Are Weight Machines as good as Heavy Lifting like 5x5?

no2thdk
no2thdk Posts: 22
in Fitness and Exercise
I am fairly new to weights and have always done cardio, cardio, cardio and have now come to the light. Each day I can't wait to start. I'm currently doing weights but with machines. I do arms monday, light cardio tuesday, legs wednesday, light cardio thursday, abs friday, light cardio saturday and rest on sunday. I was wondering if someone could give me insight into if it is just as beneficial to be using weight machines to help with form and to build up a little muscle before I transition into stronglifts 5x5. I'm a little scared to pick up a bar with weights on it. Thanks in advance to anyone who replies.

Replies

  • Teksavvy
    Teksavvy Posts: 133 Member
    I saw more improvements on my body using free weights than machines. A trainer told me (once) that machines typically exercise muscles in groups while free weights require balance and control. Thus making your body work harder.
    Regardless, the important thing is to exercise. I started with machines and transitioned to free weights with the help of a trainer.
  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
    Actually it's the oposite. It's better to start with someting like SL or SS and get used to good form with compound movements.
    If you are scared of picking up the bar start home with bodyweight and a mirror, then move on to using a broom (I know it sounds silly) and then the empty bar. That bar is 45lbs alone so you wanna make sure you get the basics well before adding weight.

    I highly suggest reading starting strength, it will teach you good form.

    In the end go with what you prefer. I personally started with SL and I am still on it after so long because I love it and machines/Isolation is something I do not enjoy at all.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    You'll always be better off using free weights than machines. Machines limit you to a fixed position =the machine does all the stabilizing of the weights for you. With free weights, you're not only lifting the weight but your body is going to have support that weight as well.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    Machines are good for certain exercises (cable rows, tricep pressdowns, etc.) but free weight lifting absolutely trumps it. Many who can press 100lbs on a machine bench press, can't even do 75lbs on a free weight bench press.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • MG_Fit
    MG_Fit Posts: 1,143 Member
    Machines are good for certain exercises (cable rows, tricep pressdowns, etc.) but free weight lifting absolutely trumps it. Many who can press 100lbs on a machine bench press, can't even do 75lbs on a free weight bench press.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    What Niner said.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Actually it's the oposite. It's better to start with someting like SL or SS and get used to good form with compound movements.
    If you are scared of picking up the bar start home with bodyweight and a mirror, then move on to using a broom (I know it sounds silly) and then the empty bar. That bar is 45lbs alone so you wanna make sure you get the basics well before adding weight.

    I highly suggest reading starting strength, it will teach you good form.

    In the end go with what you prefer. I personally started with SL and I am still on it after so long because I love it and machines/Isolation is something I do not enjoy at all.

    What she said :)
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    Machines are good for certain exercises (cable rows, tricep pressdowns, etc.) but free weight lifting absolutely trumps it. Many who can press 100lbs on a machine bench press, can't even do 75lbs on a free weight bench press.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    ^This^ ... Free weights incorporate stabilizing muscles in your body that machine weights don't. The StrongLifts program actually mentions about not using machine weights due to this main issue. The whole point of the program is to hit the big main lifts that incorporate your whole body. Doing barbell squats for example does not just target legs...that exercise calls into play almost all of the main muscles in your body from calves, to abs, to back, to even biceps in your arms and almost everything in between. Doing these say using a Smith Machine will take a lot of those stabilizing muscles out of play and you will lose out on the main focus of the program.
  • no2thdk
    no2thdk Posts: 22
    Thanks to everyone who posted. It looks like I will be moving on to the free weights. I liked the idea of working on the form first then adding a broom stick then moving on to the bar. Free weights here I come. :)
  • krokador
    krokador Posts: 1,794 Member
    It might be a personal thing, but free weights give me a much greater sense of satisfaction.

    Cable movements are good, too, though.

    Don't forget to train your back somewhere in there, too!
  • timbrom
    timbrom Posts: 303 Member
    Some gyms also have lighter bars available - 25 or 35 lbs, vs the standard 45 lb bar. Look into that, something in-between a broomstick and the 45 lb bar.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    What they said!

    If you compare what you can press on a machine with using a bar (or even a DB!) then you'll find you can do heavier weights with the machine.

    I do use machines if I've got an injury or to "finish myself off" after using DBs.
  • NeverCatchYourBreath
    NeverCatchYourBreath Posts: 197 Member
    To answer your question in the title: NO.

    Machines are never going to be as effective as free weights and cables. Period. The reason being is that those machines stablize the weight for you and therefore take a large portion of the load off of your stabilzer muscles. Those muscles are the tiny ones that help you balance the weight. A lot of people say they don't care about those muscles and only want to make the "show muscles" (chest, arms) bigger so they use those machines. This is not a good philosophy to have. You need those tiny stablizer muscles are you age. Those are what will help prevent injurt throughout your life by helping you to balance and to distribute weight evenly. As you get older, those muscle become more and more important.

    Don't be afraid of free weights. Just pick up a light weight, get a feel for it using the CORRECT FORM and then just pick up heavier and heavier weight. If your form ever suffers then you need to go back down in weight. It's not hard, although I know it's intimidating at first.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    Machines are good for certain exercises (cable rows, tricep pressdowns, etc.) but free weight lifting absolutely trumps it. Many who can press 100lbs on a machine bench press, can't even do 75lbs on a free weight bench press.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Exactly.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I'm a little scared to pick up a bar with weights on it.

    So don't. Start with the empty bar until you figure it all out.
  • MrsK20141004
    MrsK20141004 Posts: 489 Member
    Machines are good for certain exercises (cable rows, tricep pressdowns, etc.) but free weight lifting absolutely trumps it. Many who can press 100lbs on a machine bench press, can't even do 75lbs on a free weight bench press.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    What Niner said.

    Agreed. I was using the machines and could do 45lbs on the chest press and 25lbs on the shoulder press and with free weights, I'm doing 20 and 17.5 lbs, respectively. They're very different.

    When I first started doing the machines I loved the leg press (still do, truth be told) but was pressing 80 lbs. I started using barbells and doing squats and had to work my way up from body weight (and SO much results were gained compared to the machines!). Now if I sit at the leg press machine I can do 200 lbs as a max. I'm sure I'd be at 110 max if it weren't for lifting and the definition of muscles would be nowhere near where I am now!

Categories