Balance Point - The Benefits of Free Weights

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In my recent post I talked about the benefits of resistance training as a form of exercise.  This is commonly referred to as weight training.

In this part I want to teach you further about what sort of weight training is most beneficial.  There are some people who just love to exercise, and they do hours and hours a day.  The rest of us probably want to know what is the most effective way to get all the benefits of exercise, in the least amount of time.

The simple answer to that question is to do ‘free weights’.  Free weights is one of those terms that after reading this you can talk about around the water cooler and have everyone believe you are a fitness guru! Basically free weights are weights that you must control yourself as opposed to machine based weights where the load is at least partially supported by the frame of the machine.  Therefore free weights are things like dumb bells, barbells, and kettlebells.

The reason these things are so good for us is they force us to stabilise their weight plus our own body weight while doing the activities.  This means we use more muscle to do each and every movement – we burn more calories, and raise our metabolism more than if we did the same sort of things in a machine. This also helps us with every day activities as how often do you have a machine holding you in the perfect position while you are weeding the garden.. never!

People inherently like machines, why – because they are easier, and most people try and take the easy path with their exercise choices.  Gym owners like machines because they can put them in a corner, and people will use them without any instruction other than sit, push, repeat.  Therefore saving the gym time, and effort in teaching their clients.

I don’t like machines because all they teach are bad habits, and aren’t anywhere near as functional as good free weight exercises.  
That is why I believe gyms need to focus less on flash equipment, and more on educating their clients.  Similarly that is why a good personal trainer is so valuable, because they can teach a multitude of free weight exercises and can turn any home or backyard into a functional exercise space.

Using free weights in a standing position means you are challenging your balance and postural muscles including your core, as well as the muscles you are directly working.  Similarly any time you have to hold dumb bells or bar bells your gripping and hand muscles must work. Grip strength has been closely linked with full body strength in adults.  Conversely grip weakness has been linked with RSI type symptoms in office workers.

Most of us spend far too many hours sitting each day to justify sitting down on machines to exercise.  We are designed to be in standing yet most of us spend the best part of our day either sitting in a car, at a desk, or on a couch.

When you stand you stretch out your hip flexors and calf muscles, you put your spine into its correct anatomical position, and open your lungs up.  Ultimately you put your body into its natural position

Next time you are in the gym or exercising at home grab some free weights and perform the movements you know in standing.  As mentioned this will stimulate your balance receptors, and help your joints, it will engage your core and postural muscles, and likely get your grip muscles working too.

The strongest and most powerful athletes in the world – from the long lithe muscles of high jumpers through weight lifters and speed skaters do almost all of their training in a standing position.  The only machine they use during training is the coffee machine to get that caffeine hit.

My thinking is simple – athletes are the people to emulate with your exercise.  Don’t follow the masses blindly and do all those boring machines like everyone else – ask to learn how to use free weights. Besides “If everyone else was jumping off a bridge would you?”

About Ryan Hewitt

Ryan Hewitt is the founder of Balance Point – a multi disciplinary health and fitness company based in Auckland.

His background is in physiotherapy, although he has moved sideways into the fitness industry, and now uses a combination of exercise and activity to treat many of his patients.

Ryan is the Auckland Regional Representative on the Personal Trainers Council, and the Wellness Representative on the North Shore Community Health Voice.

His company sees a wide variety of clients from very healthy and fit athletes through to people recovering from serious injuries or surgery.

Ryan was recently recognized as the creator of the Active Choice Exercise (ACE) program which helps to improve the quality of life of disabled young people through a structured nutrition and exercise program.  The program won the Overall award at the Waitemata District Health Board Excellence Awards, as well as the People’s Choice award.

Ryan enjoys helping clients add more exercise and activity to their lives to resolve long term health issues.

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