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Weight training is a universal form of exercise for all those who seek improved muscular tone and definition. Through use of barbells, dumbells and benches, weight trainers can improve muscular strength and endurance. Across the full spectrum of sports, athletes of all persuasions find weight training an invaluable element of their training regimes. Barbells and dumbells (often referred to as "free weights") enable users to focus on specific muscle groupings.

If you are considering buying barbells or dumbells, you need to carefully consider where you will exercise. Try to make sure the room you use is not cold (weight training whilst cold can cause muscular strains), or at last make sure you warm up and stretch prior to working out. You need to ensure adequate clearance space to enable you to fully extend your arms during certain exercises. Since the addition of a weight training bench will dramatically increase the range of different exercise that you can do with free weights, also consider space require to use a bench. Modern weight training benches are well designed, some will even fold to save space whilst not in use. However when assembled you will require sufficient space (usually approx 2 meters x 2 metres) to bench press, and do leg extensions. Many benches now also include attachments for leg extension and leg curl exercises (quadriceps & hamstrings), preacher curls (biceps), lat pull-downs (back). These are all worth considering, however on less expensive products are a bit "gimicky" - as with most things in life "you get what you pay for", if exercising effectively is important to you, buy the best quality you can afford.

You should carefully consider the amount of weight you require, the type of exercises you are likely to do, do you require fixed weight dumbells, or are you happy to adjust the weight as required for each exercise? You should also consider safety issues. It is often advisable to use fee weights with a training partner or "spotter". In addition to providing a little bit of extra motivation and encouragement, spotters are often used to help trainers stay out of trouble (especially when trainers are lifting particularly heavy weights, or are training close to endurance limits. If you are concerned about safety issues related to lifting heavy weights whilst alone, it may be wiser to consider buying a multigym.

In order to understand the principles of weight training, and to best prepare for a meaningful programme tailored to your own objectives, while you will get good advice from experts at specialist fitness stores, you often train on your own and should consider buying a good book on the subject.