Free weights vs. Machines
FitFabFlirty92
Posts: 384 Member
I recently joined a gym, and in mine the upstairs room has all the cardio machines plus a weight section with dumbbells and a couple of machines. Then the bottom floor has ONLY various weight machines. Being a total noob to strength training, the machines make a lot more sense to me than the free weights. Can I still get great results using those machines, or is their something "better" about free weights that attracts so many on here to them?
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Machines will not give you the same results as free weights. Regardless of what your goal is, you will get there faster using free weights. Go to stronglifts.com and start running their program.0
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Machines will not give you the same results as free weights. Regardless of what your goal is, you will get there faster using free weights. Go to stronglifts.com and start running their program.
Stronglifts is the plan I follow and recommend. I've seen just as many people recommend New Rules of Lifting for Women.0 -
Stronglifts is the plan I follow and recommend. I've seen just as many people recommend New Rules of Lifting for Women.
That's a relief, I already ordered New Rules of Lifting for Women and I'm expecting it in the mail soon.
Just trying to understand this whole process and what works best. This is all incredibly knew to me and I still have a lot to learn. 0 -
I would also recommend using StrongLifts -- when you lift with free weights your body uses more muscles to balance and work with the weights than you use just to do the motion of a machine.0
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free weights activate many more muscles than machines do because you have to stabilize the weight while you do the motion. I do gaff be a couple of machines that I like to add to my rotation but most of my workouts are done on the cable machines and with the free weights. I havent gotten it yet but I hear very good things about new rules for weightlifting, you can also see if your gym has a trainer on staff, most offer a free session or two with your membership
good luck and yay for getting buff!!0 -
The machines do a great portion of the stabilizing work for you and end up working fewer muscles. A lot fewer. Whatever your endgoal is, you'll get there a lot more efficiently with free weights.
Also, many machines do isolation work. So instead of 3-5 sets of squats, you end up doing 3 sets of leg raises, 3 sets of ham curls, 3 sets of abduction, and 3 sets of induction. The squatter is already in the locker room drying her hair.0 -
btw trog: I love your stache!!0
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also! and this is because I have workout add: pick a program and stick with it awhile and you'll see more benefits, I tend to switch things up too much and usually end up over working one muscle group and ignoring the others
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Are you doing this solo or using a trainer? Many people start out using the machines and as they become more confident in their abilities, progress to free weights. There's no shame in it. It's all about taking one step at a time, especially if you're new to lifting. Lift according to your beginning abilities, take it slow, lift safely and have fun.0
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The best machines or free weights are the ones you will use regularly, without getting discouraged. All of us start with the machines. Do routines that keep you motivated, and changed it up every once in a while to keep things fresshhh.0
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Another problem with machines is that they're not fully adjustable to match your body's range of motion. But if you're going to use them, a good general rule is that your joint should line up with the pivot points of the machine (not 100%, but generally). You should have a trainer go with you to show you how to properly adjust each machine to minimize undue strain associated with improperly aligned ROM.
It would be a better general plan to learn to use free weights. If you start with a program like Stronglifts 5x5, you will only need to learn to do around 6 basic exercises- in the end it's actually much simpler than 63 different machines.0 -
Are you doing this solo or using a trainer? Many people start out using the machines and as they become more confident in their abilities, progress to free weights. There's no shame in it. It's all about taking one step at a time, especially if you're new to lifting. Lift according to your beginning abilities, take it slow, lift safely and have fun.
Unfortunately I have no trainer, and my gym doesn't offer any.
That's why weight lifting is so nerve-wracking for me, I have no reference for what I'm doing except what I've read online. 0 -
I just started on the machines and dumbells but can't wait to get at the barbells but my trainer said to do these first
As soon as I can I'm going to start stronglifts.0 -
I know it is intimidating, but once you get into free weights, you'll LOVE it.
I was scared of the machines, so I tried a few at a time until I was comfortable doing pretty much all of them. Then I took a free class on the cable machines, and I did those for several months...
Then I decided I wanted to barbell squat. In theory I knew how to do it, but I was scared I would have bad form and hurt myself...so I asked the trainer on duty if he would please come watch my form to make sure I didn't hurt myself. He said I looked good. Any time I try something new, I ask him if he has a few minutes to watch.
Now that I have been lifting for a few months, I kinda feel empowered...kinda bad@ss. There are not that many women over in the free weight area!0 -
Are you doing this solo or using a trainer? Many people start out using the machines and as they become more confident in their abilities, progress to free weights. There's no shame in it. It's all about taking one step at a time, especially if you're new to lifting. Lift according to your beginning abilities, take it slow, lift safely and have fun.
Unfortunately I have no trainer, and my gym doesn't offer any. That's why weight lifting is so nerve-wracking for me, I have no reference for what I'm doing except what I've read online.
do they have any staff monitoring the free weight area? If they do, that person could possibly give you some pointers. You might also see if there are any women in there...maybe ask them to show you a few things. My introduction to the free weight area was b/c I told one lady that "one day" I wanted to be able to use the leg press she had just gotten off of---she offered to show me how and I never looked back!!0 -
The problem with the "start with the machines" approach is that being proficient with the machines in no way helps you with the free weights. You'll still have the same learning curve when you finally step into the free weight section. Possibly worse, because the machines will have given you bad balance mechanics and a misperception of how strong you are.
Learn the free weights right from the start.0 -
Free weights are better than machines
Machines are better than nothing0 -
The problem with the "start with the machines" approach is that being proficient with the machines in no way helps you with the free weights. You'll still have the same learning curve when you finally step into the free weight section. Possibly worse, because the machines will have given you bad balance mechanics and a misperception of how strong you are.
Learn the free weights right from the start.
Totally agree. If you make gains on the machines, it won't translate to gains on the raw metal at all. There are some advantages to the machines for isolation excercises where you want to target very specific muscle fibers or go to failure without the need for a spotter. Machines are also great for exhaustion and pre-exhaustion work. But you gotta have core compound movements with free weights in there if you want to see the best results especially in a beginner trainee who is trying to develop their base muscle and not just tweak what they already have.0 -
Are you doing this solo or using a trainer? Many people start out using the machines and as they become more confident in their abilities, progress to free weights. There's no shame in it. It's all about taking one step at a time, especially if you're new to lifting. Lift according to your beginning abilities, take it slow, lift safely and have fun.
Unfortunately I have no trainer, and my gym doesn't offer any. That's why weight lifting is so nerve-wracking for me, I have no reference for what I'm doing except what I've read online.
Youtube is your friend here.0 -
I'm particularly fond of it myself. Thanksbtw trog: I love your stache!! 0 -
The problem with the "start with the machines" approach is that being proficient with the machines in no way helps you with the free weights. You'll still have the same learning curve when you finally step into the free weight section. Possibly worse, because the machines will have given you bad balance mechanics and a misperception of how strong you are.
Learn the free weights right from the start.
Totally agree. If you make gains on the machines, it won't translate to gains on the raw metal at all. There are some advantages to the machines for isolation excercises where you want to target very specific muscle fibers or go to failure without the need for a spotter. Machines are also great for exhaustion and pre-exhaustion work. But you gotta have core compound movements with free weights in there if you want to see the best results especially in a beginner trainee who is trying to develop their base muscle and not just tweak what they already have.
Sure it will. I think there's a big tendency for more experienced lifters to think that everybody can lift like they do from day one.
If someone is just starting out, they will see results from doing just about anything--and that includes machines. Is it ideal? Of course not. But not everyone has the resources or the aptitude to launch into free weights from day 1. When you have no control over your body, have no kinesthetic awareness, and are somewhat disoriented starting in a new atmosphere--that's maybe not the best time to start playing around with "compound lifts".
Sorry--don't mean to pick on you personally, but I just think that a lot of the more experienced lifters on fitness forums tend to focus on their ideal rather than the real. And the reality is that not everyone can afford a trainer, not everyone feels comfortable with free weights, and it's not safe for a lot of beginners to even be trying them at first.
A lot of beginners start on machines and at least learn the basics of training, and start feeling where some of their muscles are and how they work. Then, after several sessions, or weeks, or months, they start feeling results, start getting excited and motivated--then they are ready to take the next step--at that point, they learn a lot more easily and retain the information more thoroughly.
Again, not disagreeing with anyone about the superiority of user-defined path of motion resistance exercise vs machine-defined. I am just expressing a different perspective and trying to expand the discussion. I know that plenty of new exercisers can learn free weights from day 1, and I tend to push my younger or more athletic beginners in that direction. And eventually, I take my seniors there too, when they are ready. But working with large numbers in a diverse population, it's notable how out of touch people are with their bodies.0 -
@Azdak- that's interesting perspective. One of my bigger issues with machines is the level of complication required to get a balanced program leads people to just pick their favorites. How do you overcome that?0
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i personally choose free weights over machines any day , its a more natural form of motion and i find u can really hit the muscle the way u want to hit it0
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In all honesty, I was far too lazy to read all of the responses.
Check out this post: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/744311-free-weights-vs-machines-holy-crap
It's lorinalynn and she shows the difference between machines & free weights.0 -
Spending the money for one training session so the trainer can show you how to do each lift properly is a good investment. (One of the guys my husband works with is a personal trainer so I get it for free *sneaky laugh*) If this is your first time lifting free weights I would recommend it, that way they can show you proper lifts and how to not hurt yourself.0
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Free weights are better than machines
Machines are better than nothing
this except in the case of a cable tower being better than dumbbells for some isolation lifts that a beginner need not be bothering with0 -
bump for later0
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If you are just looking to tone up and burn calories the machines will work just fine.0
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Are you doing this solo or using a trainer? Many people start out using the machines and as they become more confident in their abilities, progress to free weights. There's no shame in it. It's all about taking one step at a time, especially if you're new to lifting. Lift according to your beginning abilities, take it slow, lift safely and have fun.
Unfortunately I have no trainer, and my gym doesn't offer any. That's why weight lifting is so nerve-wracking for me, I have no reference for what I'm doing except what I've read online.
Ask someone in the gym for some pointers. I know that sounds daunting - to ask a complete stranger for help - but many/most people at the gym will be more than happy to give you a tip or two. They may not want to show you everything about everything, as they want to get their own work in, but will typically show you how to do a particular move and get you started.0 -
If you are just looking to tone up and burn calories the machines will work just fine.
That's my goal! I know girls can't bulk the way men do without some serious work, but I don't even want a whole bunch of definition. My goal is just to get smaller and have SLIGHTLY defined arms and legs. Getting closer to my goal weight will get me halfway there, and strength and endurance training will hopefully do the rest. 0
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