| I'm often approached by people asking questions | | | | If you travel much, rubber resistance tubing and |
| like, "Are free weights better than machines"? | | | | bands offer a great means to workout on the |
| "Are exercise balls better than weights"? "Are | | | | road. They are both portable and simple to use. |
| bands any good"? You get the picture. Well, in my | | | | They fit neatly into a suitcase and offer a good |
| opinion, the answer is that no one type of training | | | | workout you can do almost anywhere. Physical |
| is better than another. By that I mean that there | | | | therapy clinics often use these for rehabilitating |
| is more to take into consideration before giving a | | | | injuries because they allow a gradual increase of |
| simple answer. For starters, it depends on what | | | | exertion throughout the movement due to the |
| the fitness goal is. Is the subject rehabilitating an | | | | stretching of the bands or tubing, resulting in a |
| injury? Or maybe he or she is trying to build | | | | progressive means of training. |
| muscle mass. These things need consideration | | | | Medicine balls work very well in conjunction with |
| before deciding on a fitness path to follow. In | | | | plyometric programs. This type of training is used |
| addition to that, flexibility within the chosen path | | | | often with athletes to improve speed, agility, and |
| should also be allowed. Meaning that if resistance | | | | muscular endurance. That's not to say, however, |
| machines are what you decide will work the best | | | | that only athletes can use it. Yoga offers balance |
| for you when first beginning a program, then by | | | | training, as does rollers, along with isometric |
| all means start out with them. That is not to say | | | | strengthening and elongation of the muscles, |
| that six months down the road after developing | | | | which improves mobility and decreases risk of |
| good form and increasing your stabilizer muscle | | | | injury. |
| strength, that free weights wouldn't benefit you. I | | | | Hopefully your outlook on fitness has expanded at |
| guess what I'm saying is to try and avoid thinking | | | | least a little, so that you realize there is no |
| in terms of absolutes when it comes to fitness. | | | | "absolute best" way to train. In addition to that |
| Nowadays there are a lot of options out there to | | | | last statement, progress on any training program |
| choose from-resistance machines, free weights, | | | | will wean over time if the body is not shocked by |
| exercise balls, rubber tubing and bands, body | | | | regularly changing up the routine. Changing a |
| weight resistance, medicine balls, plyometric | | | | minimum of every 12 weeks, although I prefer to |
| training, yoga, and rollers, for starters. I believe in | | | | change more often, will both improve progress as |
| a well-rounded approach, and so I attempt to | | | | well as maintain interest and motivation. |
| incorporate a variety of methods into my own | | | | Listed below are some common methods of |
| personal training, as I do with my clients. I believe | | | | training: |
| that each method of training is beneficial and | | | | · Body weight resistance |
| serves a purpose. What works wonderfully for | | | | · Resistance machines |
| one person may not work at all for another. | | | | · Free weights |
| Resistance machines are great to start out on | | | | · Exercise balls |
| when a person hasn't developed stabilizer | | | | · Medicine balls |
| strength. You may have seen a beginner or even | | | | · Plyometric programs |
| attempted yourself to do a dumbbell chest press | | | | · Rubber tubing and bands |
| only to discover that the dumbbells were very | | | | · Rollers |
| difficult to keep in one plain of motion, or in other | | | | · Balance balls |
| words, it was simply very difficult to control the | | | | · Yoga |
| movement and the arms swayed this way and | | | | · Pilates |
| that. In this case, a chest press machine would | | | | Hopefully this has helped you decipher one training |
| allow the subject to build strength while practicing | | | | method from another, and given you a look at |
| good form, so that on down the road he or she | | | | some of the options out there and available to |
| can perform a dumbbell chest press effectively. | | | | you today. |