Thread: Free weights or machine?????

I say free, but you will be able to do more with the multigym. More exercises is better. Do you have dumbbells?

If you must choose, keep the free weights.

Hands down free weights.

Irons: More exercises is definitely not better. You only need a base of good compound exercises in order to grow, and free weights dominate machines in that area. Most people don't need to and really shouldn't be using a lot of isolation exercises, if any at all.

Originally Posted by danzik17

Hands down free weights.

Irons: More exercises is definitely not better. You only need a base of good compound exercises in order to grow, and free weights dominate machines in that area. Most people don't need to and really shouldn't be using a lot of isolation exercises, if any at all.

Well said. Just make sure you have enough variety and weight, of the free apparatus to make a challenging routine.

I have dumbells plus a variety of other equiptment such as straight bar, curl bar, tricep bar, kettle bells etc

Your cool then, kick the multigym out.

Originally Posted by danzik17

Hands down free weights.

Irons: More exercises is definitely not better. You only need a base of good compound exercises in order to grow, and free weights dominate machines in that area. Most people don't need to and really shouldn't be using a lot of isolation exercises, if any at all.

I know that buddy! thanks for the check!

I think you need both...

If you have to choose, choose free weights, but you're missing out IMO.

Freeweights, every time.

The immense variety of movements you can do with a simple pair of dumbells alone would require a whole house full of machines.

Not to mention freeweights are more functional, and leave you less prone to injury. This is a no-brainer if you ask me.

i would go with freeweights as well for the simple fact that they consume less space and that the work loads are so much better

Home multi-gyms are crap imo unless you keep up the maintenance. The wheels and tracks get rusty, the overall quality of machines you have in your house are not near as good as those you use at the gym (unless you spend a shitload of $). With FW, 45 lbs is 45 lbs no matter how you look at it. I remember going to a friends one time a few years back who had an old decrepid machine; sat down to do a bench press and barely repped out what the machine said was 120... I was benching 245 at the time.

You can perform the same movements with freeweights that you can with any machine. And free weights give you a better workout, because you have to balance them/stabilise them yourself; while a machine does it for you.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

Freeweights, every time.

The immense variety of movements you can do with a simple pair of dumbells alone would require a whole house full of machines.

Not to mention freeweights are more functional, and leave you less prone to injury. This is a no-brainer if you ask me.

+1