Thread: machines or free weights?

Free weights are generally thought of as better because they make you work more. Machines isolate muscles, while free weights make you lift and balance, using more of the surrounding stabilizers for each lift. They also translate into better overall balance and strength (in my opinion, anyway.)

That being said, there is nothing wrong with using machines in your w/o. Most people would tell you to use free weights as much as you can, and fill in with machines where you must. They are a great tool if you don't have a spotter, or are just starting out and need help keeping your form on track. Once you go to free weights, though, you may never want to go back...

Both.

free weights are essential to building mass. machines dont give you the ability to train your synergist (stabilizer) muscles like free weights do.

Both are useful, but if I had to choose I'd go with free weights.

Machines are perfect if you dont ever have a spotter available. Dont even touch freeweights until you KNOW you can handle the weights and make sure there is someone around when you use them. They are not dangerous per say, but I have seen too many people go from machine to freeweights thinking they can lift a certain amount and find out that 200lbs on freeweights is much more than 200lbs on a machine. All that being said, even the most experienced lifters I know use BOTH.

To learn freeweights, use freeweights. But go light.

I've used both before, and the machines are basically to target specific muscles (once again, they don't use your stabilizers much, if at all) while free weights will by far build better core strength. If you're looking to specifically define certain muscles, go with machines; for overall strength and balance, use free weights. I now use nothing but free weights by the way; I feel they're far superior because I have nothing to specifically target.

I think that both are important in a good workout. I use free weights for my strength excersizes and some machines for the isolating specific areas to finish out a good pump on my workout.

I love hammer machines for certain exercises.

Originally Posted by min0 lee

I love hammer machines for certain exercises.

Me too.

Please change your avatar with the person with the milk all overher mouth...it's disgusting.

Nautilus machines are great. Some of these other ones blow. Resistance curves (if that's the appropriate term) render most dumbell or barbell exercises useless in the strongest range of motion. If you get a good machine, it eliminates the ability to cheat, which is something probably seventy percent of all trainees do. I've seen people cheat up loads of weight on barbell curls without doing shit for their biceps.

Originally Posted by goal_500_bench

Please change your avatar with the person with the milk all overher mouth...it's disgusting.

You must be lactose intolerant.