What Machine is your favourite?
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God, there are more trolls on these stupid forums than any place I've seen on the Net.
Really? Umm...don't ever go to a gaming forum...or even ones for weddings/babies. Those make MFP look beyond mild any day.0 -
God, there are more trolls on these stupid forums than any place I've seen on the Net.
You seem like you're fun.0 -
God, there are more trolls on these stupid forums than any place I've seen on the Net.
For realsies? I haven't seen any trolls in here.
I've seen some quite helpful posts, some humor, a supah sexy bench pressing gif, and some dude who has no idea what he's talking about and is going strictly by the small circle of people he is acquainted with.
Oh, here:
Because I'm a helper :flowerforyou:0 -
My favorite machine is the elliptical. I love having it right in my own home.
As for what to start out with. Every person is different and whatever gets you moving and motivated to work out is the way to go. The hardest part for me was just finding something I actually liked doing everyday. Eventually I will broaden what I do, but for now, I am proud of myself for just getting off the couch.
I love seeing how much everybody has lost. I just started 3 weeks ago and am only at 8 pounds, but seeing other people's progress gives me hope.0 -
I don't have a gym membership as I live to far away from one now but when I did have a membership I love the cross trainer, leg press and rowing machine0
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This thread incensed me with its bull**** misogyny. I started heavy lifting with free weights when I was 14 and did it all through high school and college. I did not use 5 pound dumbells. That's insulting. I was deadlifting 240 pounds. Of course if 5 pounds is all you can do you should start there but that also means you've never lifted a bag of groceries in your life which means you are rich and have a personal trainer anyway.
My female personal trainer started me again this year on free weights. As far as I'm aware, most personal trainers use free weights far more than machines. Of course, if machines are what you have then you should use those-- what matters is that you are building muscle! But you will be working more muscle groups with free weights than with machines and therefore getting more of a workout per minute if your time is precious to you at all, which I know it is for most everyone these days.
Likewise, the only injuries I have sustained in the gym have been because of machines, but that was usually something like pinching my fingers between the plates. I've never had any seriously injuries at all weightlifting ever. Now running, that is another issue...
It is true that if you have poor form you will have injuries and machine "enforce" your form so it's more difficult (but not impossible) to have poor form on a machine. You should learn to lift weights with proper form on free weights before you use free weights. Maybe there is a friend that could even help? I know I have taught proper form to quite a few of my friends on free weights.
I'll be honest, I never saw a weight machine in person until college and afetr I'd been weightlifting with free weights for 4 years, they terrified me. They look like torture apparati. I made myself use them for a while because the men were all in the free weight area and the women were all in the machines but eventually I said F THAT and went back to free weights.
Don't let any man tell you that you aren't strong enough to handle a free weight. That's ridiculous and we should all feel insulted, even those that have never lifted.
(As an aside, if you want to see a strong women with free weights, look at a mother. Ever seen a woman toting a 45 pound child in one arm? And the child moves around. Can't handle free weights my *kitten*.)0 -
I love the leg extension, lat pull, seated leg press, and the ab machine0
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I stopped reading the machine vs. free weights argument after the second page...
It's all awful. When you are starting out, do what you feel comfortable doing. If you are comfortable on the machines, and the thought of freeweights scares you to the point of not wanting to go to the gym, then do the machines until you work up the nerve to use the weights!
This is coming from a woman who was making huge improvements over several weeks on the machines, and felt so SHAMED by *kitten* telling me that machines are useless that I couldn't even bring myself to go to that gym anymore. Call me a buttercup or whatever you want, but self-consciousness is real, and no one should ever tell someone that what they are doing at the gym isn't good enough. Even if someone actively searches advice on getting past a plateau, try giving them advice without criticizing what they've done up to that point.0 -
Squat rack0
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Machines are okay if you're nervous about getting started, but you're not going to get the best results using them. They have a purpose with isolation movements in case you want extra development in a specific muscle group (like quads). Machines, to be honest, are best suited to bodybuilders looking to pump up vanity muscles. HOWEVER, if you are in a gym that only provides machines, then try to use them to work every muscle group and read up on bodyweight exercises to help with total body development.
The belief that you are less likely to hurt yourself on a machine is false. You're just as likely to hurt yourself on a machine, sometimes more likely because you're more likely to use improper form.
If you are interested in lifting, then please read up. Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5 (free pdf rom the Stronglifts website), and even New Rules of Lifting for Women. All are great sources to get you past the jitters.
Anyone who says that a 35 pound barbell is too heavy for a woman to bench press does not know what they are talking about. I had a bilateral mastectomy, my chest muscles have been severed and there are implants between my pecs, and I started out benching more than 45 pounds. Also, I don't weigh a lot. I'm 123 pounds.
Here's a useful chart on how to gauge your capabilities based on weight. It tells you what a woman of your weight should be able to lift, even if untrained.
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.htm
Okay, after all that, if I had to pick a machine that I liked, it would be the seated row to work my rear deltoids, back and traps. Bent over dumbbell rows are great, but sometimes I like to do a little extra with the machine.0 -
I stopped reading the machine vs. free weights argument after the second page...
It's all awful. When you are starting out, do what you feel comfortable doing. If you are comfortable on the machines, and the thought of freeweights scares you to the point of not wanting to go to the gym, then do the machines until you work up the nerve to use the weights!
This is coming from a woman who was making huge improvements over several weeks on the machines, and felt so SHAMED by *kitten* telling me that machines are useless that I couldn't even bring myself to go to that gym anymore. Call me a buttercup or whatever you want, but self-consciousness is real, and no one should ever tell someone that what they are doing at the gym isn't good enough. Even if someone actively searches advice on getting past a plateau, try giving them advice without criticizing what they've done up to that point.
^^this is a very important concept.
When anyone starts out, anything is about a beneficial as the next thing, with one caveat...the most beneficial thing is what you will keep doing. Even as they progress, machines are still beneficial, albeit not optimal from an effectiveness perspective in general.
Some machines are bad as they put you in a fixed trajectory (not a fan of ones for shoulders), but many machines are actually very good.
For anyone starting out, especially those that are uncomfortable, use the machines to get more comfortable with weights. When you are more comfortable, start transitioning to free weights where appropriate.
A good routine can and often does include a mix of barbells, dumbbells, cables and fixed trajectory machines. For example, I use barbells for my main compound lifts, but do assistance lifts using dumbbells, cables and occasionally fixed trajectory machines such as leg extensions. In some cases, machines are superior to free weights, depending on the objectives and the circumstances.0 -
i think the argument was more about the guy saying for women ONLY use the machines first, and if you DO use free weights stick to the five or ten pound dumbbells...it was offensive.I stopped reading the machine vs. free weights argument after the second page...
It's all awful. When you are starting out, do what you feel comfortable doing. If you are comfortable on the machines, and the thought of freeweights scares you to the point of not wanting to go to the gym, then do the machines until you work up the nerve to use the weights!
This is coming from a woman who was making huge improvements over several weeks on the machines, and felt so SHAMED by *kitten* telling me that machines are useless that I couldn't even bring myself to go to that gym anymore. Call me a buttercup or whatever you want, but self-consciousness is real, and no one should ever tell someone that what they are doing at the gym isn't good enough. Even if someone actively searches advice on getting past a plateau, try giving them advice without criticizing what they've done up to that point.
I do love free weights, and I do use some machines for accessory work as well...do whatever makes you happy. There are certain exercises I will say free weights are better for IF you ask my opinion...and certain machine exercises that I really like.0 -
Dumbbells range from 5lbs to 95lbs at my gym and the women who use free weights are generally looking for 5,10,15lb units. Most tend to be in use. Plate free weights have limited use as any type of chest press-35lb olympic bar alone is too much for most starting females. Then add the weights. I would write "all" but there is always an exception.
Machines are better for women to start on. Even men actually and there are many options to rows, pulldowns and leg work. Most folk with free weights use too much and have poor form. Especially when starting out.
Start with machines until you are confident and hard.
Completely and totally douchey and wrong. The yes no machine (hip abductor adductor) is there only so douchey guys can watch women open their legs. Squats work those muscles in a much more useful way.
Plated barbells are FINE. For most compound lifts, 45# is manageable. Most commercial gyms seem to have lighter ore weighted barbells anyway.
My purse is heavier that 5#. A two month old baby is heavier than 10#. Two boxes of cat litter is 50#. Please don't insult women with your ridiculous assertions about what we can and can't lift, brow.0 -
The squats rack0
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I don't use the weight machines, but I take bodypump classes, which use barbells and free weights, and I work with kettlebells. The only machine I use at the gym anymore is the elliptical.
I can't lift very much yet. The heaviest weight I use now is the 16 kg (35.3 pounds) kettlebell (but I started with 4 kg, so progress!). Would love to move up to lifting heavier weights eventually, but have to start somewhere.0 -
The squats rack
+1
Technology is already ruining most of modern life, why let it mess up your training too?0 -
I am about 90% free weights and ten percent machines...the only machines I use are lat pulldown, low row, leg extension, and iso lateral row....0
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No. Not even the paid and certified trainers at my gym start women with free weights. They all go begin on machines and some bodyweight exercises.
I have a family the OP will decide for herself and either report back how things went or not.
But there really have not been an shining examples in the pro-free weight crowd here to emulate.
yet, another reason not to use personal trainer...0 -
I stopped reading the machine vs. free weights argument after the second page...
It's all awful. When you are starting out, do what you feel comfortable doing. If you are comfortable on the machines, and the thought of freeweights scares you to the point of not wanting to go to the gym, then do the machines until you work up the nerve to use the weights!
This is coming from a woman who was making huge improvements over several weeks on the machines, and felt so SHAMED by *kitten* telling me that machines are useless that I couldn't even bring myself to go to that gym anymore. Call me a buttercup or whatever you want, but self-consciousness is real, and no one should ever tell someone that what they are doing at the gym isn't good enough. Even if someone actively searches advice on getting past a plateau, try giving them advice without criticizing what they've done up to that point.
are we reading the same thread?0 -
Dumbbells range from 5lbs to 95lbs at my gym and the women who use free weights are generally looking for 5,10,15lb units. Most tend to be in use. Plate free weights have limited use as any type of chest press-35lb olympic bar alone is too much for most starting females. Then add the weights. I would write "all" but there is always an exception.
Machines are better for women to start on. Even men actually and there are many options to rows, pulldowns and leg work. Most folk with free weights use too much and have poor form. Especially when starting out.
Start with machines until you are confident and hard.
no.0
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