Tips for Purchasing Free Weight Sets

Free weights are a great piece of fitness equipment and ideal for home gyms of any size since they won’t take up a ton of space. Equipment experts agree that free weights are some of the most versatile fitness equipment, cost saving, goal producing fitness products available. Not only do they help promote functional fitness, but they allow the user to achieve a full range of motion that will help to increase your balance, stability, and strength simultaneously.

If you are in the market for free weights, we’ve compiled a list of things to consider to make your search easier. 

Your Experience Level

First things first, is you should consider your experience with free weights. Maybe you’ve used them before, or regularly use free weights at the gym. Or perhaps, you’re a complete novice, and are just starting out. 

If you’ve used free weights before, you likely have a preference for the type you want for your workouts, and what specific workouts you want to do. You might even know exactly what size weights you want.

Your Workout Space

The amount of room you have dedicated to your workout space will help determine which weights you buy and how many you get. While free weights are versatile, they aren’t a one size fits all solution. If you have a layout in mind this will help, especially if you already have other equipment in your gym. If you’re unsure, our experienced sales team can help you configure your space to meet your needs.

Who is Using the Equipment

This is important to consider if you plan to share the workout space and weights with someone who may not have the same goals as you or need either heavier or lighter weights. You also need to consider if anyone has preferences like dumbbells versus barbells for example.  

Your Fitness Goals

The obvious answer here might be strength training. However many people also use free weights to assist with weight loss, functional training, and interval training. The types of exercises you plan to do and the weight amounts you are intending to use will greatly help you narrow down your choices when choosing free weights.

Do You Want the Weights to be Portable?

This is an important question to consider since not all free weights are easily portable. If you don’t have a dedicated workout space and may have to switch from working out in the living room, bedroom or even outside, you may want to consider dumbbells since they are smaller and easily transferable from room to room. 

Understanding Your Options Regarding Free Weights

Now that you have a better grasp of your needs, it’s important to understand what your options are when it comes to buying free weights.

Dumbbells

Dumbbells are free weights that can easily be held in your hand. They consist of a handle in the middle with matching weights attached on both ends. They can be used in pairs or one at a time.

Dumbbells are ideal for beginners not only because they are easy to use, but because they require more individual muscle use in your arms and core in order to keep the weights balanced as you workout. Unlike when using barbells your hands are not held in a fixed position, so there’s less stress on your tendons. 

Dumbbells are also smaller, take up less space in your home and are easily portable. 

Adjustable Dumbbells

Adjustable dumbbells are similar to traditional dumbbells except for the fact that their weight can be adjusted as needed to be heavier or lighter. This piece of equipment is ideal for many because it can replace the need to own numerous pairs of dumbbells while allowing you to utilize a variety of weight amounts. It is both cost efficient and takes up even less space than traditional dumbbells.

Barbells

A barbell is another type of free weight, however this one consists of a long bar with loadable weights on both ends. In order to use them, they require the use of both hands. Barbells require less work from the smaller stabilizer muscles than dumbbells do, which makes it easier to focus on using  your larger muscle groups.

Barbells tend to be the free weight of choice for experienced weightlifters, primarily because they make it possible to work with higher weight amounts.

Olympic Bars

Olympic barbells are long bars of varying thickness or diameter. Weight plates can added to these to increase the weight. 

Weighted Barbells

Weighted barbells have a durable rubber coating with a comfortable secure grip and are available in varying weight options to allow for strength training at different levels. They are both easy to store and portable. 

Weight Racks

If you are investing in free weights, you should consider purchasing a weight rack as well. These racks help you to store your weights, and will make it easier to transition from weight to weight during your workout. 

Shop for Free Weights Today

At Expert Fitness Supply, we understand that the decision to purchase quality gym equipment is a very personal investment. We are dedicated to helping our customers find the right equipment to meet their workout needs and work in the space and will work with you to determine the best free weights to meet your needs and preferences.