Equipment is the backbone of any exercise program. It helps enhance the overall output of workout sessions and increases the intensity of exercises. Exercise is an essential part of any fitness regime and helps fight a number of ailments such as stress, depression, obesity, cancer, heart disease etc. It is essential for individuals to include exercise as part of there daily routine in order to remain absolutely fit. There are various types of exercises such as running, swimming, free weights, cycling, tennis etc. that enable you to maintain the general fitness of the body. However, certain sports such as weight lifting, power lifting, bodybuilding, athletics, football, golf etc. require enthusiasts to undergo specific training. You can join a commercial gym or work out at home depending upon the availability of equipments and time.
There are two types of equipments you will find in the gym: Free weights and machines. Free weights are the most basic form of weight training equipment and are not attached to any sort of pulleys, cables, pins or weight stacks. They comprise of barbells, dumb bells, weight plates etc.
Weight benches are the most common piece of equipment available in any commercial gym. There are four types of benches:
Adjustable weight benches: These can be adjusted to various positions such as flat, inclined or declined position, depending upon your requirements. Some benches have racks on one end for holding bar bells whereas other benches do not have any racks and are generally used for dumbbell exercises.
Hyper extension weight benches: These are used for working the lower back, hamstring and glute muscles. Some commercial gyms also have hyper extension benches that can be used for sit ups to work the abdominals.
Preacher weight benches: These benches are specifically designed for working the biceps. They have angled pads to support your upper arms while working out. This prevents you from swinging the weight and enables you to isolate the biceps muscles.
Abdominal weight benches: These are declined benches that are used for doing abdominal exercises. They are attached to rollers that are hooked to your feet in order to avoid sliding.
Tips for working out on benches:
It is essential for you to warm up before starting any weight lifting exercises as it prevents injury and gets the blood flowing to all the parts of your body.
Lift and lower the weights slowly. Do not use momentum.
Bouncy or jerky movements can result in an injury.
Make sure that you use full range of motion of the joints while exercising.
Do not hold your breath at any point of time during the exercise.
Pay attention to your posture balance and coordination.
Set up a target and try to achieve it by exercising.
The principle of over load:
Weight benches are specifically designed to enable you to lift weight with ease. In order to lift weights you need to use more resistance than usual. To avoid plateaus you must increase the work load gradually. You must lift enough weights to complete the desired number of reps and then increase the weights gradually to achieve the principle of overload.
It is essential for you to use the right technique while lifting weights in the absence of which you can get hurt or injured leading to several health problems such as muscle pulls, damage of muscle tissues, joint injuries, spinal injuries, fractures etc. The emphasis in weight lifting is on the use of the correct form. Therefore, it is essential for you to appoint a certified trainer capable of guiding you throughout your workout session. You must perform an exercise only under the watchful eyes of your trainer in order to avoid any risk of injury.
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