We select free weights for various types of gyms

In a fitness room, the free weights area is usually located next to the strength training area. And sometimes it forms a single whole with it.

Dumbbells, barbells, discs (plates), body bars, weights - this entire arsenal of sports equipment is actively used by clients during training, regardless of gender and age. And yet, if you are planning to open a gym that will be attended exclusively by representatives of the stronger half or, on the contrary, only by women, it is worth creating a free weights area in it, taking into account gender characteristics. How exactly? Let's figure it out.

Content

• 1 What are free weights
• 2 Benefits of working with free weights
• 3 Features of training with free weights
• 4 Tips for using free weights

Video: free weights or exercise machine?

Free weights in bodybuilding and fitness refer to barbells, kettlebells and dumbbells. Some individuals also train with weights. Strength sports also use weighted ropes, sleds, sandbags, weighted balls, kegs, lifting stones, and fat barbells. In health fitness, there are various weighted vests and ankle and wrist weights.

Fitness club zoning depending on status

There is a classic division of the general territory of the fitness center into a commercial zone (aerobics rooms, gym, cardio zone, aqua zone, herbal bar and spa zone) and a non-commercial zone (locker rooms, reception, sales office premises and service area).

At the beginning of construction or when developing a concept for a finished premises, it is necessary to determine the class of the fitness club that you want to create (economy class or premium). They differ in both area and variety of exercise equipment and group programs, furnishings, design, additional services, for example, massage, beauty salon, solarium.

What separates one segment from another is the territorial location of the club (prestigious area, center, outskirts), the size and decoration of the premises, furniture, image elements and, of course, zoning of the premises.

Benefits of working with free weights

A significant advantage of working with free weights is versatility. With dumbbells and a barbell, you can not only work out all the muscles of the body, but also train for endurance and increase the efficiency of the cardiovascular system. Such equipment can give us mass, strength, “relief”, and help in “burning” calories. A minimum set of weights is enough to build a home gym, and perform more than 30 different exercises for all muscle groups.

Proper technique for working with free weights is the key to preventing household injuries. It allows you to eliminate various “distortions” during lifting weights from the floor, gain the skill of squatting with a neutral back, improve the range of motion in the shoulder joints, and thereby avoid injury when lifting weights upward.

Working with free weights actively engages almost all the muscles of the body. With such weights we do basic exercises. They involve not only target groups, but also stabilizer muscles. The result is not only harmonious development, but a greater training effect. With simple equipment, we expend more energy during training and load more muscle groups per unit of time.

Training with free weights is an important skill that allows you to train in almost any gym, while traveling, traveling, and even at home. This helps to avoid being tied to a particular gym and make training more regular.

On the importance of proper organization of the power zone

About how important it is to follow the rules of equipment and areas with strength training equipment is the fact that about 15% of visitors leave because they feel uncomfortable there. Over many years of cooperation with fitness clubs (first at the stage of selecting equipment, and then at the stage of monitoring the effectiveness of its location), we made the following conclusions:

1. The block-type power zone should be conditionally separated from the zone with loaded weights. This is due to the fact that 90% of beginners who come to the gym train in them. “Neighborhood” with professionals will make you feel inept and “out of place.”
2. A complex with loaded models is located next to the free weights area. There are discs nearby, and the logistics are thought out: professional athletes, after exercising on a lever machine, will be able to immediately go to the “holy of holies” - the free weights area.
3. Trainers should not overlap each other. Those who exercise should be able to freely access them without disturbing other visitors. Ideally, each piece of equipment should have at least 5 sq.m.

Copying the power equipment layout of another successful club is not the best solution. What works for them may not work for you. An individual approach is important when organizing space in the gym. It takes into account the area of ​​the object, its trafficability, focus on a specific category of visitors, etc.

Tags: Gym equipment / professional strength training equipment / block weight training equipment / abdominal exercise equipment / professional cardio equipment / treadmills for fitness clubs / professional elliptical trainers / multifunctional strength training equipment

Features of training with free weights

The main feature is the need for complete mental concentration and knowledge of the basics of movement. During the lesson, distractions and extraneous thoughts are not allowed; the athlete must consciously monitor the trajectory of the projectile. This is quite difficult considering the fatigue and sensations in the muscles. That’s why free weights are not always used in health fitness right away.

Movement training required. The technique of working with free weights must be established; most people do not “grasp” it themselves from the first lessons, and get injured, accumulating technical errors over time

It is quite difficult to work with free weights when recovering from injuries, at an older age, during pregnancy, and also during rehabilitation after illness. This must be taken into account and either reduce the weight of the weights or revise the training plan.

Gym

Our club meets all the criteria for comfortable sports and a pleasant pastime. It will be easy to move towards your goal in our gym with the help of modern high-quality exercise equipment and qualified instructors in a spacious and well-ventilated room.

Types of professional equipment

Panoramic large windows and an area of ​​800 sq. meters - all this is the premises of our gym. In the hall you will find the most modern equipment from the world's best suppliers. Thanks to the air conditioning system, the room maintains a comfortable temperature, suitable for intense training. Optimally selected lighting, zoning, excellent ventilation and a stylish designer interior - all this is created to ensure that visitors to our club feel the best.

The hall is divided into 3 main zones:

• Cardio.
• Strength block and disc exercise machines.
• Free weight area.

Cardio equipment

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Strength training equipment

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Fitness testing

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Free weight zone

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Basic fitness steps with UNIVERSAL FIT

Due to a sedentary lifestyle and irregular working hours, which disrupts the normal biorhythm, a person’s energy metabolic processes deteriorate. All this negatively affects not only the appearance, but also the internal state of the human body. Over time, this can lead to bad consequences. Shortness of breath appears, metabolism slows down, and blood pressure rises.

To permanently correct or avoid such unfavorable symptoms and improve your metabolism, you need to take only 7 steps:

1. Purchase a club card to our fitness club. We have a swimming pool, exercise bikes, steppers and other equipment designed for various types of strength and cardio exercises. We also have the following areas: martial arts, yoga, Pilates, dancing.
2. Consult a sports doctor. This will help you choose the optimal physical activity, taking into account the physical capabilities of the body.
3. Determine an analysis of body composition, which, in addition to the ratio of height, weight and age, includes the following parameters: the ratio of muscle mass to fat tissue, the percentage of fluid in the body. All these indicators form a unified idea of ​​the energy balance. In other words, the diagnosis of all of the listed parameters of body composition is called impedancemetry. The method is similar to an ECG, when bioelectrical resistance is measured through the skin. With this, you can not only competently build a training system, but also develop a nutrition program, taking into account any contraindications.
4. Pass basic fitness testing and issue a personal fitness card with test results;
5. Create a dietary plan;
6. Create an individual or group training program, developed taking into account the results of fitness testing;
7. Make a comparative analysis of changes in the body with a corrective training program.

Tips for using free weights

You need to start working with free weights by studying the technique of the exercise and performing the movement with minimal weight. You should progress gradually; until you have mastered the skill of concentrating on an exercise, you cannot progress. Additionally, you must always ensure that there is no excessive arching in the lower back, that the stomach is not relaxed, and that the implements do not move by inertia.

Training with free weights can and should be combined with work in machines, especially when it comes to muscle hypertrophy. It is easier to gain training volume by combining both types of equipment.

Cardio zone

A modern cardiotheater consisting of two zones. 45 pieces of equipment: treadmills, exercise bikes, ellipsoids, AMT exercise machines. All cardio machines contain more than 28 workout options to achieve different goals, taking into account everyone's personal preferences: heart training, endurance, muscle tone, weight loss, etc.

• The deck inclination angle from -3° to 15° allows you to simulate running up hills and concentrate on different muscle groups.
• Footplant™ technology constantly controls the speed of the belt, helping the user maintain even stride and balance.
• The Ground Effects® impact control system absorbs the impact of your feet on the treadmill, reducing stress on your knees, legs and back. The GFX® control system reduces impact forces compared to running outdoors by up to 44%.
• AutoStop function - the treadmill belt automatically stops when the user is not on it

All simulators are equipped with a unique Internet program Preva, which makes it possible to track your training process, set goals for a given period of time, achieve results, receive virtual prizes and incentives, track your achievements and control the training process. Download the app to your smartphone and track your results anywhere in the world!

Calf flexion

Shin curls, which equipment manufacturers call leg curls, are also advisable to include in the training program. This is due to the structure of the biceps femoris muscle, one of the heads of which is not two-joint and may not be sufficiently loaded when performing squats and deadlifts. It is also important to remember that the human body combines open and closed kinematic chain movements, which means that both types of exercises must be used when training.

For example, calf curls and deadlifts for the hamstrings, squats and calf extensions for the quadriceps. The ratio of open and closed kinematic chain exercises in the program is selected individually, usually with a predominance of the latter.

Advantages and disadvantages of simulators

The undoubted advantage of simulators is safety – provided that they are used correctly. Exercise machines allow you to localize the load, provide better control of movement, and create load vectors that are not available when using free weights. Variable load machines allow muscles to contract closer to the length-force relationship. It would be useful to remember about simulators with direct feedback that effectively train balance, as well as other simulators using electronic load control systems.

Once again, the advantages of simulators are also their disadvantages. Restriction of freedom of movement and localization of the load lead to an unbalanced and somewhat one-sided effect, making it impossible to fully reproduce the movements that occur in real life. The design of the exercise machines is most suitable for the “average” person, which reduces the effectiveness of their use by people with high/short stature or “non-standard” length ratios of body parts. Even simulators with good parameter adjustments have some individual limitations of use. In block devices, the main disadvantage is the complication of the concentric phase of movement (the main load phase, the weight lifting phase) and the facilitation of the eccentric one.

Entrance and reception

The keynote of this area for an economy class club should be practicality. This area should be planned in such a way as to functionally divide the space. Clearly define the reception area, equipped with a reception desk, lockers for valuables or safe deposit boxes, and the waiting area.

For a premium segment club, the main thing in this area is convenience and comfort. Such clubs are establishments where people go who want not so much to correct their body, but to position their level of income.

A spacious seating and waiting area, decorated with stylish, comfortable furniture, should encourage clients to want to linger here.

A herbal bar or cafe can be located here - this is a necessary additional service for a premium segment club. The client should be able to drink freshly squeezed juice or a cup of tea and simply relax after training.

Practical recommendations

Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages, we will outline the areas of application of free weights and exercise machines. For beginners, especially those who exercise independently and/or have a low level of readiness for the load, it is recommended to somewhat limit the use of barbells and dumbbells in training. At the same time, it is necessary to gradually increase the use of free weights through consistent training in exercise technique. Once safe technique has been mastered, in most cases, barbell, dumbbell and body weight exercises should become the basis of the training program.

The use of exercise machines by people with a high level of training can improve the effectiveness of training, especially when correcting muscle imbalances. In addition, it is advisable to use simulators when training with limited rest time or when using methods of increasing load (forced repetitions, eccentric contractions).

It’s too early to draw conclusions regarding simulators with electronic load control systems. Such equipment is very expensive and it is necessary to attract highly qualified specialists to realize their potential benefits.

It is important to note that simulators, even those aimed at the same muscle group, differ in their effects, which means it makes sense to discuss individual, most common and necessary devices.

Aquazone

The pool area, equipped with wave-absorbing paths, equipment for conducting water aerobics classes, and aqua exercise equipment for classes under the rehabilitation program - this is a sign of a premium-segment fitness club.

A children's room with a teacher is also an integral attribute of most premium clubs. Here parents can leave their child during the training period.

The choice of room area for specific zones depends on the focus of the fitness club - whether your club will provide the entire volume of services or some part. Also, when zoning, it is necessary to focus on the expected number of clients.

Journal “Construction & Operation of Sports Facilities” No. 04 (39)/2009.pdf