Machines at the gym not equal?

LaurenAOK
LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've noticed something that I find to be quite strange. I can use two different machines, that are supposed to have the same function, and get completely different results. For example, my gym at school has a few different leg press machines. One one of them I can only manage around 120lbs for the amount of reps I do. On another, I can do 170! I thought all leg press machines would be the same but I guess not.

Same with a wide-grip lat pulldown... I've been doing it at my schools gym and been setting it at 62.5 pounds and have been completing all my reps, though it's challenging. But last night I used the same machine at my apartment complex gym and couldn't even get 2 reps in. I had to go down to 50lbs in order to finish my routine.

Am I just crazy, or can someone explain this?? (BTW, I mostly use free weights, not machines... since I know I'm going to get comments about how machines suck and I shouldn't use them anyway).

Replies

  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
    We have two different sets of machines at my gym. One set is more geared toward a man's physiology, the other set toward a woman's. I do notice that they work in slightly different ways (I've tried both).
  • Guamybear
    Guamybear Posts: 1,061 Member
    I love the machines..don't care what anyone else says.. At least, I am out doing something...
  • MissFit0101
    MissFit0101 Posts: 2,382
    Interesting. I want to come back later to read people's thoughts.
  • RainbootsToBikinis
    RainbootsToBikinis Posts: 465 Member
    I've noticed the same thing. I have a membership to two different gyms, one gym I can leg press 220 and the other about 180. I'm assuming it has to do the the angle of the plate. Like anything else different brands will work a little differently, but it's definitely frustrating.
  • LucilleHighball
    LucilleHighball Posts: 107 Member
    I have wondered this as well, especially since the free weights are still pretty intimidating to me.
  • Mighty_Rabite
    Mighty_Rabite Posts: 581 Member
    I have definitely noticed some of this, especially between the gym I go to and the gym one of my buddies goes to. I find his gym's lat pulldown rack to be significantly easier at the same weight than at mine, and the various chest press machines are also drastically dissimilar in difficulty - two of them at my gym in fact, one of them I can probably press the whole stack but the other one I would be lucky to get 200lbs.

    I've noticed the ellipticals between our gyms act differently as well - same models - but at his gym I can regularly get readouts in the 17-18 calories per minute range, whereas I have to bust it to break 15 at mine.

    *shrug* at least most free weights and plated systems seem to work the same!
  • wmagoo27
    wmagoo27 Posts: 201 Member
    Different angles and leverages on different machines translate to different weights. Anytime a machine has rails, pulleys, or levers, you are creating a mechanical advantage and the weight it shows is not the weight you are lifting. This is reason #1 why barbell and dumbell training is superior to machines.

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