Free Weight Exercises

Free Weight Exercises For Your Workout With Pictures And Videos To Help Your Form

There is an ongoing battle between the machine exercises and free weight exercises camps. Which is better? In my opinion if you want to be strong and fit in the outside world and not just in the gym, free weight exercises are the way to go. You just have to do them right. As this free weight exercises section grows, there will be more exercise pictures and video’s to help you hit the gym and do it right.

Having said that about free weight exercises, there is a time and a place for machines in your exercise routine. Usually in order to create the most stress on the muscle to cause growth and strength increases, free weight exercises are used. Once the muscle is stimulated and the stabalizer muscles get tired, you can continue to stress the muscle with machine and cable type exercises. Enough JABBER! For now, dig in and learn the most result producing free weight exercises we know!

If you would like to know how to put all these free weight exercises into some of our workout routines then check out the one I wrote: Fat To Fit – How To Work Out Right

Below, we have put together a list of the most productive exercises that are done on our programs. This way as you read through the exercise routines you will know how to work everything properly.
Chest Exercises

Free Weight Exercises For Chest

Chest Exercise: Bench Presses (Barbell):

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Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the floor. Grip a barbell slightly wider than shoulder width. You will be able to tell if you have the right grip by if there is a 90-degree angle between your forearm and biceps at the bottom of the movement. Lift the bar off the rack and extend your arms fully above your chest. Remember to keep your shoulders tucked back and down at this point and throughout the exercise. Lower the bar slowly until it touches you mid-chest. Press the bar back to the starting point. Remember to inhale while lowering the bar and exhale while pressing the bar up.
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Chest Exercise: Dumbbell Presses (Incline):

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Set an incline bench at an angle no greater than 30 degrees. With a dumbbell in each hand, lie back on the incline bench. Swing the dumbbells up and hold them at shoulder height, palms facing forward. Press the dumbbells straight up directly above your shoulders. Lower them slowly to the start position. Remember to breath properly, exhaling as you exert pressure and inhaling when you lower the weights. Remember to keep your feet on the floor at all times. Control the weights, raising and lowering them slowly without letting them hit at the top. Focus on the muscles being used.

Chest Exercise: Dumbbell Presses (Flat):

Everything stays the same as the incline dumbell presses for chest except now you are on a flat bench instead of an incline. This will place more stress on the middle and lower chest instead of the upper chest region.

Chest Exercise: Pushups:

Lying facedown on the floor, place your palms next to your chest a little wider than shoulder width apart. Keeping your body straight, lift up until you are supported on your hands and the balls of your feet. Press up until your arms are extended, then lower your body. Remember; keep your body straight and back flat. This is a keeper for those body weight workouts.
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Chest Exercise: Incline Dumbbell Flyes:

Set an incline bench at a 30-degree angle. With a pair of dumbbells in your hands, lie back. Extend the dumbbells over your head, palms facing together. Lower the weights out and down in an arc while keeping your arms slightly bent. Go as low as is comfortable, and then bring the weights back up through the same arc to the starting point. The movement is similar to a bear hug. Please dont clang the weights together at the top, save the music for a home workout! Use smooth, controlled reps. Concentrate on squeezing your chest muscles as you bring the weights together.

Chest Exercise: Flat Dumbbell Flyes:

Same as above but done on a flat bench.

Chest Exercise: Dips:

Maintain a vertical torso for more shoulder and triceps involvement, and a forward lean to work more of the chest. Once in the fully extended top position with your hands fully gripping the parallel bars, descend slowly and under complete control, and be careful not to exceed your shoulder’s range of motion at the bottom. Return back to the top position by contracting your chest, deltoids, and triceps.

Here is another article (with video) on the dip using both bodyweight and a free weights

Please Dont Think This Is It For The Free Weight Exercises! There are plenty more for you to look at on this site. Just use the search function.