Exercise machines vs. free weights

getfuzzyfan40

I feel pretty good about my cardio program but I know I would see better results if I would strength train also. To be honest I am intimidated by free weights and the need to use proper form and trying to remember how much weight to use from session to session and muscle group. Not to mention wading through all the beasts surrounding the free weights at the gym I attend. I am not as intimidated by the exercise machines and at our gym they have monitors on each machine that you log into and it will tell you how much weight to use and how many reps to perform. Can I get as much definition and benefit by using the exercise machines?

aelunyu

The short answer is yes, you can certainly do that. The only caveat here is that machines allow you to "concentrate" on a specific muscle or group of muscles. While this allows for sometimes "forced" good form in recruiting that solitary fiber, it's ignoring some of the very important stabilizing and supportive muscles that are important too! For example, if you're doing a leg press instead of a squat, you will recruit hamstring, quadriceps, some hip flexors and to a minimum extent, there will be abduction in the lower back/pelvis. A full squat will require the entire body to move (as it was intended to by nature) on the vertical plane, which causes all sorts of very important muscles, tendons, and bones to work in unison to achieve this task. As you may imagine, doing a concentrated muscle group may someday be more degenerative than beneficial, as some muscles overpower others, and you develop kinetic chain imbalances that can lead quite easily to injury.

However, if you're going to be quite modest about the whole thing, using poundage that does not possess the capacity to harm your joints and tendons, I would say, this is a completely viable way to train. Just be careful! Safety first.

LorinaLynn

I switched from machines to free weights about a year ago, and never looked back.

This is after only 2 months. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/744311-free-weights-vs-machines-holy-crap

meshashesha2012

what are your goals?

if you have any real world strength goals like being able to do a pushup, pullup, safely lift your kids, etc then free weights. if none of that matters then machines