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South China Morning Post

How to start strength training? Tips on weights, machines, bands and more for beginners

When it comes to weight-resistance exercise, you can choose free weights such as dumbbells or barbells, or weight machines, which are often driven by cables or levers. You can also use resistance bands or tubes to build strength, or try push-ups and pull-ups – old standbys that create muscle overload by using your own body weight. These four basic options for strength training present fitness possibilities for young and old, advanced and beginners. And they offer flexibility for use in the gym, your home or in a hotel room during travel. You will probably wind up using a combination of the four, and they all have their pros and cons. They are appropriate for all ages and can be augmented with aerobic exercises like walking or running – or even climbing stairs US-based experts Dr Rafael Escamilla, a biomechanist and physical therapist at Sacramento State University, and Dr Michael Stone, a sports scientist at East Tennessee State University, walk us through the possibilities and their pluses and minuses, depending on your age, motivation and goals. Both are former competitive weightlifters who still work out almost daily.