Weight Sets - Olympic Weight Sets and Dumbbell Weight Sets
Weight lifting is key to a well-rounded workout routine that can help you transform your body and improve your overall functionality. A common misconception among those new to working out is that you need to do massive amounts of cardio exercise to drop weight and lose fat. While cardio is an important aspect to fitness, weight training is the way to really blast that fat.
Adding weight training with an Olympic weight set or a free weight set to your fitness routine will help you gain muscle and get the sculpted look you want! Muscle burns more calories than fat, even when you are at rest, so building muscle is one of the best ways to tackle stubborn body fat! Weight training is a great way to improve your strength, increase your mobility, and maintain strong bones. Improved strength leads to a high-quality and injury-free life.
The best part of weight training is that you can easily perform a variety of workouts virtually anywhere. Because weight sets are so versatile, you can use them to target both the upper and lower body and most major muscle groups.
You don’t have to be a professional bodybuilder to see results. Working out with a dumbbell weight set, weight lifting set, or a barbell weight set is truly accessible to everyone. Weight sets also don’t take up much room, so they can fit comfortably in nearly any type of home gym.
Barbell Weight Set for your Home Gym
New to barbell training? Start with a lower weight standard bar. Standard bars are considerably lighter than their 45 lb Olympic bar counterparts.
However, there are 35lb Olympic bars as well. Using a barbell weight set in your routine gives you options to work your upper and lower body with just one piece of equipment.
Leg day? No problem. Squat and deadlift your way to strong, shapely legs and glutes. Arm and Chest day? You got it with presses and rows.
There is really no part of the body that won’t benefit from training with barbells.
One of our favorite Olympic weight sets is the Marcy Classic ECO Olympic Plate Set (ECOW-215). This set comes with everything you need to perform all your favorite barbell exercises.
You’ll get an Olympic barbell and 12 weighted plates. Together they can add as much as 215 pounds to the bar (including the weight on the bar). By adding and detracting weights, you can work out all your major muscle groups for a comprehensive weight-training workout.
Dumbbell Weight Sets for your Home Gym
Dumbbells are another great option to help you build muscles and tone your body. They are a versatile piece of equipment that allow you to hit large muscle groups and to target smaller, individual muscles, like your biceps and lats.
For example, a simple dumbbell curl can help you build your biceps, while a tricep extension will make that muscle burn. To hit larger muscle groups, hold a set of dumbbells on your shoulders and start lunging or squatting. You’ll tone your entire lower body with these moves!
If you’re ready to add a premium weight set to your home gym, start with Marcy’s 3-Pair Neoprene Dumbbell Set with Case (NDS-21.1). Constructed from durable, yet soft neoprene for a comfortable no-slip grip, Marcy’s 3-Pair Neoprene Dumbbell set is perfect for the person on the go.
The convenient carrying case allows you to easily pack up your set and bring your workout with you on your next vacation or business trip. The 20lb dumbbell set has weights ranging from 2lb to 5lb dumbbells, and is a great match accessory to any Marcy weight bench. Curl, press, and fly your weight to tone arms, or use them during your daily walk for an increased cardio workout.
For those looking for a bit more in their free weight sets, the Eco Iron 40lb Adjustable dumbbell set with Carrying Case (ADS-42) offers a durable, high-quality construction with a vinyl bumper, knurled bar for better grip and weight plates adding up to 20lbs for each dumbbell handle. The four included chrome spin lock collars make the adjustable weights easy to adjust. Storage is made easy with the included carrying case that keeps it safely out of the way when not in use.
Using a Free Weight Set in Circuit Training
Ever see those people at the gym who seem to instinctively move from one exercise to another? That exercise shuffle is called circuit training, and it works wonders. Free weights sets were practically made for this kind of training.
Circuit training is all about focusing on one muscle group per exercise for multiple repetitions. When those reps are done, you move onto another muscle group until your muscles give out or you complete your circuit, whichever comes first.
Let’s go through a basic circuit training workout using a weight set.
- Barbell bicep curl with a barbell weight set – 12 reps, 3 times
- Incline dumbbell press with a dumbbell weight set – 12 reps, 3 times
- Lunges with a dumbbell weight set – 12 reps each leg, 3 times
- Lateral raises with a dumbbell weight set – 12 reps each arm, 3 times
- Barbell rollout – 10 reps, 3 times
As you grow more comfortable with the circuit training format, you can create all kinds of circuits, including circuits that focus exclusively on the upper body, lower body, or core. You can also spice things up by adding bodyweight movements between heavy lifting sessions to give your muscles a little rest before hitting another challenging exercise.
Training this way not only builds strength, but the rotation increases cardio endurance keeping your heart-rate elevated. The combination of the two, strength building and cardio endurance, is an ideal way to really torch those calories and shed fat.
Circuit training is one of many different fitness formats that can easily integrate your free weights set. You can also pair strength training with cardio or add dumbbells or barbell work into high-intensity interval (HIIT) routines. No matter how you prefer to exercise, weight sets are an important part of any home gym!
Marcy offers a selection of barbell sets, dumbbell sets, and Olympic / standard weight bar sets. These weight sets are an ideal companion to our weight bench sets. We also offer a selection of Olympic rubber bumper plates and hex rubber dumbbells to complete your home gym. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you turn your fitness goals into reality.