Are weight machines for chumps?
jayb0ne
Posts: 644 Member
Ok, so I've not been to a gym in a while, and last time I did was before I knew anything about anything so I was all over the weight machines and treadmills and steered clear of the bar and dumbbells. I've been working out at home with solid dumbbells all the way for about 4 months. I'm coming to a point I'm outgrowing my little home gym though and I'm gonna need to get into a properly equipped gym in the new year to step it up.
So what's your opinion, are the weight machines worth a damn for anything? Or is it best to stick to compound moves on the freeweights? Barbell? Dumbbell? A mix? What do you guys hit the most?
So what's your opinion, are the weight machines worth a damn for anything? Or is it best to stick to compound moves on the freeweights? Barbell? Dumbbell? A mix? What do you guys hit the most?
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The range of motion of free weights is a lot better and you'll also make use of your core to stabilize the weight such as squats and military press...overall better development.
As for dumbbells and barbells it comes down to personal preference, I mix it up all the time to get the best of both worlds.0 -
I definately prefer hammer strength equipment for lat pulldowns. For raw strength gains in chest, I prefer barbell. For overall mass developement I've been told Dumbells are great for chest. I also like the hack squat machine for quads, since I have a tender lower back I can't go super heavy with a barbell squat.0
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Ever tried doing this?
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Ever tried doing this?
Yup, I do squats on the hack squat like that, I also like using a summo stance0 -
LOL!
Is that a front squat on a hack slide?0 -
LOL!
Is that a front squat on a hack slide?
Yup, it's no joke, it hits the glutes like crazy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSjBS268u70 0 -
That's quite amusing, but I'm not knocking it in the least. I love learning about lifts that I wasn't aware of.0
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That's quite amusing, but I'm not knocking it in the least. I love learning about lifts that I wasn't aware of.
I always laugh when peeps look at my brother and I all strange for doing "unconventional" workouts. Why is it acceptable to hit chest at different angles but if you hit any other muscle group at different angles you get looked at strangely. I do seated rows sitting on a dumbell propped up vertically so I'm sitting higher than the bench, hits the back at a different angle. Same with squats, i.e. conventional squat vs. sumo squat, forward hack squat vs. reverse hack squat0 -
That's quite amusing, but I'm not knocking it in the least. I love learning about lifts that I wasn't aware of.
I always laugh when peeps look at my brother and I all strange for doing "unconventional" workouts. Why is it acceptable to hit chest at different angles but if you hit any other muscle group at different angles you get looked at strangely. I do seated rows sitting on a dumbell propped up vertically so I'm sitting higher than the bench, hits the back at a different angle. Same with squats, i.e. conventional squat vs. sumo squat, forward hack squat vs. reverse hack squat
haha know the feeling, had people approach me and tell me I'm doing it all wrong and I should read the instructions before using the hack squat0 -
haha know the feeling, had people approach me and tell me I'm doing it all wrong and I should read the instructions before using the hack squat
LOL. How big are the people approaching you and saying that? Sheesh.
Regarding goofy lifts, I did incline DB rows today, where you're basically face-planted and humping an incline bench. Those tend to get looks.0 -
My short answer would be "yes". But I'm a judgemental judger in the weight room, and that isn't the right answer.
I'd say that weight machines are for those who: want to lift heavy, don't quite have the "feel" for the proper form of an exercise, and don't have a spotter. Machines can help them avoid, or recover from, injury.
Otherwise, free weights are generally the way to go.
That's my opinion, which is based on something I likely read and then forgot.0 -
haha know the feeling, had people approach me and tell me I'm doing it all wrong and I should read the instructions before using the hack squat
LOL. How big are the people approaching you and saying that? Sheesh.
Regarding goofy lifts, I did incline DB rows today, where you're basically face-planted and humping an incline bench. Those tend to get looks.
HA! Reminds me of my friend and I during our "monkey squat" phase. http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/Make-Your-Workout-Fun-With-Monkey-Squats.htm
Or when we tried these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpH0Ymiri8g 0 -
My god that looks painful. Actually looks hard on the shoulder joints.0 -
I always laugh when peeps look at my brother and I all strange for doing "unconventional" workouts. Why is it acceptable to hit chest at different angles but if you hit any other muscle group at different angles you get looked at strangely. I do seated rows sitting on a dumbell propped up vertically so I'm sitting higher than the bench, hits the back at a different angle. Same with squats, i.e. conventional squat vs. sumo squat, forward hack squat vs. reverse hack squat
haha know the feeling, had people approach me and tell me I'm doing it all wrong and I should read the instructions before using the hack squat
That's when you flash em your 22" phythons and tell them shut up noob!0 -
My god that looks painful. Actually looks hard on the shoulder joints.
Yep. People like to bring stuff like this in to me, because they know I won't stop until I'm ABLE to do at least one. This particular friend also showed me a video of "clapping pull ups". I am a clown for their amusement.0 -
Ever tried doing this?
Nah, not tried that or even the regular way on that machine. Reckon I could squat more weight on that machine than I could on a regular barbell squat though. Does being able to lift more in a limited range make it more or less effective than a full range of motion movement with less weight and good form?0 -
How about upper body? Biceps - barbell curls? dumbell curls? machine curls? Chest - dumbell flys? bench? Pushups? Machine flys??0
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I typically prefer free weights. That being said, I work in machines after the free weights to hit certain muscles harder after the supporting muscles are toasted.
For instance I will hit machine bench press after I have done my dumbbell bench press sets.0 -
I am a free weight fanatic. Never used machines if I didn't have to...before and I look foward to using them again once I dropped some more weight. But for the last 5 months I have done nothing but machine for the simple fact that I lump body groups to together. I do an upper body day, I can bounce from machine to machine alternating chest and back and keeping my heart rate up. it's not impossible to do with free weights, but at a public gym it is difficult to take up all that space just for myself, especially when my wife is my spotter (she's not able to pull anything off me).0
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I believe it's best to combine machines with free weights. With machines you can isolate better and with free weights your stabilizers come into play. I love the smith machine, seated row, pull-down, leg curl, seated calf, hack-squat and any HAMMER strength machines. If I said anything wrong, please correct me nicely :happy:0
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I am a free weight fanatic. Never used machines if I didn't have to...before and I look foward to using them again once I dropped some more weight. But for the last 5 months I have done nothing but machine for the simple fact that I lump body groups to together. I do an upper body day, I can bounce from machine to machine alternating chest and back and keeping my heart rate up. it's not impossible to do with free weights, but at a public gym it is difficult to take up all that space just for myself, especially when my wife is my spotter (she's not able to pull anything off me).
I agree! Gyms are not a good place for super-setting or circuits. I've been working out at home when possible.
Your wife can spot you. NO one should have to lift anything off of you.0 -
I am a free weight fanatic. Never used machines if I didn't have to...before and I look foward to using them again once I dropped some more weight. But for the last 5 months I have done nothing but machine for the simple fact that I lump body groups to together. I do an upper body day, I can bounce from machine to machine alternating chest and back and keeping my heart rate up. it's not impossible to do with free weights, but at a public gym it is difficult to take up all that space just for myself, especially when my wife is my spotter (she's not able to pull anything off me).
I agree! Gyms are not a good place for super-setting or circuits. I've been working out at home when possible.
Your wife can spot you. NO one should have to lift anything off of you.
Ideally no, she shouldn't have to lift anything off me. But if I'm going heavy and intense, and something happens, my little wife is not pulling the 315 lbs off me. Plus, we work out together at least a couple times a week with weights. and changing the free weights on the bars back and forth between my weight and her weight stinks.0 -
I've really come to believe that the staples of your routine should be free weights, and mainly the compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, presses, etc. All the other stuff has its place, to support & aid in the further progression of your big lifts. The more isolated exercises should really be used as auxilliary work for the main heavy lifts, imo.
I think the problem a lot of people have is that they've reversed that - most of their workout is with the isolated cable machines and very little of the free, compound heavy lifts - it's backwards.0 -
yeah backwards alright...i still 8 out of 10 people in the gym doing 5 isolation exercise, then a **** attempt at a compound.
their time would be better spent learning how to do the compounds properly.
in my normal programming, i have not included an isolation movement for well over a year.0 -
I prefer free weights myself and train at home. The squat rack is my friend and will be a life saver if I ever had to bail.0
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I think whether weight machines are good or not depends on the machine. The new gym I go to has great machines and they seem to be much closer to a normal range of motion. Also, there is a difference between machines that use bands/cables and those that use actual weight plates. The ones that use plates (same ones you put on a barbell) tend to be closer to free weights.
I've found that switching to machines for a week, once every 6 weeks can help to reduce adaptation.0 -
I'd always pick free weights over machines (except maybe for pec flys. I like the machines better for these, personal preference).
but machines are obviously better than nothing. Use what you've got.0 -
Ok, I reckon I'm pretty much set on freeweights, that's what I thought really.
Now to get over my irrational fear of approaching the big blokes always around the free weights and waiting my turn... At least I'm not approaching as a fat bloke who clearly has no knowledge of anything training related this time round. lol!0 -
Now to get over my irrational fear of approaching the big blokes always around the free weights and waiting my turn.
So long as you aren't doing curls in the squat rack, you'll be fine :laugh:0 -
It never ceases to amaze me how often this happens; even some muscle-heads that I assume know better. :grumble:Now to get over my irrational fear of approaching the big blokes always around the free weights and waiting my turn.
So long as you aren't doing curls in the squat rack, you'll be fine :laugh:0
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