Types of Equipment

I'm often approached by people asking questions like, "Are free weights better than machines"? "Are exercise balls better than weights"? "Are bands any good"? You get the picture. Well, in my opinion, the answer is that no one type of training is better than another. By that I mean that there is more to take into consideration before giving a simple answer. For starters, it depends on what the fitness goal is. Is the subject rehabilitating an injury? Or maybe he or she is trying to build muscle mass. These things need consideration before deciding on a fitness path to follow. In addition to that, flexibility within the chosen path should also be allowed. Meaning that if resistance machines are what you decide will work the best for you when first beginning a program, then by all means start out with them. That is not to say that six months down the road after developing good form and increasing your stabilizer muscle strength, that free weights wouldn't benefit you. I guess what I'm saying is to try and avoid thinking in terms of absolutes when it comes to fitness.

Nowadays there are a lot of options out there to choose from-resistance machines, free weights, exercise balls, rubber tubing and bands, body weight resistance, medicine balls, plyometric training, yoga, and rollers, for starters. I believe in a well-rounded approach, and so I attempt to incorporate a variety of methods into my own personal training, as I do with my clients. I believe that each method of training is beneficial and serves a purpose. What works wonderfully for one person may not work at all for another.

Resistance machines are great to start out on when a person hasn't developed stabilizer strength. You may have seen a beginner or even attempted yourself to do a dumbbell chest press only to discover that the dumbbells were very difficult to keep in one plain of motion, or in other words, it was simply very difficult to control the movement and the arms swayed this way and that. In this case, a chest press machine would allow the subject to build strength while practicing good form, so that on down the road he or she can perform a dumbbell chest press effectively.

If you travel much, rubber resistance tubing and bands offer a great means to workout on the road. They are both portable and simple to use. They fit neatly into a suitcase and offer a good workout you can do almost anywhere. Physical therapy clinics often use these for rehabilitating injuries because they allow a gradual increase of exertion throughout the movement due to the stretching of the bands or tubing, resulting in a progressive means of training.

Medicine balls work very well in conjunction with plyometric programs. This type of training is used often with athletes to improve speed, agility, and muscular endurance. That's not to say, however, that only athletes can use it. Yoga offers balance training, as does rollers, along with isometric strengthening and elongation of the muscles, which improves mobility and decreases risk of injury.

Hopefully your outlook on fitness has expanded at least a little, so that you realize there is no "absolute best" way to train. In addition to that last statement, progress on any training program will wean over time if the body is not shocked by regularly changing up the routine. Changing a minimum of every 12 weeks, although I prefer to change more often, will both improve progress as well as maintain interest and motivation.

Listed below are some common methods of training:

· Body weight resistance

· Resistance machines

· Free weights

· Exercise balls

· Medicine balls

· Plyometric programs

· Rubber tubing and bands

· Rollers

· Balance balls

· Yoga

· Pilates

Hopefully this has helped you decipher one training method from another, and given you a look at some of the options out there and available to you today.

Melissa Allen, CPT, BS, CES is a certified personal trainer, corrective exercise specialist and health coach, as well as the owner of Optimum Condition-Mobile Personal Training & Exercise Therapy. Melissa offers customized online fitness plans for people all over the U.S. as well as free coaching for the Medifast/ Take Shape for Life weight loss program. Please contact her with any questions or comments by visiting her website at OptimumCondition.com OptimumCondition.com