GP's approval to begin a weight training programme, you must know exactly what you are doing - although the benefits of using weights are great, so are the risks of injury if used incorrectly, even if the weights used are relatively light.
As with all workouts, each session should include a warm-up and cool-down.
Different exercises call for different-sized weights. That means a lot of fiddling with collars and discs (unless you use one-piece weights ... which take up a lot more space).
This fiddling can be annoying enough, and the collars on some products can work their way loose if you're not careful, which can obviously be very dangerous.
Drop a 10kg weight on your toe and you can forget about doing any ballet for a while!
Make sure to adopt a balanced position before lifting any weight, and keep your back straight as you lift it. In addition, don't hold your breath - breathe out as you lift and in as you lower the weight. And lift the weight smoothly and fully under control at all times. Having someone else nearby when you train with weights is another highly recommended safety measure, in case you get into difficulty?
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Author: Ann Brady
Copyright www.exercise.co.uk
2001
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Copyright Exercise, Fitness & Leisure 2001
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