Free weights refer to strength training equipment that is not attached to another apparatus. Examples of free weights include dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, and slam or medicine balls.

Compared to machines, free weights force your stabiliser muscles to work harder. They also offer you a greater range of motion (ROM).

This refers to two exercise sets combined into one set with little to no rest between them. Aside from saving you time, supersets also increase your power, metabolism, and hypertrophy (muscle growth).

There are three kinds of supersets:

1. Agonist-antagonist sets (ex. dumbbell bench press and chest-supported dumbbell rows)
2. Similar muscle groups (ex. back squats and box jumps)
3. Upper and lower muscle groups (ex. front squats and inverted rows)

Drop sets are a strength training technique where the lifter “drops” or reduces the resistance after completing each set. The reduction should be around 20% of the initial, heaviest weight. The goal is to reach a point of muscular fatigue or muscle failure which results in adequate training stimulus and muscle growth.

For example, after you have completed one set of 90 kg bench presses, rest for 20 seconds max (the less time you rest, the better) before starting your second set. For your second set, lift with a reduced resistance of 72 kg. Complete the second set and rest again for 20 seconds max. Continue to the third set with a reduced resistance of 58 kilos and so on.

Lifters can perform drop sets with dumbbells, barbells, fixed-bar weights, or machines.

A slam ball is a piece of fitness equipment made of leather, rubber, or plastic. It is roughly the size of a regulation-sized soccer ball.

Holding a medicine ball during exercises such as squats, sit-ups, overhead presses, and lunges helps enhance the movements. Personal trainers also advocate the use of medicine balls for throwing exercises to help build muscle mass, lose fat, increase endurance, and improve hand-eye coordination.

Deadlifts are a classic compound bodybuilding or strength training movement which primarily targets the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and spinal erectors. Synergist muscles include the quads, hamstrings, Adductor magnus, and soleus.

In the setup phase, the lifter stands behind the bar, hinges at the hips, and grips the bar wider than shoulder-width. In the ensuing drive phase, the lifter braces his core and pushes through his heels, and attempts to lift the barbell off the ground. Finally, in the lockout phase, he stands completely erect whilst contracting the lumbar area and glutes to engage the target muscles.

This an Olympic and CrossFit lift which is a variation of the overhead press. In the clean phase, the lifter executes a triple extension of the hips, knees, and ankles. He then shrugs his trapezius muscles, drops into a squatting position, and spins his hands around the bar so his elbows extend in front of his upper body. In the press phase, the lifter executes an overhead press with his arms locked out overhead and body standing erect.

These are lifting techniques similar to those done at the Summer Olympics. More specifically, these are the snatch and the clean and jerk lifts normally included in CrossFit training programmes.

An instrument which measures the hardness of materials.

A point in an exercise or fitness programme where one isn’t making any additional progress.

These are fitness equipment accessories where the lifter can place the bar after finishing a set. They’re typically included in bench presses, Smith Machines, squat racks, and power cages.

This refers to the pectoralis muscle or the large muscle in the upper chest.

These are metallic pipes which one inserts to the sides of power cages to prevent the barbell from pinning the lifter during lifts such as barbell bench presses and overhead presses. As the name implies, pipe spotters act as a spotter for the lifter, making it safe for him to lift heavy alone in his home gym.

Also known as lever arms, jammer arms are power cage attachments which lifters can push, pull, or rotate for their fitness and sports-specific-training needs. Typical jammer arms exercises include the upper body press, full body press, and explosive plyo step.

A monolift is a fitness equipment attachment which clamps on to power cages. Lifters rely on monolifts when re-racking dumbbells during squats and barbell bench presses.

This is a strength training exercise where one places a barbell on his rear delts whilst standing up and then bends his torso until it’s parallel to the ground. Good mornings strengthen the posterior chain with the glutes and hamstrings stabilising the movement.

This is a fitness machine where a lifter can do exercises that develop the Latissimus dorsi or lats, which are the most noticeable features of a “V-tapered” physique. These exercises include lat pulldowns, close-grip pulldowns, neutral grip lat pulldowns, reverse grip lat pulldowns, kneeling lat pulldowns, and single arm lat pulldowns.

The landmine is a small metal tube which exercisers typically use with a barbell bar. Some of the exercises one can do with a landmine are transverse goblet squats, single-leg romanian deadlifts, t-bar rows, half-kneeling shoulder presses, hip-to-hip rotations, lateral shuffle and press, chest presses, and landmine rows.

This is a cylindrical tube made of compressed foam which fitness enthusiasts use for myofascial release and self-massage purposes. One can also use a foam roller for reducing soreness, eliminating muscle knots, increasing flexibility, and warming up before a rigorous training session.

A wrist roller is a device which consists of a bar attached to a cord or rope which one rolls and unrolls to strengthen the forearm muscles.

A sled is a versatile piece of fitness equipment which one can use for fitness training of sports-specific conditioning. Lifters can attach harnesses, belts, or weight plates to the power sled to increase the challenge.

Exercises that make use of the power sled typically involve multiple muscle groups. For instance, the sled push works the back, glutes, hips, core muscles, hamstrings, calves, triceps, and shoulders.