The first time you enter a gym as a member, the intimidation can be extreme. You are surrounded by rows of strange-looking equipment that make the place look more like a torture chamber than a fitness club. Only the masochistic could need to work with these machines. See the guys stripped down to sweaty T-shirts. Some have scarves tied around their heads; others wear tight-fitting leather gloves.

You hear grunts, gasps and sometimes wheezes. Sweat flies, legs tremble, eyes take on a glazed look. This is vintage supernatural. You have subscribed to becoming fit for a starring role as a Zombie in every film about swamps, mists, and untethered snorting horses. But to make this big-time movie fantasy, you need to know what equipment you’ll need to use in the Gothic gym of muscular mayhem.

Basically, gym exercise equipment is divided into two kinds: Free weights and machines.

Free weights concern the most basic body-stretching and bodybuilding equipment. They are called “free weights” because they come with no connected weights, pulleys, cables or pins. Free weights cover a range of equipment that includes weight plates, barbells, and dumbbells.

The barbell can be described as a long iron bar between 4 and 7 feet long connected to weight plates. For the uninitiated, barbell weight exercises are performed by grasping the barbell with both hands.

At the top of the list are professional-size barbells. Up to seven feet long, they weigh 45 lbs. These are the Olympic-size bars that can withstand very heavy weight loads exceeding 800 lbs. Some professional bars can even cope with weight loads of over 1000 lbs. They are employed mostly for heavy basic exercises such as bench pressing, squatting, and dead lifting.

There are miniature versions of the Olympic barbell used for exercises such as barbell curls, shoulder presses, bent rows, etc. You’ll discover that most gyms are equipped with a barbell rack that carries an assortment of fixed weight barbells from 20 - 100 lbs. in increments of 5-10 lbs.

An alternative is the standard bell. One inch thick, they are usually 5-6 feet long.

A dumbbell is a barbell on a smaller scale, usually 10 - 15 inches long. To use a dumbbell, simply take one in each hand. Well-equipped gyms are usually fully loaded with a dumbbell rack that includes an assortment of fixed-weight dumbbells. Gyms usually have dumbbells from 5 lbs. - 100+ lbs. in increments of 5 lbs.

Weight plates range from 2.5 lbs. to 100 lbs. They are usually composed of iron; however, many home gyms have plastic weight plates. Many people are familiar with the York Plastic Barbell Set. While this is okay for someone who is just starting out, the thickness of the plastic plates limits the weight that can be placed on the barbell and dumbbells.

There are two types of iron weight plates - Olympic plates for the Olympic barbells and standard weight plates for the 1 inch thick standard-size barbells.

The EZ curl bar is designed for working the biceps and triceps. Shorter than a barbell, it has angled hand placements. This promotes work on the muscles from various angles and inhibits the stress that can build up using a straight barbell.

This is an oval shaped bar that is designed with two parallel hand placements. Even though called a tricep bar, you can employ it to work other muscle groups. Similar to the EZ curl bar, it can function perfectly well in working the muscles from different angles.

Without question, this is the most usual piece of equipment found in any gym. There are basically three types of benches – the decline, the incline and the flat. Some benches are designed to be adjustable. Others have racks intended to hold a barbell. Note: those benches that come without racks are intended to be used for exercises with dumbbells.

Hyper Extension Bench

This bench works various muscle groups, such as the glute, lower back, and hamstring. A number of gyms possess a hyper-extension bench for use in connection with sit-ups to work the abdominals.

Preacher Bench

Designed for working the biceps, the preacher has an angled pad that prevents the person’s weight from swinging, thereby enabling the isolation of the bicep muscles.

The arm blaster is a two-foot long, 6-inch wide, flat metal bar. A strap behind the neck holds the metal bar flat across the mid-section. It works like the preacher bench by eliminating body momentum, allowing for the isolation of the biceps.

Basically, this type of bench is a decline bench that is used for abdominal exercises. It has rollers that hook the feet to prevent sliding off the bench.

Any exercise that you would normally do on a bench can work on the stability ball. You can do exercises like bench press, shoulder press, lateral raises, pullovers, crunches, reverse crunches, etc. Obviously, since the ball can move and roll, it increases balance and strengthens the small stabilizer muscles.

Parallel bars. Dips work the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

The chin-up bar is either bolted to the wall or attached to an exercise machine (i.e. the power rack, universal multi-station, etc.). Chin-ups work the back, biceps, and forearms.

There are several different types of racks found in the gym. There are racks that are used for storing weight plates (also called weight trees) and racks for storing barbells, dumbbells, etc. There are also racks for doing exercises such as the power rack or squat rack. There is also a special rack/machine called the Smith machine, which is a combination of a machine and free weight barbell.

Machines allow you to perform a wide variety of exercises. Some machines are designed to work individual muscles; others consist of a multi-station that works the whole body. Most home gym machines are multi-station units.

Machines have advantages and disadvantages. They are generally easier to use and safer than free weights, but free weights tend to stimulate more muscle groups because you have to use more stabilizer muscles to balance the free weights.

The best situation is to include both free weight and machine exercises in workouts, and thus get the best of both worlds.

Many believe that squats are the best overall leg exercises. The leg press is the best machine leg exercise. Most leg press machines are set on a 45 degree angle. With the leg press, you can safely lift heavy weights without worrying about slipping or falling. It places less stress on the lower back and knees than squats.

This is a variation of the traditional barbell squat. Good for developing the outer sweep of the thighs.

This machine is excellent for isolating the quadricep muscles. Many people like to use this exercise for pre-exhausting their quadriceps and warming up the knee joints before moving on to squats or leg presses.

This machine is one of the best for hamstring exercises. Some gyms may have a leg extension and leg curl machine built into one machine.

There are two types of calf machines: standing calf raise, and the seated calf raise. The standing calf raise targets the upper calf muscles and the seated calf raise works the lower calf muscles.

This machine works the inner thighs (adduction) and the outer thighs (abduction).

This movement is similar to a chin-up. While many believe that chin-ups are superior compared to the lat pull down, they have one major restriction. The user has to be able to lift his or her body weight. Many people are not strong enough to effectively work their backs with chin-ups, so the lat pull down is an alternative.

This machine is used for isolating the pectoral muscles (chest). Some pecdecks have two vertical arm pads that you place your forearms against, while others have handles for hands.

Most gyms have an assortment of cable and pulley machines. Usually there is a weight stack that is connected to a long cable that has a small handle or bar at the end. You can perform exercises for your entire body utilizing pulleys. 

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