When it comes to getting in shape, Different Types Of Weights is probably the most important thing you can do.
This is because lifting weights will help you tone your body, get stronger, and build muscle better than any other type of exercise.
With so many different kinds of equipment, it can be hard to know which weights are worth using and which ones will help you reach your fitness goals.
But you should also learn about the different kinds of free weights because each one has its own benefits for your strength, balance, and stamina. So, if you want to make great fitness progress, you should learn how to use them correctly.
In this article, we’ll tell you about all the different kinds of free weights that gyms have. So, keep reading!
How Many Different Types of Weights Are There?
Well, the fitness world is always coming up with new ideas, and as a result, there are always new kinds of weights coming out on the market.
There are, however, 12 different kinds of weights that can be found in most gyms right now. That includes well-known weights like dumbbells and barbells as well as less well-known ones like sandbells.
Different Types Of Free Weights Compared (With Pictures)
Well how Use Some of the Most Common Free Weights at the Gym
Dumbbells
Barbells with Olympic Plates
Kettlebells
Medicine Ball
Slam Ball
Battle Ropes
Sled
Sandbags
Weight Plates
Fixed Weight Barbell
Clubbells
Weightlifting Chains
Dumbbells
We might like dumbbells best out of all the gym’s tools. Dumbbells are a simple and effective way to add resistance to exercises and movements of all kinds.
They are a good choice for beginners and make it easy to get started.Dumbbells are very useful and can be used in a lot of different ways.
Dumbbell Friendly Exercises:
Dumbbell Shrugs (Shoulders) |
Lateral Raises (Shoulders) |
Front Raises (Shoulders) |
Arnold Press (Shoulders) |
Bend Over Dumbbell Rows (Back) |
Dumbbell Squats (Legs) |
Lunges and Walking Lunges (Leg |
You can do a shoulder press with heavy dumbbells or do tone and sculpt workouts with lighter dumbbells, so you’ll never get bored with dumbbells.
The most important thing we can say about using dumbbells is to just do it! Don’t be afraid to pick them up and use them. Second, if you’re not sure, start light.
Many people who have been lifting weights for a long time still choose very light dumbbells to warm up their muscles and get their bodies ready for heavier sets.
You can also use dumbbells on a bench to help support certain exercises like a dumbbell chest press.
Barbells with Olympic Plates
Now that you know how to use dumbbells, you should learn how to use barbells. When compared to dumbbells, barbells are more advanced pieces of weightlifting equipment.
When it comes to how they look, barbells are usually between 2 and 2.2 meters long and have slots at both ends for weight plates.
Weight plates are another kind of weight you can use at the gym. We’ll talk more about them in the next part of this article.
Barbells are better than dumbbells for workouts that require more effort and will help you get stronger as a result.
While the heaviest weight you can lift using dumbbells comes somewhere around 100 pounds, barbells when combined with weight plates, will let you lift technically beyond any limits.
Most barbells weigh around 44 pounds, which can be enough when you’re just getting started. Then, you can add plates to add more weight to what you can lift.
Barbells Friendly Exercises:
Barbell Chest Press |
Incline Chest Press |
Decline Chest Press |
Military Press |
Barbell Shrugs |
Barbell Rows |
Deadlifts |
Barbell Back Squats |
Barbell Front Squats |
Barbells don’t just come in one shape, either. In addition to straight barbells like standard bars and Olympic bars, the gym has a number of other kinds of bars, including:
Standard Straight Barbell
This is the regular, straight barbell. This is ideal for bench press, deadlifts and squats.
EZ-Bar
The EZ-bar is basically a type of bar designed predominantly for bicep curls. If you want to focus on your biceps, this will allow for a more natural grip when curling, as opposed to using a straight bar.
It also tends to be much shorter than a regular barbell.
Trap Bar
The trap bar is a variation popular for deadlifting. It puts less pressure on your spine compared to deadlifting with a regular straight bar and many say it is easier for beginners.
Thick Grip Bars
Thick grip bars are thicker than regular barbells. This is useful for those who want to improve their grip strength as they do compound lifts.
Kettlebells
In the past few years, kettlebells have become so popular that they are almost like a cult. Many people choose this type of free weight when they work out.
Kettlebells are often used in CrossFit workouts because they allow you to do a lot of different exercises. In addition to building functional strength, kettlebells can often lead to better HIIT cardio workouts than, say, barbells.
The kettlebell swing is probably the most well-known way to use this piece of equipment.
When people use kettlebells wrong, it’s often because they choose the wrong weight. If you don’t have much experience, you should always choose a light kettlebell to make sure your technique and form are right.
Kettlebell Friendly Exercises:
Kettlebell Chest Press (Chest) |
Kettlebell Squats (Legs) |
Kettlebell Deadlifts (Back) |
Kettlebell Bent Over Rows (Back) |
Kettlebell Swings (Whole Body) |
The problem with kettlebells is that some exercises, like the kettlebell swing, really do require perfect form, or else you could hurt yourself.
Also, if you’re buying a kettlebell to use at home, you’ll need to decide what weight to get and if you’d really benefit from having kettlebells of different weights.
Medicine balls
Medicine balls are just weighted balls that are about 13.7 inches in diameter.
Most of the time, they are used to build strength and help people get better.
Most of the time, they are used in sports medicine to help improve muscle coordination and strength.
Medicine balls usually weigh between 2 and 25 pounds, and they are very different from exercise balls, which are usually bigger.
But you can still find medicine balls at many gyms if you aren’t recovering from an injury.
Medicine balls good exercises are:
Side to side slams |
Ball twists |
Ball slams |
Squat throws |
Wall ball |
You can even get more out of your medicine ball workout by having someone help you.
For instance, you could have someone gently throw the ball to you. Once you get it, you touch the floor with it on both your left and right sides. Then you just throw it back to the person.
You can do this with a friend or with the help of someone at the gym.
Because of this, medicine balls are one of the best ways to meet new people and make friends.
They’re also fun to use and, surprisingly, can give you a great full-body workout.
Slam Ball
Slam balls are a popular piece of functional fitness equipment. You can find them in gyms like CrossFit and 45 Training that do circuit training and at CrossFit events.
Most of the time, they look a lot like medicine balls, but they aren’t meant to bounce.
Because they don’t bounce back, you can “slam” them on the floor, which is a fun and effective way to work out.
Slam Ball Friendly Exercises:
Ball Slams |
Overhead Squats |
Squat Ball Throw |
Battle Ropes
Battle ropes are a fairly new addition to gyms, but if you like functional HIIT workouts, you should definitely use them.
Battle ropes are just thick, heavy ropes that are used to fight. By looping them around a fixed point, you can do many different things.
Even though it might seem easy to shake the rope in a “wave” motion, your shoulders, arms, and back will soon be on fire.
Battle ropes are also often underrated and only used for shoulder or HIIT workouts, but you can get very creative with them and work a lot of different muscle groups. We often use them instead of slam balls because you can “slam” them to the ground and they won’t bounce back up.
Using battle ropes for just a few minutes will surely get your heart rate up and your muscles tired… This is a great piece of equipment to use if you don’t have much time.
Battle Rope Friendly Exercises:
Coordinated Arm Waves |
Alternating Waves |
Wide Circles |
Jumping Rope Slams |
Sled
To get the most out of a sled, you need some space, which many gyms don’t have. However, this piece of equipment is great for functional workouts, especially for people who want to work their legs without doing common moves like squats or lunges.
A sled can be pulled or pushed… You can also attach a battle rope to it and pull on it while sitting to get a workout for your upper body.
Most sleds let you just put barbell plates on them to change how hard they are.
A lighter sled is better for a workout that focuses more on cardio, while a heavier one requires more strength and power.
Sled Friendly Exercises:
Forward Push |
Backward Pull |
Sand bags
Cubbells are a common type of free weight, but sandbags are not. Because sandbags have more flexible shapes, they can be used instead of barbells, dumbbells, or weight plates for exercises that use those items.
That means you can use them for a wide range of exercises.
Sandbags Friendly Exercises:
Lunges (forward, reverse, and sideways) |
Deadlifts |
Rows |
Squats |
Biceps Curls |
Shoulder Press |
Sandbag Burpee |
One of the best things about sandbags is that you can do a lot of different exercises with them.
You can also buy sandbags in a variety of sizes and weights. There are sandbags that weigh as little as 5 kilograms and others that weigh as much as or even more than 40 kilograms.
Weight Plates
Without weight plates, barbells cease to be helpful beyond a certain point. Weight plates are indeed what determine how heavy you lift.
There are basically two types of weight plates. One, standard weight bars that come with a smaller 1-inch diameter hole, enough to fit a standard bar. The other one is Olympic weight plates that are usually bigger and have a bigger 2-inch dia hole to fit Olympic bars.
Although both are technically different, their uses are not differentiated.
Speaking of how to use weight plates for workouts, you can either use them with barbells or even alone.
Weight plates Friendly Exercises:
Front raises (shoulders) |
Lateral raises (Shoulders) |
Weight Plate Shrugs (Shoulders) |
Side Bend (Abs) |
Weight Plate Crunches (Abs) |
Weight PLate Push Ups (Chest |
Those are the exercises you can do with nothing but your own body weight. But if you use it with barbells, you can do a lot more workouts and pretty much any exercise we’ve talked about for barbells.
Why are weight plates great?
- They are available in many different weights. Most of the time, these plates can weigh anywhere from 2.5 pounds to 45 pounds.
- Also, you can always put together as many weight plates as you want to make them heavier. So, weight plates allow you to lift as much as you want.
- Even less space is needed to store weight plates. You can stack plates on top of each other without taking up much floor space.
Now, let’s look at what it doesn’t do well. Putting weight plates on barbells is hard to put together and even harder to take apart. You might be able to bench 225 pounds or squat 450 pounds one day, but then you’ll have to take all those weight plates apart.
Clubbells
Clubbells, also known as Indian bells, is a type of workout weight that has been used since centuries ago. They are long, cylindrical weights with an arm holder in the top.
Although clubbells saw a dip in popularity in the last century, they are now regaining popularity. The reason, they are excellent for improving strength, stamina, as well as balance along with hand grip.
Clubbells Friendly Exercises:
Clubbell Reverse Mill |
Clubbell Double Mill |
Clubbill Single Mill |
Clubbell Gamma Cast |
Shield Cast |
Clubbell Clock Squat |
Side Push Press |
Clubbell Pendulum |
Almost all of these exercises are great for your core, shoulders, arms, chest, and even legs.
You can also use clubbells to improve your grip strength. That may be one reason why wrestlers in Asian countries like India still use them.
Weightlifting Chains
Last but not least, we have weightlifting chains that come as rather rough-looking free weight types.
Imagine you are doing triceps dips; while you can not use any other kind of free weights, weightlifting chains might come as a relief.
Weightlifting Chains Friendly Exercises:
Triceps Dips |
Pull Ups |
Barbell Squats |
Deadlifts |
Chest Press |
Most weightlifting chains on the market weigh between 28 and 60 pounds. That means they can really make your workouts harder.
But that also means they are not very good for people who are just starting out.
Famous weightlifters like Rock Dwayne Johnson may have used these chains in their workouts. But you won’t be able to use them until you reach that level of skill.
Types Of Workouts With Weights Video Review
Types Of Workouts With Weights
Bodybuilding
The bench press, the squat, and the deadlift are the three main exercises in bodybuilding workouts. These are called the “big three.” These three exercises are called the “basic lifts,” and almost every weightlifting routine is built around them.
The barbell is the best tool for these moves.
Brute Strength Powerlifting
Back squats and deadlifts are the two most common types of brute strength powerlifting. Both of these exercises are great for building strength and muscle, but they work on different parts of your body. Back squats are squats that are done with a barbell, as the name suggests. Deadlifts also use a barbell, and while the lower back and glutes are worked, your hamstrings and quads are the main muscles you’re working on.
Quick Circuit Training
Quick circuit training is a way to work out with weights in which you go from one exercise to the next with little or no rest in between. This kind of training is meant to get your heart rate up, build your endurance, and make you stronger at the same time.
In circuit training, you need to have dumbbells, kettlebells, and medicine balls.
Isometric Weight Training
Static contractions are used in isometric weight training. It is a type of exercise where the joints don’t move at all. Isometric weight training is a great way to build muscle because it puts more stress on the muscle than regular weight lifting.
Most of the time, dumbbells, medicine balls, body weight, and cables are used as weights in isometric weight training.
High-Volume Training
High-volume training is a way to lift weights in which you do very few reps per set (like 1–3 reps per set) with heavier weights.
You can do HIIT with dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, or just your own body. You could also use a mix of all of them. HIIT is a training method that lets you try a lot of different things.
Selecting the Right Weight
No matter what kind of free weights you choose in the end, the weight of the equipment will be a very important part of reaching your goals.
HIIT and high rep workouts will work better with light free weights. On the other hand, heavy free weights are better for building strength and muscle.
What’s not considered a free weight
All of these free weights have their own pros and cons and the best way to use them.
But those aren’t the only ways to work with weights or resistance.
Some of these other types of weights that are not free weights are:
- Resistance machines
- Bands
- Leg presses
- Smith machines
This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use resistance machines in your workout routine.
But it all depends on what you want to get out of it.
Free weights are better because they help you build muscle faster and work in a more athletic, natural way.
Maximizing Your Weight-Room Experience
Be considerate of your fellow lifters. Weight-room etiquette matters. Maietta says you shouldn’t keep weights for yourself, use an extra bench as a desk or water bottle holder, or work out right in front of a stack of dumbbells.
Mats and benches should be cleaned and wiped down after each use. If you’re going to be using a piece of equipment for a long time, let other people “work in,” which means they can lift while you rest between sets.
Re-rack your weights! This might be the most important thing.
Own your space. Be nice, but don’t give in to everyone. Tenney says that you belong there just as much as anyone else.
If someone has been in the squat rack for 30 minutes, you can ask to work in. You are free to move benches or other things around as needed.
Balance consistency and variety. To get better at something, you have to work at it. That’s why you have a training plan with regular workouts every week.
However, if you don’t continue to challenge yourself, at a certain point, you’ll plateau. Centeno says that in addition to lifting more weight over time, you should also change a few of your exercises and/or your rep and set schemes every four to six weeks.
Bottom Line
Free weights have a lot of benefits and are definitely worth using, whether you work out at the gym or at home.
We like to switch things up and use different equipment to challenge our muscles in different ways. It’s not about comparing dumbbells to barbells and arguing about which is better… because each of them has its own uses and benefits.
Most of the time, a good workout plan will include a variety of free weights.
You might also want to use machines that don’t have free weights, like cable machines, leg press machines, etc., to add to your workouts.
FAQs – Different Types Of Weights
Que 1: What are different types of weights called?
Dumbbells. Dumbbells are weights that you can hold in your hands. You can find them in almost every gym.
Kettlebells. Ballistic exercises are the most common way to use kettlebells. These exercises combine strength, cardio, and flexibility.
Health balls. JTX Medicine Ball with Handles, 6kg.
Que 2: Why are dumbbells used in gyms?
I am Camila Smith. I am a fitness expert and personal trainer and a life coach, blogger, and triathlete. As a health and fitness expert, my mission is to cut through the industry’s noise and empower people to find lasting health, happiness, and confidence through sustainable solutions. More About Camila Smith.