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Free weights vs. machines

kr381806
kr381806 Posts: 55 Member
edited January 1 in Fitness and Exercise
I try to alternate my strength training between some free weights and some machines. I also alternate days I work on the muscle groups. Is either one more or less effective? Thanks! :smile:

Replies

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Depends on your goals. Free weights will engage a lot more stabilizing muscles than will machines. Free weights allow you a bit more flexibility in doing compound lifts, which engage more muscles.

    For some people, machines can be safer, especially if they are new to weight training. They also make it easier to isolate a specific muscle (if you have an injury or goals that necessitate isolation work).

    For the average person, both work well. IMO, free weights work more well.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Wherever you want to go, free weights will get you there in half the time.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    Depends on your goals. Free weights will engage a lot more stabilizing muscles than will machines. Free weights allow you a bit more flexibility in doing compound lifts, which engage more muscles.

    For some people, machines can be safer, especially if they are new to weight training. They also make it easier to isolate a specific muscle (if you have an injury or goals that necessitate isolation work).

    For the average person, both work well. IMO, free weights work more well.

    Very nice answer! IMHO
  • cbrrabbit25
    cbrrabbit25 Posts: 384 Member
    Wherever you want to go, free weights will get you there in half the time.
    i agree 100%!
  • Tilran
    Tilran Posts: 627 Member
    Wherever you want to go, free weights will get you there in half the time.

    Please explain.
  • julieh391
    julieh391 Posts: 683 Member
    I'm curious to see replies too.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Some machines are good, like Lat Pull Down. I miss that one.

    But I switched from doing machines at the gym (for about a year) to free weights at home, and the results after two months were amazing. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/744311-free-weights-vs-machines-holy-crap
  • strikerjb007
    strikerjb007 Posts: 443 Member
    Some machines are good, like Lat Pull Down. I miss that one.

    I guess it's a matter of choice. But if I had to choose between that machine and pull ups. I will take pull ups any day. In fact, I have seen people that can lift the entire machine but can't do more than 5 pull ups...
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Some machines are good, like Lat Pull Down. I miss that one.

    But I switched from doing machines at the gym (for about a year) to free weights at home, and the results after two months were amazing. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/744311-free-weights-vs-machines-holy-crap

    Quoting because her story is awesome!!!
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Wherever you want to go, free weights will get you there in half the time.

    Please explain.

    Sure, but jacksonpt already hit the key points. Machines hold the weight for you and use leverage to move the weight. With free weights, you have to hold the weight yourself and stabilizer muscles get involved to a much greater degree. The weight will move in a natural path instead of along a track. When the weight goes up, it's all due to your strength instead of a series of pulleys that distribute the load. Heck, even getting the weight into position contributes to your overall workout. And where people use 4 leg machines, they can bang out 3 sets of squats and get an infinitely superior leg workout.

    Whatever your fitness goal is, free weights will give you a more efficient workout.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    Agreed with jacksonpt and davpul
  • T34418l3angel
    T34418l3angel Posts: 474 Member
    Some machines are good, like Lat Pull Down. I miss that one.

    I guess it's a matter of choice. But if I had to choose between that machine and pull ups. I will take pull ups any day. In fact, I have seen people that can lift the entire machine but can't do more than 5 pull ups...

    People like me lol. I cant lift the whole machine, I can do 4 sets of 10 @ 50lbs, but I cannot do a pull up (yet) to save my life. This is where certain machines come in handy. I use the lat pull down, assisted pull up, and pec Dec machines but everything else I do free weight. Oh I also use the leg press, in combination with also doing deadlifts, stiff leg deadlifts, and squats
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    Depends on your goals. Free weights will engage a lot more stabilizing muscles than will machines. Free weights allow you a bit more flexibility in doing compound lifts, which engage more muscles.

    For some people, machines can be safer, especially if they are new to weight training. They also make it easier to isolate a specific muscle (if you have an injury or goals that necessitate isolation work).

    For the average person, both work well. IMO, free weights work more well.

    Wrong




    It's "more weller"
  • Jersey_Devil
    Jersey_Devil Posts: 4,142 Member
    i like free weights for compound lifts (deadlifts, bench press, squats, military press).. ill add in some machine work for some accessory stuff.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Wherever you want to go, free weights will get you there in half the time.

    Please explain.

    Sure, but jacksonpt already hit the key points. Machines hold the weight for you and use leverage to move the weight. With free weights, you have to hold the weight yourself and stabilizer muscles get involved to a much greater degree. The weight will move in a natural path instead of along a track. When the weight goes up, it's all due to your strength instead of a series of pulleys that distribute the load. Heck, even getting the weight into position contributes to your overall workout. And where people use 4 leg machines, they can bang out 3 sets of squats and get an infinitely superior leg workout.

    Whatever your fitness goal is, free weights will give you a more efficient workout.

    Exactly. To give an example, if you're trying to do something to work on your hamstrings the Romanian Deadlift is superior to Leg Curls. The Romanian Deadlift gets a better stretch on the hamstring but it also engages the quadricep to help support the knee and your lower back and hips are also pretty involved as well. The Leg Curl puts some focus on the hamstring but the machine supports the weight and nothing else gets involved. There's little reason to switch back and forth between machines and free weights.

    Lat Pulldowns... I guess if your lats need extra emphasis but between chin-ups and rowing variations you shouldn't need much more. Now if you're a bodybuilder or fitness model that's a different story and machines might possibly come into play a little bit more for you for various muscle groups.
    People like me lol. I cant lift the whole machine, I can do 4 sets of 10 @ 50lbs, but I cannot do a pull up (yet) to save my life. This is where certain machines come in handy. I use the lat pull down, assisted pull up, and pec Dec machines but everything else I do free weight. Oh I also use the leg press, in combination with also doing deadlifts, stiff leg deadlifts, and squats

    The lat pulldown can help but you're better off doing chin-ups with repetitions off of a jump, negatives, and partials. You can also buy heavy and medium bands that you throw around the chin-up bar and then put one knee in to help support the concentric motion of the exercise.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Wherever you want to go, free weights will get you there in half the time.

    Please explain.

    An example I used before is the shoulder press machine vs doing an overhead press with the barbell.

    Using the shoulder press machine, you're sitting down with your back supported. To lift that weight, you're pushing with your arms and shoulders.

    Using a barbell, you're standing. You have to lift the barbell off the ground and get it into position. You're using your arms and shoulders, as well as your back, abs, legs... every part of your body, not only in the lifting, but in remaining balanced during the exercise. It works EVERYTHING, not just the isolated muscle. Plus, holding the free weights, you need to be more careful on the downward motion, so you're using more controlled motions both in lifting it up and bringing it back down.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Using the shoulder press machine, you're sitting down with your back supported.

    That does bring up a good point. The only time that machines might be better is when you're coming off an injury. After I hurt my back I was limited so I used a Hack Squat and Leg Press primarily for my legs and various rowing machines because bending over to row was not happening.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    Using the shoulder press machine, you're sitting down with your back supported.

    That does bring up a good point. The only time that machines might be better is when you're coming off an injury. After I hurt my back I was limited so I used a Hack Squat and Leg Press primarily for my legs and various rowing machines because bending over to row was not happening.

    yep. and I still would use a few machines as assistance work after my main freeweight movements.

    Anytime I lift at a corporate gym you better believe I hit up the cable rows, chest supported rows, glute ham raises, and on the rare chance you find one, a reverse hyper.
  • strikerjb007
    strikerjb007 Posts: 443 Member
    Some machines are good, like Lat Pull Down. I miss that one.

    I guess it's a matter of choice. But if I had to choose between that machine and pull ups. I will take pull ups any day. In fact, I have seen people that can lift the entire machine but can't do more than 5 pull ups...

    People like me lol. I cant lift the whole machine, I can do 4 sets of 10 @ 50lbs, but I cannot do a pull up (yet) to save my life. This is where certain machines come in handy. I use the lat pull down, assisted pull up, and pec Dec machines but everything else I do free weight. Oh I also use the leg press, in combination with also doing deadlifts, stiff leg deadlifts, and squats

    That's great. I work out at home. Free weights, and pull up bar! :)
  • strikerjb007
    strikerjb007 Posts: 443 Member
    Some machines are good, like Lat Pull Down. I miss that one.

    But I switched from doing machines at the gym (for about a year) to free weights at home, and the results after two months were amazing. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/744311-free-weights-vs-machines-holy-crap

    Nice story. Yep, I am another that only does home workouts. I want to say it works! :)
  • T34418l3angel
    T34418l3angel Posts: 474 Member
    Some machines are good, like Lat Pull Down. I miss that one.

    I guess it's a matter of choice. But if I had to choose between that machine and pull ups. I will take pull ups any day. In fact, I have seen people that can lift the entire machine but can't do more than 5 pull ups...

    People like me lol. I cant lift the whole machine, I can do 4 sets of 10 @ 50lbs, but I cannot do a pull up (yet) to save my life. This is where certain machines come in handy. I use the lat pull down, assisted pull up, and pec Dec machines but everything else I do free weight. Oh I also use the leg press, in combination with also doing deadlifts, stiff leg deadlifts, and squats

    That's great. I work out at home. Free weights, and pull up bar! :)

    I probably should invest in a pull up bar. But as for working out at home, my husband is military and we move allot so buying weights and constantly moving would be more of a hassle to me than anything, I just use the free weights at the gym on post, no membership fee :) honestly I'm most impressed about my bench press because two months ago I couldn't barely lift the bar without shaking lol now I can bench 125, which is a vast improvement for me :)
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