Strength training equipment is a category of equipment that is used for fitness strength training, also known as weight training. This is the type of exercise in which a person forces muscles in the body to contract using free weights, body weight, or other devices. Weight training results in gains in strength, power, and endurance of muscles. Fitness strength training’s effectiveness depends on four factors: how often a person trains, how hard he or she trains, the amount of time spent training, and the types of exercises performed.
There are different kinds of muscle contractions, most of which are used in strength training. Isometric muscle contractions are muscle contractions where the muscle does not lengthen. Pushing against a wall would cause isometric muscle contractions. Isotonic muscle contractions are muscle movements where the muscle shorten s and lengthens. An example of isotonic muscle contractions are arm curls using free weights.
Muscle contractions are closely intertwined with joint movements. The four main types of joint movements are flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction. Flexion is decreasing an angle in a going, such as the first part of an arm curl. Extension is increasing the angle of a joint, like in the second half of an arm curl, where the weight is lowered. Abduction is moving a part of the body away from the middle of the body to the side. Adduction is bringing that part of the body back to its normal condition.
Here is a list of main muscle groups that are commonly exercised in fitness strength training:
abdominals
adductors – in the inner thigh
dorsals – in the mid back
gluteals – in the buttocks
lumbars – in the lower back
pectorals – in the chest
quadriceps – in the front thigh
trapezii – in the upper back
Some people work all the major muscle groups during a workout, while others divide it up into lower body workouts and upper body workouts.
If you want to build up your muscle strength, you need to be familiar with the overload principle. This simply means steadily progressing through lifting heavier weights or increasing the volume of work over time. Overload principle does not necessarily mean you work a muscle till its exhaustion point. It is easy for beginners to overdo workouts and end up with injuries, so it is important to get the help of a coach or other fitness professional if you are just beginning to use strength training equipment.
Fitness strength training usually involves doing 8 to 12 repetitions (“reps”) with weight loads that are not too easy, nor too hard. If you are able to do 12 reps of a given exercise with a given amount of weight with no trouble whatsoever, then y ou should probably be using slightly more weight. If you are unable to do 8 reps at a given weight, then you should use slightly less weight.
Fitness strength training will involve a weight training program that uses strength training equipment in some exercises that build strength, and some exercises that build up the size of the muscles. This is the type of workout that the average non-body builder and non-power lifter is interested in.
On a cellular level, using strength training equipment involves microscopic damage and repair of muscles. Tiny “micro-trauma” tears in muscle are repaired and rebuilt stronger as the muscle recovers from the trauma. This is one reason why it is important to wait a day or two between workouts: so that the microscopic muscle trauma has the opportunity to heal. Otherwise, you’ll be causing more micro-trauma to muscle that has not had a chance to recover, and this mean s you won’t build muscle or strength well.
Your goals will dictate how often you train, as will your age, general health, experience, and fitness level. If you are working with a fitness coach, he or she will design your workout program to accommodate these factors, as well as the availability of strength training equipment and the amount of time you have to train.
A common problem with beginners using strength training equipment is that in their zeal to get results, they end up overtraining. A fitness coach can guard against this. Overtraining involves too much in the way of frequency, volume, or intensity of fitness strength training, and it can seriously hinder your progress. Symptoms of overtraining include the following:
Fatigue and poor workout performance
Susceptibility to illness
Unintended weight loss
Injury to muscles, bones, joints, tendons, or ligaments
Cessation of menstrual cycle in women
Loss of bone density
Poor sleep quality
If you have access to a variety of strength training equipment, then you’ll have an easier time changing up your workouts so that you don’t become bored and exercise all the major muscle groups over the course of a week. Different combinations of exercises, numbers of sets, numbers of repetitions, or order of exercises will help keep it interesting and effective.
If you are considering buying strength training equipment for your home, two brands you might want to consider are the Body Solid Multi-Station EXM-1500S Home Gym (for budgets under US$1,000) and the Titan T1 Home Gym (for budgets over $1,000).
The Body Solid gym has been favorably reviewed by a number of fitness experts. It has most, if not all the equipment you would need in a home gym. Made from a powder coated heavy frame made of steel, it comes with a 160 lb. weight stack, a bench padded with high density foam, bench press, lat pulldown bar (for arm and upper back muscles), leg extensions for the quadriceps, standing leg curl for hamstrings (the back of the thigh), abdominal crunch strap, and industrial grade bushings, bearings, and pulleys. The gym itself weighs about 300 lbs. and has a space footprint of 83 (height) x 49 x 36 inches. It comes with a lifetime guarantee on everything. Considering this and the high quality materials it is made of, you get really good value for your money.
It does have a few drawbacks, however, and the primary one is that the weight stack is only 160 lbs. Bigger or more compet itive athletes may wish they had a heavier stack than this. But for the typical home exerciser, it’s more than adequate. Many trainers and coaches consider the Body Solid EXM1500S to be a best buy in the under $1,000 range for home strength training equipment.
For more generous budgets, the Titan T1 is a clear favorite among trainers and fitness professionals. The Titan T1 is commercial grade strength training equipment that is considered the “gold standard” in home gyms by many. One reason for its high marks is its unique counter balance system that you rarely find in home gyms.
The frame is commercial-grade 11 gauge carbon steel and comes with a lifetime warranty. Most gyms in this class feature lighter 12 gauge steel. The posts for weight plates are machine milled and hold up remarkably well to the abuse that these posts generally receive. It comes partially assembled, and has an accompanying instructional CD. Th e cables are high tensile aircraft cables, the pulleys are heavy duty with bearings that are protected from dust, and the bench is adjustable with high density foam over a heavy duty steel frame. The bench can be easily moved forward or backward along guide rails with Teflon coated rollers so that you can position your body optimally on the bench.
The Titan T1 has a maximum footprint of 88.75 (height) x 113.5 x 102 inches, although the floor footprint maximum is only 113.5 x 53 inches. The frame has a lifetime warranty, while pulleys and rollers have a 2 year warranty and upholstery and cables have 1 year warranties. Expect to spend $5,000 or more on one of these gyms.
Strength training equipment for the home today is on par with that in commercial gyms, particularly for those with a generous amount of money to spend. But even the less expensive home gyms have increased in quality and provide strength training equipment for the home user who is serious and committed to fitness strength training.
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