The fact that we can find so many barbell sets for sale at very low prices is a testament to an unfortunate truth. Although there is no doubt that we can develop larger muscles and gain strength if we use free weights properly, too many would-be bodybuilders find their good intentions coming to nothing.

We may start out with the right motivation, sincere desire and goals set for ourselves. And making the financial investment in weight training equipment is a sure sign of commitment toward transforming our bodies through free weight training.

But many new trainees end up listing their barbell sets for sale at discount prices, just trying to get some of their money back. Too many give up training because they’re not getting the results that they wanted and expected when they unpacked and set up their shiny new gear.

Barbell SetThe fact is that many people looking to build larger muscles end up failing simply because they do not know how to train correctly with free weights. We need to be honest in our training and work out properly. Many people simply throw too much weight onto the bar and then have to heave and jerk to move the weight. This is not productive and will not serve us best.

We need to use slow movements to ensure that the weight is always under our control. And we need to train infrequently enough to recover and grow. This is overlooked by those eager to put on muscle. It’s best to use a full body routine only two or three times a week at most and use our barbells and dumbbells along with a power rack or bench press and squat stand.

We need to train very hard, but we need to think of the other factors as well. Rest is very important and if in your next workout you cannot at least match the weight and number of reps you did last time, then you are over-training and need more rest.

We gain strength and build larger muscles when we rest and recuperate from lifting – not while we are lifting – so this is extremely important for good results.

And we will not grow unless we are consuming enough calories to allow the muscles to rebuild from failure and grow larger. For many, especially hard gainers, this means six meals a day and eating a huge amount of food. If we do this and train to positive failure, then there is no doubt that we can see very good results using our barbell sets and a good routine.