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Sports & Fitness vocabulary · Gym & Equipment

Free weights

Meaning in sports & fitness, with examples

/ˌfri ˈweɪts/nounCommon term

In sports & fitness, free weights means: Weights that are not attached to a machine, such as dumbbells, barbells and kettlebells, so the user has to control and balance them.

In Turkish: serbest ağırlıklar

How it is used

Used in gyms in contrast to machines. Gyms have a free-weights area or section, and trainers compare free weights and machines when planning for beginners and athletes.

Example sentences

  1. The free weights area is busiest between six and eight in the evening.

  2. Machines are easier to learn, but free weights also train balance and stability.

Common collocations

  • free-weights area
  • train with free weights
  • free weights and machines
  • free weights section
  • dumbbellA short bar with a weight at each end, held in one hand; used singly or in pairs for exercises such as curls, presses and rows.
  • barbellA long metal bar with weight plates added at each end, held with both hands for exercises such as squats, deadlifts and bench presses.
  • kettlebellA round cast-iron weight with a handle on top, used for swinging, lifting and carrying exercises.
  • gymA building or room with equipment for physical exercise, such as weights, machines and treadmills; also called a fitness centre or health club.
  • strength trainingExercise in which muscles work against resistance, such as weights, machines, bands or body weight, in order to become stronger.

More terms: Gym & Equipment

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