Free Weight Systems

I don't know about you, but I personally think the term free weight systems is an oxymoron. After all, these weight supports serve as our metaphorical wingmen in our home gyms by saving our butts when we decide to attempt a heavier weight then we're used to, or when we do too many repetitions without thinking about what we're going to do with the barbell at the point when our arms give out.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not mocking free weight systems. My squat rack has saved me from certain injury time and time again. But I think the term free weight system sort of brings to mind the uncontrolled wielding around of barbells, when in fact, power rack systems, smith systems, spot racks, squat racks and press racks serve as our surrogate human spotters, or our pillars of power, as I like to call them.

I'm a firm believer that we all learn from our personal mistakes as well as the mistakes of others so I'm going to share a personal story with you. A friend of mine was performing bench presses one evening in his basement. On this particular night his ego got the best of him and he decided he was going to attempt to perform his first set with his max weight. As you would expect, after his 6 th rep his chest and arms got a little tired, so tired that he dropped an 80-pound barbell on his abdomen. He was lucky that his roommate was home and heard him calling for help. If only he would have set up a safety net by using a press rack he could have just conveniently slipped the bar onto the rack, and saved himself an injury and some serious bruising.

In this case, I think we can all agree that it's better to learn from the mistake of another. So please remember that whether you're a beginner or a novice weight lifter there is no shame in playing it safe. By incorporating safe procedures and safety equipment into your workouts, you'll be able to reap the multitude of benefits that weight lifting has brought into your life.