Remember the name of each machine.You should not refer to the lat
pull-down as “that one where you pull down that bar thingy.” Knowing
what to call each contraption reminds you what the heck you’re doing —
you’ll remember that you’re working your lats, assuming you remember
what those are. (If you don’t, see Chapter 12.) Most machines have some
sort of name plaque or label. Check that the name of the machine you’re
using corresponds to the name of the machine on your workout card.
Stay in control.If the weight stack bangs and clangs like a junior-high
marching band, you’re probably lifting too fast, and you’re definitely
annoying the guy on the machine next to you. Many machine manufac-
turers recommend taking two slow counts to lift the weight stack up and
four slow counts to lower the weight stack down. You may feel more
comfortable speeding it up to a 2-2 count. When you become a more
advanced lifter, you may want to try SuperSlow training, a method that
involves a full 20 seconds per repetition. We describe this controversial
technique in Chapter 14.If the machine has a seat belt, use it.We’re not aware of any gyms that
enforce seat-belt laws, but that belt is there for a reason: to keep you
stable while you move through an exercise. Not every machine has one,
so check carefully.
Change the weight in the smallest increment possible. Most machines
have half plates hanging on the frame. Instead of increasing your weight
by an entire plate, you can place this thin rectangle on top of the stack.
CYBEX and other equipment manufacturers have come up with an inge-
nious way to increase weight by one-third of a plate, a system used on
some of its machines. Each machine has an abacus-like apparatus linked
to the stack of 20-pound weight plates. To increase the weight, you slide a
weighted disk toward the stack, increasing the weight by 5 pounds. There
are three disks per abacus, allowing you to go from 10 pounds to 15
pounds to 20 before moving on to a new plate.Free Weights .................................................................................................
Free weights are nothing to be afraid of. They’re simply bars with weight
plates on each end, and they’re perfectly suitable for people who don’t envi-
sion a Mr. Olympia title in their future. The long bars are called barbells,and
the short bars are called dumbbells(see Figure 13-1). It takes two hands to
hoist a barbell. You can lift a dumbbell with one hand, although you may do
some exercises using two hands on a single dumbbell.Barbells and dumbbells are called free weightsbecause they’re not attached
to any chains, cables, or weight stacks. You’re free to do with them whatever
you want, although we recommend using them for strength training rather
than, say, banging nails into a wall.196 Part IV: Lift and Curl: Building a Stronger Bod with Weights