I remember meeting a friend many years ago who had amazing shoulders and arms. When she wore a sleevelss top you could see how muscular she was. I remember saying she loved free weights and I was very impressed by that. Slowly, I am learning to appreciate the use of free weights in my strength training. I only have a couple of 5 lb and 10 lb weights but I use them almost daily. I can tell the difference in my shoulders and upper body strength. They are inexpensive and there are hundreds of ways to use them. Since I exercise in the morning while my husband is still sleeping, they are also very quiet compared to the treadmill or other pieces of equipment. Start with small weights and work up. Give them a try.