A lot of people enjoy free weight exercises for the fact that they are straightforward and thereby easy to learn. They do not involve any of the nonsense that comes with adjusting a machine each time or doing elaborate cable exercises with flourishing, exaggerated movements. Free weight exercises are just simple, yet effective.
Free weight exercises are also popular with people that like to train at home for these reasons as well. In addition, there’s very little equipment needed, aside from the weights themselves. Even a full bench and barbell setup does not take up a lot of space and can be stored relatively easily in an office, spare bedroom or garage space.
So, whether you are just starting to get into resistance or weight training, maybe as a substitute for a cardio workout, or you are simply looking to finally utilize that “home gym” that has been collecting cobwebs in the garage, there are a number of quick, straightforward exercises that you can do with free weights.
Deadlift
When we talk about “essential” free weight exercises, the deadlift is one of the first to come to mind for a lot of reasons. First of all, it hits a lot of different muscle groups, especially in the lower back and body. In particular, it strengthens the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps, abdominals, and hips, as well as working key muscles in the shoulders and core.
There are tomes of information out there about proper deadlift form. While this exercise seems uncomplicated, deadlifting a large amount of weight incorrectly can be dangerous for your back. So, take the time to study the proper form and remember to keep your back neutral as you lift (in other words, keep your back straight, not bent).
If you really want to get creative with your deadlifts, you can try different grips or hand positions, such as one palm facing away from you and the other facing towards you as you lift.
Squat
The squat is another exercise that just seems synonymous with free weights. It is also similar to the deadlift, in that it targets a lot of diverse muscle groups. In fact, while they focus primarily on the core and lower body, squats are capable of hitting most of the muscles in your body. This also makes squats an excellent workout if you are looking to burn fat because the large number of muscles being used actually facilities higher fat burning.
Also similar to the deadlift, there is both a lot of information out there about proper squatting form, as well as a lot of different variations to the squat (front squat, back squat, etc). These variations are definitely worth exploring as each one looks to put emphasis on a unique sector of muscles. You can also play around with your stance, as a wide stance pounds your gluteals and hamstrings more. Alternatively, a narrower stance hits your quads more instead.
When investigating proper squatting form, remember to do what feels comfortable to you. Not every person is built the same, nor will they squat the same. While a lot of sources claim a successful squat involves dipping down until your thighs are parallel with the floor, not everyone is capable of this range of motion. Always work within your limitation to best avoid injury or overexertion.
Military Press
The military press’ primary focus is on the shoulders, although it also does a good job strengthening the triceps as well. This exercise is convenient for two reasons. First, it can be done sitting on a bench or standing, although standing is preferred as the narrower stance enhances the power of the exercise. As always, do what is comfortable to you; some people with lower back problems find the seated military press to be kinder on that tender area for them.
The second reason that the military press is convenient is it can be done with either a barbell or dumbbells. Again, experts recommend using a barbell because it ensures equal, unilateral movement and thereby eliminating the chance of muscle or strength imbalances. However, performing the military press with dumbbells has the heightened ability to isolate certain parts of these activated muscle groups.
For the experienced lifter, there is a behind the head military press. We say experienced because it has to be performed carefully to limit the strain on the rotator cuff, as you bring the bar behind your head. This variation catches a lot of flak from critics for this exact reason. A lot of weightlifters find the practice unnecessarily dangerous, even to someone with the experience and know-how.
Bench Press
So far we have hit all of the primary lower body muscles, the shoulders and core. As we move on to the bench press, we are also moving on to pectorals and chest muscles. The bench press, to a lesser extent, also touches on the triceps and anterior deltoids.
As with all of these exercises so far, different variations exist to aim for different muscles within the chest. For example, using a standard, flat bench for your exercise will mainly work the middle of the chest, while raising the bench to an inclined position will redirect focus to the upper pectorals. Instead of inclining the bench, you can also give it a decline, which will hit the lower pectorals. You can also widen your grip (to hit more areas of the chest) or choose a more narrow hold (better on the triceps).
Just like the military press, a bench press can technically be performed with either a barbell or a set of dumbbells. For the same reason as above, most people recommend using the barbell to avoid uneven muscle strengthening.
Power Clean
This is by far the most advanced exercise on the list, especially when you start messing with some large payloads. It does a similar job to the deadlift, in working out the lower and upper back, quadriceps, deltoids, hamstrings and more, but the range of motion is a lot more difficult. It is considered a compound power exercise because there are many different phases to the exercise.
At the start, the palms of your hands are facing towards you, but as you lift the barbell and explode off the ground, the final stage of this movement will be rotating your arms so they tuck under the bar and end with your palms pointed straight up at the ceiling. The explosive, compound nature of this exercise is what makes it difficult. Each phase needs to be performed correctly to avoid hyperextension and injury.
Thus, it is always recommended that a beginner or novice weightlifter do the necessary research before performing a power clean.
Conclusions
These five exercises are considered essential in most bodybuilders’ workout regimes. Together, they encompass every part of the body and their different variations, grip styles and stances offer the opportunity to explore different ways to exercise and achieve your fitness goals. The beauty of each of these, save for the power clean, is that they are super straightforward and easy to learn. Even a first-time weightlifter can master each of these essential free weight exercises in a very short amount of time.
Author:
Phil Slater is a blogger, nutrition expert and fitness enthusiast who writes about all things relating to health and fitness. Over the years, Phil has helped many of his personal coaching clients live happier lives by helping them achieve their fitness goals.