Weight machines at the gym-what's your thoughts?

rs1177
rs1177 Posts: 124 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all,

Just wondering your opinion. I recently started back at the gym. And before that I was doing workout videos at home, Turbo Jam, P90X, Jillian Michael's, etc. But lately I'm finding it hard to get up early in the am so I started going to the gym after work.
Because I like to do the videos when no one is around, our place is small. The evenings are just out of the question ( too hectic!).

At the gym, I have been doing the elliptical, treadmill and the weight machines. I usually do about 30-40 mins. of cardio and then do 1 circuit of the weight machines. Just wondering what you all think of using the weight machines at the gym. I thought I read once that using the free weights would actually give you better results.

My plan is to do the gym for awhile and then start the ChaLene Extreme workout. But for now I'm just wondering if I will get results from what I'm doing at the gym?

Any thoughts?
Thanks!

Replies

  • luly727
    luly727 Posts: 202 Member
    I would like some input on this too..I have videos at home, but after a few days, I lose interest, things get hectic and then I dont do them. But since I paid for the gym I go, at least 5 times a week.

    I usually do 1 mile treadmill at 2.5 MPH at an incline of 8-9 and then hit the weight machines. Mostly do the abdominal one, the legs squats, lat pulldown and the one that works the biceps & triceps..

    Please anyone advice??
  • suejonestx
    suejonestx Posts: 256 Member
    Yes, you will get results if you make the right kind of effort. How many times per week are you working out? I find that splitting the workout between weights and cardio is the best for me. For weights, you can do a combination of machines and free weights. The more you vary your routine, the better the results will be (you will work out different parts of your muscles). For example, you could try to focus on an area of your body each day at the gym: Monday: legs and butt, Wednesday: biceps and back, Friday: tris, chest and shoulders. This method will allow you to experiment with using different machines and different free weight exercises while still covering the basics. If you need some suggestions on free weight exercises or machines, I'm happy to help, just let me know. Don't get stuck in doing the same exact weight routine every time. Even using a different machine for the same exercise will use your muscles slightly differently.

    The main thing is that you are making the effort to work out at all! Kudos to you.
  • YogaRunner
    YogaRunner Posts: 652 Member
    This is a great question and one that plagued me for a while too. I used to use the weight machines at the gym and never got the results I wanted even after consulting with a personal trainer who I highly respect. She gave me a routine to do and I did it religiously...still no results.
    I have received incredible results using free weights with the help of a DVD. Then, just this weekend I read this in Women's Health Magazine:
    "Q: Machines or free weights, which are better?
    A: I have a philosophy - We don't go to the gym to sit on our butts, we do enough of that outside of the gym. But what do you do on most machines? You sit on your butt. And because of that, you don't engage your core and you work just a single muscle group per machine. The end result: you burn the least amount of calories possible. But each move you do using free weights engages your core, glutes and multiple muscle groups, so you burn the most calories and fire up your metabolism."
    Makes sense to me. Hope this helps
    Risa
  • stringcheeze
    stringcheeze Posts: 286
    "Q: Machines or free weights, which are better?
    A: I have a philosophy - We don't go to the gym to sit on our butts, we do enough of that outside of the gym. But what do you do on most machines? You sit on your butt. And because of that, you don't engage your core and you work just a single muscle group per machine. The end result: you burn the least amount of calories possible. But each move you do using free weights engages your core, glutes and multiple muscle groups, so you burn the most calories and fire up your metabolism."

    Wow, I never thought of it that way, but it makes perfect sense! The fact that you have to keep your balance while you're doing the movement (as opposed to being "steadied" by sitting down) makes it all that much more of a better thing.

    As for the OP, if you want to do the weight machines, are there any employees at the gym that will show you how to properly use the equipment as part of your fees/dues? You might want to take advantage of that if there are just to make sure you're not wasting your time or setting yourself up for injury. (I've never been a part of a gym so I have no idea if employee help is common place.)
  • rs1177
    rs1177 Posts: 124 Member
    Thanks everyone!
    I do know lots of workouts I could do using the free weights...so I think I might start doing that for awile at the gym. That is why I love doing the videos, a lot of them incorporate using your own body weight and free weights. Thanks for all of your advice!
    I'll try the free weights for ahwile and then start on the ChaLene Extreme workout in a few weeks!!
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
    Yes, I was going to say that you use your core and stabilizer muscles when using free weights. If your options are weight machines or nothing, the machines are still better than nothing! You are still working the muscle, you just aren't getting as much benefit as you would by using free weights. And you have to make sure that you are adding enough resistance on the machine. The exercise should take effort to complete all your reps. For the last 3 or so reps, your muscle that you are working should be fatiguing and it should be difficult to do those last few.
  • ShaneT99
    ShaneT99 Posts: 278 Member
    Just wondering what you all think of using the weight machines at the gym. I thought I read once that using the free weights would actually give you better results.

    True statement. Free weights do give you better results (assuming you're using correct form and enough weight to actually get results). Machine weights are better than no weights, but they're also restrictive in range of motion and you don't get the benefit of working all those little stabilizer muscles your body uses to hold that dumbbell over your head.
  • YogaRunner
    YogaRunner Posts: 652 Member
    Thanks everyone!
    I do know lots of workouts I could do using the free weights...so I think I might start doing that for awile at the gym. That is why I love doing the videos, a lot of them incorporate using your own body weight and free weights. Thanks for all of your advice!
    I'll try the free weights for ahwile and then start on the ChaLene Extreme workout in a few weeks!!

    ChaLEAN Extreme is the DVD that gave me amazing results. I love it and am starting my second round of it! Good luck and let us know how it goes!
  • AEROBICVIC
    AEROBICVIC Posts: 159 Member
    a variety of free weights, machine, cardio machine, classes, body weight exercises, bands and ect will give your body positive results if done correctly and with enough resistance. a personal trainer will help you design a program that fits your needs and goals. variety is the key along with eating clean.
  • rs1177
    rs1177 Posts: 124 Member
    well, I think starting tomorrow I'm going to get up early before work and start my workout videos again. I do find those give me the best results for resistance training. And it's nice to have a workout done before my day even starts, cause it's so easy for other things get in the way. But I'll also hit the gym a couple times a week too for extra cardio. I'm waiting on the ChaLene Extreme video and plan to start that when it comes.

    Thanks everyone for all of the comments! Great support!
  • david1956
    david1956 Posts: 190 Member
    I prefer free weights because it makes all the stabilising muscles work, but there are some good exercises that are really difficult to do with free weights. For example, I sometimes do drop sets of shoulder presses on a machine, doing about 10 reps to failure, quickly moving the pin one weight lighter, go to failure, move the pin lighter again.. etc. Really hard to do non-stop with free weights.

    There is one machine I won't touch now, and I've read a lot of opinions in books and the web that say likewise. That is the Smith machine, where the bar slides up and down on vertical slides. Something like a bench press simply is not a truly vertical motion when performed properly, and I found that machine banged my shoulders around something wicked. And one author went so far as to say that squats performed on them is the number one cause of injuries in the gym. Again, your posture is forced to accomodate an unnaturally perfect vertical plane of movement. Everytime I watch people doing say upright rows on those machines their movement looks plain wrong to me.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    This is a great question and one that plagued me for a while too. I used to use the weight machines at the gym and never got the results I wanted even after consulting with a personal trainer who I highly respect. She gave me a routine to do and I did it religiously...still no results.
    I have received incredible results using free weights with the help of a DVD. Then, just this weekend I read this in Women's Health Magazine:
    "Q: Machines or free weights, which are better?
    A: I have a philosophy - We don't go to the gym to sit on our butts, we do enough of that outside of the gym. But what do you do on most machines? You sit on your butt. And because of that, you don't engage your core and you work just a single muscle group per machine. The end result: you burn the least amount of calories possible. But each move you do using free weights engages your core, glutes and multiple muscle groups, so you burn the most calories and fire up your metabolism."
    Makes sense to me. Hope this helps
    Risa

    When "fitness experts" start spouting off about "philosophies", it usually means they are talking out of an alternate orifice. Stuff like this is just nonsense. "Engaging your core" means precisely **** when it comes to burning calories. And a) you don't burn that many calories directly doing strength exercises anyhow and b) doing "core exercises" will never "fire up your metabolism" and c) working bigger muscle groups that CAN "fire up metabolism" can be done in a number of ways, both on machines and not on machines.

    There are plenty of reasons to do free weights and certain advantages to doing them over machines. But most of the reasoning in magazines is nothing but blah, blah, blah.....
  • elloradannon
    elloradannon Posts: 111
    Here is my exercise schedule and it's worked really well for me in the last month. I've lost about 10 lbs and a lot of inches.... after I was stuck for a LONG time at the same weight. I like taking the classes because it's a nice change. I do weights only twice a week but I've been able to lift more recently so I know I'm getting stronger.

    Mon- Spinning class 45 minutes
    Tues- weights (Triceps, back, and abs) and 30+ of cardio on eliptical or treadmill
    Wed- OFF
    Thurs- Zumba class (60 minutes)
    Fri- OFF
    Sat- weights (biceps, chest, legs) and 30+ of cardio
    Sun- Distance run 4-5 miles outside if possible
  • lee112780
    lee112780 Posts: 419 Member
    My opinion is that you always have to shocjk your body and try to mix up your workouts as much as possible. So, use free weights and machines. Also, you might want to do your cardio after so that you have more energy fior weights. Dont know if that really matters, just something I read.
  • lee112780
    lee112780 Posts: 419 Member
    I prefer free weights because it makes all the stabilising muscles work, but there are some good exercises that are really difficult to do with free weights. For example, I sometimes do drop sets of shoulder presses on a machine, doing about 10 reps to failure, quickly moving the pin one weight lighter, go to failure, move the pin lighter again.. etc. Really hard to do non-stop with free weights.

    There is one machine I won't touch now, and I've read a lot of opinions in books and the web that say likewise. That is the Smith machine, where the bar slides up and down on vertical slides. Something like a bench press simply is not a truly vertical motion when performed properly, and I found that machine banged my shoulders around something wicked. And one author went so far as to say that squats performed on them is the number one cause of injuries in the gym. Again, your posture is forced to accomodate an unnaturally perfect vertical plane of movement. Everytime I watch people doing say upright rows on those machines their movement looks plain wrong to me.

    I used to love the smith machine! But you are right, hurt my shoulders everytime, even with the cushion.
  • teetee1281
    teetee1281 Posts: 1,076 Member
    I prefer free weights over the machines. I workout every morning before work. I normally get 2-3 miles on the treadmill then a will do free weights. Since I go every morning, each day is a separate part. I never do full body workouts and I don't over do 1 part and not the other.
    The gym employees should definitely be able to help you to properly use the free weights There have been times that I would even ask someone working out to show me.
    At first I was really intimadated by the men working out, but now I don't care and I do me. There has been a time or two that someone would help me correct my form and their assistance is greatly appreciated.
  • mark996
    mark996 Posts: 184 Member
    There are pros and cons to using both, I use both in my training, but only a limited number of machines. I only touch the chest press, incline press, and iso lateral row, I don't consider the glute ham raise a machine, I call it torture, so be it, it's body weight. With machines, they support you more, they're easy to use, less chance of injury, and someone who's just coming on to the training scene could easily make great progress with them. I stay away from the ones that tend to make the body do unnatural movements, or just flat out stupid things. With free weights, you get more of a body workout, your flexors,stabilizers, and core likely gets hit each time you do something. Learn to use the free weights, get used to them, ask someone how to use them, start slow, and get comfortable with them.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    My opinion is that you always have to shocjk your body and try to mix up your workouts as much as possible. So, use free weights and machines. Also, you might want to do your cardio after so that you have more energy fior weights. Dont know if that really matters, just something I read.

    While a varied training stimulus (esp intensity) is important, and some exercise variety is also helpful, the concept of "shocking the body" as currently espoused by various "trainers" and informercials is not only balderdash, it can actually have a negative effect on your program.

    Here is a much better plan for changing exercises:

    http://exrx.net/WeightTraining/ChangeWtEx.html
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