Now – this is a very broad term under which both Strength & Power training can also be included, but from this point we will look at Resistance Training under general health & fitness.

Resistance Training can be looked at from 3 points:

 

BODYWEIGHT

Bodyweight training can be used in a variety of ways, both with or without training items. Press ups, sit-ups & squats are just a small number of the possible exercises. The TRX & Swiss Ball are 2 great items that can be used for bodyweight training.

 

MACHINE WEIGHTS

Machine weights are great for people just starting at the gym and for people who just want to focus on one specific muscle at a time. Now while machines are good for training size and strength they neglect key core stabilization muscles. This is not a reason to ignore machine weights but are best used as part of a workout. Lets see the pros and cons.

 

FREE WEIGHTS

I am not aware of anything that has been proven to be more effective than free weights for the overall body, as using free weights does not only “train” the muscle you really want but also brings into it the stabilisation muscles.

Example: A Squat is focusing on your glutes and quadriceps to drive resistance upward, this movement can also be performed on a Leg Press machine (again focusing on your gluten and quadriceps) but a squat also brings into play your stabiliser muscles which would be your lower back, calves & hamstrings. Let’s see the pros and cons of this.