The recent movie “300” was the story of the Spartans who held back the mighty Persian horde at the pass of Thermopylae. The Spartans, led by their King, Leonidas, were the front line for a small band of Greeks who blocked that mountain pass so the invading Persians couldn’t descend into Greece.

It was a heroic movie and the cast, headed by Gerald Butler as Leonidas, looked the part.  The actors playing the Spartans all had these amazing rock hard abs, and if you’re anything like me, I bet you found yourself wondering how they got such a great look!

But guess what? The secret to having those amazing abdominal muscles that looked flexed all the time is getting an animator to doctor the film. Hey, I’ve seen photos of Butler and he does not have the rock hard abs as shown in that film, nor do the other actors . . . at least not the constantly flexed look we saw in the movie!

The real secret on how to get rock hard abs lies in two words, “workout” and “diet.” You have to work your midsection correctly in order to build those abdominals. Then you have to diet to rid your body of subcutaneous fat so those abs can be displayed.

For a program on how you can build those chiseled abs, we turn to real champions with real abdominal development and share their secrets.

The abdominals are only one muscle group in several that make up your “core.” The obliques and lower back are also important parts of what make up you midsection. All of these muscles should be worked and developed.

Core Workout

Sit-Ups – The jury is still out on whether you should ever do full sit-ups. Some trainers maintain that these moves are very important, but others say all you need are “partial” sit-ups, crunches that contract the abdominals and help build them.

Most great bodybuilding champions performed a wide variety of sit-ups; flat bench, incline, decline and compound (where you twist while sitting up). They also performed crunches to further define their abs.

• • Decline Board Sit-Ups – Three sets of 50 reps, the last set being compound sit-ups.
• • Crunches – Three sets of 50 reps on the decline board, the last set being compound crunches.

Leg-Raises – These tend to work the lower abdominals.

• • Decline Board Leg Raises – Three sets of 50 reps keeping legs straight for two and bringing the knees to the chest alternately for the third.
• • Chinning Bar Leg Raises – Three sets of 20 while hanging at arm’s length from the chinning-bar.
• • Side-Bends with Dumbbells – These will work the front and rear obliques and the small of your back. Perform three sets of 100 for each side and then three sets while holding the dumbbell behind your leg for the rear obliques.
• • Roman Chair Reverse Sit-Ups – These will work your lower back and rear obliques. Perform three sets of 25 with the last set being compound, where you twist your torso as you raise to contraction.

Bodybuilder’s Pre-Contest Diet

This diet came from the Iron Guru, the late Vince Gironda, who was probably the best trainer of champion bodybuilders of all time. Vince claimed that “bodybuilding is 80% diet.”

This diet should not be undertaken for more than a short period of time. This describes the first cycle of the diet. Five or more cycles may be undertaken to reduce subcutaneous fat.

Days 1 through 4 – Eat as close to zero carbohydrates as humanly possible. Consume high protein foods like eggs, poultry, meat and fish.

Day 5 – Eat a balanced diet in which 25% of the calories are from protein, 40% from carbs and the remainder from fats and fibers.

Supplements: Protein powder taken with raw milk, wheat germ oil, lipotropic amino acids (inositol, choline, betane), desiccated liver and kelp tablets.

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The legs are made up of three muscle groups: The quadriceps or frontal thigh muscles, the thigh “biceps” on the rear of the upper leg and the calves on the lower leg. Learning all the exercises for your legs will show how to get bigger thighs.

In most people, legs make up two-thirds of body weight. They are solid muscle, unlike the torso which is an organ-filled hollow containing lots of air spaces. As large muscles, the legs, and particularly the thighs, will require a lot of exercise in order to get bigger.

Researching in the great encyclopedia of bodybuilding, Keys to the Inner Universe by Bill Pearl, four-time Mr. Universe, we find 50 pages of exercise devoted to developing and defining our thighs. More than 150 different exercises are explained and pictured.

The Squat

Arguably the best exercise for getting bigger thighs is the squat. This is also the most avoided exercise by less-than-serious bodybuilders because it requires a lot of exertion. Squats may be performed with barbells (preferred) or with devices like the weight-loaded Smith machine.

Squats may be done with the weight on our shoulders, or held at chest level in front. They may be performed with the heels elevated about two inches or flat-footed. Regardless of how they are performed, the legs should never be “locked out” when in the straight position, or the tension will be off the muscles.

A bench may be used for one type of squat so that you may gauge the correct distance to go down, or you can just go until your butt hits your heels. How you point your knees and your foot spread will determine whether you work inner, outer or upper thighs.

To build bigger thighs, several types of squats should be performed for three sets of ten repetitions.

• Barbell Squat – using an Olympic bar and weights and a squat rack, elevate your heels and squat down until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Use enough weight that you struggle to reach ten reps.

• Barbell Squat Wide Stance – with heels elevated and legs spread widely, squat with your knees pointed out for an inner thigh workout.

• Hack Squat – with heels elevated and the barbell held behind your buttocks, squat until the weights nearly touch the floor.

Leg Presses

• Leg Press Machine – seated in the machine, the placement of your feet on the foot pads will determine whether you work inner, outer or upper thighs.

• Decline Leg Press Machine – seated in the machine, the foot placement will change the portion of the thigh that is worked. The gluteus maximus (buttocks) also get worked if you go deeply enough.

Leg Extension Machine

• Leg extensions will work the outer, inner and lower thigh down to the knee.

Thigh Curls

• Using a thigh curl machine or cable-and-pulley machine with ankle straps, perform curls to build the hamstrings or thigh biceps muscles.

Abductor and Adductor Machines

• These machines will work the inner thigh and the hip flexors. The development of these muscles is important to the overall look of your thighs. If these machines aren’t available, a cable-and-pulley machine may suffice.

Dumbbell Lunges

• This exercise will build the rear thigh muscles, including the gluteus. They are also good for the hips and lower body flexibility.

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The chest muscle group, the pectoralis major, is the largest muscle group in the upper body. As such, the chest requires a great many very specific exercises to work the upper, lower and inner pecs. A good looking chest really sets off the appearance of a physique.

Even beginning bodybuilders are aware that in order to build muscle, you have to tear it down with exercise and rebuild it with a high-protein diet. A bodybuilding diet should be at least 25% protein and 40% natural, unrefined carbohydrates, with the balance being in fats and fibers.

The bodybuilding chest workout should be the total focus of one workout per week. Other muscles will get worked in this routine, but only as incidental to the chest exercises. The exercises will involve barbells, dumbbells and body-resistance moves.

The exercises should be performed in the order of descending strength of the muscle parts. In other words, begin with the exercise for which you use the heaviest poundage. Then work down the ladder from there.

Most chest bodybuilding exercises will be three sets of eight to ten repetitions each for an intermediate level bodybuilder. An advanced exerciser should consider raising that to five sets of six to eight reps with heavier weights.

Bench Press, with Barbell, Wide-grip

Lie flat on the bench with your feet planted flat and squarely on the floor. Grip the bar at about double shoulder width. Lower the barbell to your upper chest-lower neck region, pause, and return to overhead.

Begin with a one set as a warm-up with a moderate weight. Perform the next sets with the maximum weight you can handle for eight to ten repetitions.

Make each movement slow and smooth and pause at full contraction. Do not bounce the weight on your chest. Do not arch your back or lift your buttocks off the bench as this will place strain on you lower neck and could cause injury.

Front Barbell Raise, Incline

Using an incline bench and a lighter weight barbell, begin with the barbell grasped palms down and your arms facing straight down. Raise the weight smoothly overhead, continuing until your arms are extended behind your head.

Dumbbell Flies, Flat Bench

Using two moderately heavy dumbbells and lying supine, begin with the dumbbells held straight up. Lower them smoothly while bending your arms slightly at the elbow. The finish point should be with your arms parallel with the floor. Don’t hyperextend your shoulder joints.

Incline Press with Barbell, Wide-Grip

Using an incline bench, begin with the barbell straight overhead. Lower the weight to your upper chest-lower neck area. Use a weight that exhausts your muscles at eight to ten reps.

Decline Press with Barbell, Wide-Grip

Using a decline bench, begin with your arms perpendicular to the floor. Lower the weight slowly to the neck and perform eight to ten reps.

Flat Bench Dumbbell Press

Begin the move with the dumbbells straight overhead and then lower them to your chest keeping your elbows high and your upper arm nearly parallel with your shoulders. Use heavy dumbbells for eight to ten reps.

Flat Bench Dumbbell Pullover Press Lateral

Using medium weight dumbbells and beginning the move with the weights at your chest, rotate the dumbbells past your head towards the floor. In one movement, bring them back to your chest and press them overhead and then immediately perform a lateral fly with your arms bent at a forty-five degree angle.

Push-Ups Hands Together

Assume the push-up position with your body straight and up on your toes with your hands about a foot apart. Perform push-ups slowly for as many reps as you are able.

And that completes your chest workout. Bring on those ripped chest muscles!

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The pectoralis major is the largest muscle group in the upper body. The chest muscles are large slabs spread across the upper torso, so the best chest workout is achieved by using heavy weights in a number of exercises that focus on the upper, lower, inner and outer pecs.

The pecs are “pushing” muscles that tie in closely with your arms and shoulders. When you work your chest, your triceps and deltoids also get some work. The size, spread and depth of your pecs is directly related to the weights used in your training regimen.

Exercises used to develop the pecs

Bench Press – When the chest is the topic of conversation and evaluation, the bench press is the first exercise considered. This exercise may be performed in a variety of ways and using different benches, grips, angles and weights.

The Olympic bar commonly used and the plates are the only commonalities in the types of bench presses.

A wide-grip on the bar while using a flat bench is the basic bench press. The wide grip will put more exertion on the outer pecs. Whether the bar is lowered to the neck or to the chest will determine whether the upper or middle of the pecs is worked.

When the bar is lowered to the middle of the chest and the elbows are kept at the lifter’s sides, the triceps are involved in moving the weight. When the bar is lowered to the neck and the elbows are splayed widely, the frontal deltoids are involved with the pecs.

The bench press may be performed on an incline board and the bar lowered to the neck. This will exercise the upper pecs. When performed on the decline board, the lower pecs are worked.

Parallel Bar Dips – These are very good for working the inner and upper pecs when the lifter’s hands are at shoulder width. Placed wider, the outer pecs and delt-pec tie-in are involved.

Dumbbell Exercises for a Chest Workout – Dumbbells may be used for a number of bench exercises that closely approximate the Olympic bar lifts. They may also be used to perform flies on a flat, incline or decline bench. These are good for stretching the pecs and ripping them up.

Cable-And-Pulley Machine – This device is good for chest finishing exercises like the two-handed crunch, where the exercise begins with arms spread wide and then the handles are brought together in front of the chest, with the arms slightly bent at the elbow.

Bent-Arm-Pullover – This move is performed on a flat bench with the weight on the floor. The lifter assumes a supine position and reaches back over his head for the barbell. Keeping his arms bent, the weight is brought to the chest in a circular motion.

A compound exercise is performed when the weight is then pressed from the chest as a close-grip bench press. The return is back to the chest and then lowered to the floor in a circular motion.

The best chest workout is to begin with the heavier weight exercises (bench press) and move “down the ladder” through the barbell exercises to the dumbbells and finally to the bodyweight resistance exercises to finish off the pecs.

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If you’ve been a user of the Hoist v1, this is the time to upgrade to the Hoist v3 Home Gym. The v3 version has a 3D chest press arm that takes the user beyond the chest and back exercise into a whole new ground of exercise that allow more natural exercise movements.

It helps to workout stabilizer muscles while making the muscle mass grow faster and more efficiently than with the Hoist v1. Plus the seat with a 9 position back pad, adding 4 positions to the seat of the previous hoist v1.

Hoist v3 Home Gym Specifications

• Frame- 2’’ x 4’’ steel frame
• Pulleys- Wide groove pulleys on high, mid and low cable stations
• Workstations- 4: Pull up, Dip, Knee Up and Push Up Station
• Weight stack- 155 pounds, optional 205 pounds
• Number of exercises- 20
• Dimensions- 63’’ long x 37’’ wide x 84’’ tall
• Warranty- Lifetime Frame, 5 years Moving Parts, 1 year Cable and Upholstery

Great free weight home gym

Some users do love the feeling of free weights, and the Hoist v3 Home Gym gives you that plus the safety of any other resistance system in home gyms. The design of this home gym and the 3D articulating chest press arm gives you an old school free weight floating feeling while using a single weight stack, plus the advantage of free arm movement to target secondary muscles in your exercises.

Even if it has a small footprint and doesn’t take much space in your house, it will comfortably accommodate big users and has plenty of adjustable features, starting with the 9 positions back pad seat. And you should check these features out before going to look for any other workout equipment: 155 pounds Radial Lock Weight system, 2’’ by 4’’ steel frame, commercial quality rubber grips with aluminum end fittings, the split weight cabling gives 50% resistance to mid and low pulleys, upholstered roller pads with aluminum end fittings and strap handles with revolving grips.

That can make you reach for the wallet, but the price tag may put it back in the pocket. The Hoist v3 Home Gym is an above average quality home gym equipment, but you have to pay for it, while there are some better and less expensive options for the same kind of equipment in the market. And if you have a bit more money to spend, you can buy the leg press option.

Hoist v3 Home Gym at a Glance…

Pros:

1. 3D articulating chest press arm
2. High end system and affordable
3. Easy and practical to use

Cons:

1. Needs gym mat for better usage

There is nothing that we can say better about the Hoist v3 Home Gym than that it is worth every cent you pay for it. It has everything you need, doesn’t take much space and it is affordable considering that it is a high end quality home gym.

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Gold’s Gym Power Tower is a combination of 4 workout stations: pull up, dip, knee up and push up stations, all in one simple and versatile power tower. It works much like a traditional chin and dip assist station in your local gym, with the added power bands that increase 80 pounds resistance, to assist you in your efforts or resists you workout, depending on the exercises.

It doesn’t look like much, but it can take a user of 300 pounds on it, as far as Gold’s Gym says it does. It is sturdy and comfortable, and wide enough for big users. The chin up and dip stations are great, these are the best strength exercises that you can find in any home gym equipment.

Golds Gym Power Tower Specifications

• Workstations- 4: Pull up, Dip, Knee Up and Push Up Station
• Resistance- User weight plus 80 pounds power bands
• User weight- 300 pounds
• Dimensions- 48’’ long x 42’’ wide x 82’’ tall
• Weight- 141 pounds
• Warranty- 90 days warranty

Simple, fun and easy to use

One thing is that this Tower is a bit hard to assemble, but when it is up and in place, you can return you gym card and forget any free weights and benches, with the Golds Gym Power Tower your body weight is all the resistance you need.

The main attraction in the Golds Gym Power Tower is the dip and pull up station, with a foldaway pad, ideal for setting goals in your workout schedule, as it gives you the opportunity to have your dip and pull up exercises assisted until you get enough strength to do them by yourself. The vertical knee raise station is great to lose weight around the waist or sculpt perfect abs. The vertical knee raise arms can be folded to get away from pull ups exercises.

The Golds Gym Power Tower has seats built up of rugged vinyl and extra padding and ergonomically designed for comfortable usage of the tower. It weighs 141 pounds and measures 42’’ width, by 82’’ height, by 48’’ depth. It comes with an exercise chart that will help you starting to get used on how to focus on certain muscles development and how to do efficiently.

If you buy the Golds Gym Power Tower you can use it for dips and pull ups and some cardio exercises during the week and you won’t need anything else in the house, or going out of the house to look for any other options, you have it here everything you need for your workout sessions.

Golds Gym Power Tower at a Glance…

Pros:

1. Space saver and easy to use
2. 4 great workout stations
3. Affordable and practical to use

Cons:

1. Needs gym mat for better usage
2. Buy some gloves to use with the handles

It won’t impress you by looking at it, until you try it and discover the workout wonders behind this simple Golds Gym Power Tower. It is affordable and great for any family.

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The Powertec Leverage System offers over 20 free weight exercises in leverage, all just like using free weight machines, but with the safety of the leverage system. The seat on this workbench has numerous positions and the adjustment is easy to be done, it is mounted on an axis allowing it to get out of the way to open space for power movements like rows and squats.

There is also a high and low cable system, leg extension and leg curl with a new side handle grip access, the arm curl machine is optional and recommended that you buy it to complement the rest of the Powertec Leverage System.

Powertec Leverage System Specifications

• 

  Frame- 3’’ heavy gauge tubular steel

• Bench- Fully adjustable flat, incline or decline, swivels to side for squats
• Workstations- 4: Press Arm, Lat Machine, Leg Lift, Squat Bar and Arm Curl
• Number of exercises- 20
• Dimensions- 101’’ long x 56’’ wide x 82’’ tall
• Weight- 290 pounds

One of the best free weight in leverage machines

It is kind of hard to put everything that this machine can do into an area of 101’’ by 56’’, but the Powertec Leverage System does it and surprises with how many exercises you can do to build up some muscles. It doesn’t stay behind any of the competition and it has some unique features that will make you want to try it and buy it.

The Powertec Leverage System steps aside from the traditional look of home gyms, it doesn’t have a weight stack and the lever arms look kind of strange if you have spent some time in gyms and got used to these types of machines around you. Well, the design is the plus on this home gym equipment and it brings with it some great options when it comes to actually exercising on it.

To replace the use of barbells you have an adjustable height lever arm, making the workout safe and effective when it comes to free weight training exercises, great for someone who usually trains in the house alone and doesn’t have someone to help with the weights. Then the list of exercises goes above 20, from full squats to rows, bench presses to dead lifts, and much more.

3 accessory lat bars and a lever arm are standard accessories, while the arm curl attachment is only optional. It doesn’t come with weights, so you will have to buy them yourself and it only works with Olympic weights. The frame is built with 3’’ heavy gauge tubular steel and the seat has super dense foam padding, just like normal machines in your local gym.

Powertec Leverage System at a Glance…

Pros:

1. Quality materials and construction
2. Safe free weight exercises
3. Wide range of exercises
4. Compact for the exercises it allows to be done

Cons:

1. Needs to buy Olympic weights
2. There are better and less expensive options

Look at it, seat down for a few tries and be surprised with what the Powertec Leverage System can do and will do for you in your house. Explore it and go for some muscle building exercises.

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The Total Trainer 4000XL only has one thing against it, it can’t be used by people weighing more than 385 pounds or with a height over 6 feet 7, that isn’t much of a downside, but really it is hard to find anything to say against it.

It is great workout machine that will arrive in your house fully assembled, it doesn’t take much space and can be folded and rolls nicely under the bed or inside your closet. It has a 14’’ by 46’’ glide board with the new Speed Tuff Roller System that is smooth and quiet when in use.

Total Trainer 4000XL Specifications

• Resistance- 4% to 69% of user body weight
• Cushion- 2’’ thick high density foam
• Warranty- Lifetime for rollers, ropes and pulleys and 1 year for frames and parts
• Dimensions- 94’’ length x 20’’ width x 48’’ height
• Max user weight- 385 pounds
• Max user height- 6’ 7’’ height

It is simply great

On this kind of equipment a bit of extra attention is need for the glide board, it is where you spend most of the time while you workout and the center of the majority of exercises on the Total Trainer 4000XL. The glide board on the 4000XL is a Deluxe 2’’ Double stitched Box Cushion, upgraded with a high density foam, with 14’’ by 46’’.

The sit up cuff strap was lengthened to accommodate larger shoe sizes. A heavy duty leg press board is included to allow you to do leg squats, calf raises and other exercises. It has a pull up push up bar that can be used for pull ups, chin ups, shoulder presses, behind neck presses and pushups. More, with the dual leg cuffs that will allow to shape and define hips, thighs and buttocks.

The resistance rail is 48’’ high, gives you full 11 levels of resistance, and at the 11th you can count on pushing 69% of your body weight, and that is before adding any extra weights to the Power bar. It has 3 and 4 pulley point pulley system that allows even more exercises.

The oversized castors will make it easy to transport the Total Trainer 4000XL and it can be folded in a few seconds and stored under a bed or inside a closet. It has 14 custom programs that can be developed using exercise cards that come with the Total Trainer 4000XL.

For what you pay for the Total Trainer 4000XL it is worth every cent. It doesn’t hide behind any of the other equipments that use board gliders systems for exercises. It has great materials and is sturdy and easy to use and fold.

Total Trainer 4000XL at a Glance…

Pros:

• No assembly needed
• 11 levels of elevation
• 385 pound user capacity
• Folds and rolls for easy storage

Cons:

• Nothing I can think of

If ever you are looking for a home gym equipment that is budget friendly and has all the features that all those gigantic home gyms can offer. Buy it without any regrets, and if you have within 30 days the manufacturer will take it back with a full refund… less shipping, insurance of $54 and in its original condition and package.

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If you love to workout at home and you’re always looking for the latest and greatest in home fitness trends or, if you’re frustrated because you’ve spent money on home fitness equipment that didn’t deliver the results it advertised – read on…this article’s for you!

The fitness market is a multi-billion dollar industry.  Anyone who’s ever had a sleepless night and turned on the television set knows that there’s a fitness infomercial on just about every other channel.  Every one of them promising that with this contraption or that gizmo you can lose weight and get in the best shape of your life in just minutes a day – right?

Wrong!

Let me emphasize a point here - if it promises something for nothing, don’t waste your money.  I promise you, that when it comes to fitness, you only get out of it what you put into it.

That being said, something is always better than nothing, just don’t expect miracles on minutes a day.

So, listed below are a few of the most recent trends in home fitness and my personal feelings on each.  Please, don’t just take my word on these products – maybe use it as a starting point and then do your own research, after all, it is your time, your money and most importantly, your health and wellness.

P90X

P90X is a full home fitness regiment that provides a variety of different workout DVDs accompanied by a healthy eating program.  I am always skeptical about “boxed fitness programs”, so I tried this one, sure it would be as cheezey as many of the others I’ve tried.  Wow, I was surprised!  This is one of the best home fitness video series that I’ve ever tried out.

The foundation of P90X is the concept of “muscle confusion”.  The program provides a ton of variety in order to keep your muscles guessing.  Hmm, I think I’ve heard about that somewhere before.  Anyway, each workout provides a different focus on training.  They have strength and endurance videos focused on each major muscle group; a plyometric training video; a yoga video – they even have a Kenpo Karate video.  With a total of 12 workout videos in all, you won’t have a problem with boredom anytime soon.

The best part of this program is that it’s very intense.  You won’t walk away from a P90X workout wondering if you just wasted your time.  In fact, one of the greatest aspect of this program is that it guides you through timed intervals instead of counting out a specific number of repetitions per exercise.  The program encourages you to push yourself to your own limits during the allotted time frame.  In my humble opinion, it is one of the best home fitness programs available today.

Hip Hop Abs

I’m not quite as enthusiastic about this program, but it still has some appeal to me.  I think the best thing about Hip Hop Abs is that it combines aerobic fitness with abdominal training.  This is an exremely effective way to train since half the battle of getting a tight mid-section is diet and cardio; which brings me to my next point.

Hip Hop Abs also provides a nutrition guide to help you learn to make healthier food choices – even when you’re on the go.  Any program making claims to slim and trim is just 30 days or less better give some nutritional guidance to follow

This program is great for people who are easily bored with traditional workout methods and for anyone who likes to dance.  Hip Hop Abs combines funky dance routines with core-centric movements.  This lets you have fun while you’re burning calories and tonign your mid-section.

Slim in 6

Slim in 6 is a good home fitness package for beginning fitness enthusiasts. It provides three primary workouts that increase in difficulty as your fitness level increases. It also provides a nutrition guide and some motivational materials as well as online support.

All of this put together is excellent for those who are just starting out since, if you want to see results, you’ll need to have a good balance of diet and exercise.

If you’ve been training for a long time or you’re already in exceptional shape, but you’re looking for something different, you’ll probably find that Slim in 6 is a little too easy for what you’re looking for.

With so many fitness fads and gimmicks available today, it’s hard to know which ones really work and which are just hype. Doing some basc research and making sure you read fine print about returns and guarantees can save you a lot of time and money if you end up with a product that doesn’t really deliver all that it promises.

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I could give you the short answer and tell you neither, but that wouldn’t be much of a read now would it?  So, let me explain to you why neither is better by giving you a few details about the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Benefits of Free Weights

Free Weights offer flexibility in movement that machines do not. In other words, free weights allow you to dictate your range of motion so you can make adjustments according to your abilities.  Most machines have established the path of motion you will follow during a repetition whereas using free weights puts you in control.

With added control comes increased demands on your muscles.  In order to keep the free weights moving along the path that you want them to follow, you have to engage your stabilizer muscles.  That is, all of the smaller, often neglected muscles that work in support of the major muscle groups.  By engaging these muscles, you get a more thorough workout.

Free Weights are versatile.  You can get a pretty decent workout with just a few sets of dumbbells and a weight bench.  You don’t need a separate machine for legs and chest and back etc.  This is especially beneficial for home gym junkies who have restricted space to devote to equipment storage.

Finally, free weights are typically less expensivethan machines.  For a few hundred dollars you can put together a rudimentary “free weight gym” that will allow you to train with the same efficiency as machines that could cost you thousands of dollars.

Benefits of Machines:

Machines provide a level of stability that free weights lack.  They are usually preferred by beginners and for people recovering from injury or illness.  The designated path of movement allows you to focus on the major muscles being worked without worrying as much about simply stabilizing the weight.  This increased stability reduces the risk of injury when working out with machines.

Machines may also allow you to lift heavier loads since you don’t have to expend extra energy using stabilizer muscles.  If you want to lift heavy – particularly if you’re a home gym junkie without a workout partner, you’ll be much safer using a machine when you first increase your load.

Drawbacks of Both:

Where one option has a strength, the other typically has a weakness.  Free weights are versatile, inexpensive and take up less space; where as machines offer less versatility, they cost more and they can be pretty bulky.  On the other hand, machines reduce the risk of injury and can allow you to lift heavier, especially if you workout alone, whereas free weights force you to use stabilizer muscles, which usually reduces the amount of weight that you can lift, and they aren’t as safe as machines.

When you’re debating between buying a machine or free weights, you should have a good idea of what you want from your home gym equipment and how much space and money you have to devote to your gym.  Ideally, you can have the best of both worlds and buy one multi-station machine, an adjustable bench and a few free weights.

If you don’t have that luxury – free weights will probably offer you more for less in the end.

Free Weights vs Machine Weights – Which Is Better For Your Home Gym? is a post from: Home Gym Fitness Equipment Reviews

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