Machines with no weights?

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Merkavar
Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
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Can anyone explain why a machine wouldn’t list the weight?

How much do these plates tend to weigh? 5kg? 10kg? Something annoying like 7.2kg?

I seem to have to do some trial and error to find the weight I should be using. At my previous gym it had weights, so say I was doing 100kg leg press, how do I find that weight at a new gym that has 1-25 listed?

Seems odd.
“How much you lifting these days?”
“Like 19”
“Cool, how many kilos is that”
“No idea but it’s better than 18”

Replies

  • jazza3170
    jazza3170 Posts: 6 Member
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    Lol nice one brotha ask a staff member or Google the machine and sus out the weights etc 19 is better than 18
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    edited September 2018
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    Yeah I tried google, all the results were talking about how much weight is on a machine when no weight plates are added.

    Also I stupidly didn’t take a pic of the brand etc. next time.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,210 Member
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    Machines like that are intended for casual lifters. Machine weights are just approximations to "real weight" anyway, since the machine's pulleys change the perceived load. Those plates seem like 10 kg. Bring a fishing scale if you really need to know. :+1:
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    It's more complex than just the weight of each plate though - leverage ratios and pulleys (even the number of pulleys) change the effective weight.

    But I do agree that where a machine is duplicating a lift labelling the approximate equivalent is helpful and some do. At my old work gym the bench press machine was labelled in kilos and it was a reasonable equivalent to what I could do with a barbell.

    My gym has some plate loaded machines and conversely I see some people lifting tiny amounts of weight and wonder if the weight is intimidating them whereas a number instead of loading 20kg plates might encourage them to push to their actual capabilities.
  • GOT_Obsessed
    GOT_Obsessed Posts: 817 Member
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    Oh my God that is so weird. I can't believe a gym would provide that.

    If you want staff to deal with it bring it up as a safety concern. I would say something like "At my old gym 15 was xxxx lbs but here I had no idea it was different and nearly hurt myself because it's much heavier."

    If the term "safety" is included I find my concerns are taken more seriously. If it's just a curiosity thing for you just be cafeful please.
  • Tic78
    Tic78 Posts: 232 Member
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    Normally each plate is 9.9kg for some reason 😂
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    "Yeah man I lifted 11" - lol what a weird machine.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,210 Member
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    Merkavar wrote: »
    I am 100% a casual lifter and would much prefer kilos on the weights.
    Isnt that like having a casual oven with off, warm and hot settings instead of a scale from 120-360 degrees. :tongue:

    I hear what you're saying, but people shouldn't assume a certain weight will feel the same on different machines, because machines are rarely identical - different cams & pulleys, different seat adjustments, friction due to dirt, rust or cable wear etc. It's like stepping on the gas pedal of a car halfway and expecting the same amount of acceleration on different cars. When using a machine for the 1st time, i'd start with less weight than usual, for safety's sake.

    Good question. :+1:
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    My gym has some plate loaded machines and conversely I see some people lifting tiny amounts of weight and wonder if the weight is intimidating them whereas a number instead of loading 20kg plates might encourage them to push to their actual capabilities.

    For some people it may very well be doing so because they are coming back from an injury or surgery and need to lift very small amounts of weight. There was quite a while after my two most recent surgeries where I was doing a lot of low weight high repetition stuff because that's what was appropriate my stage of rehab.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    GOT_Obsessed wrote: »
    Oh my God that is so weird. I can't believe a gym would provide that.

    If you want staff to deal with it bring it up as a safety concern. I would say something like "At my old gym 15 was xxxx lbs but here I had no idea it was different and nearly hurt myself because it's much heavier."

    If the term "safety" is included I find my concerns are taken more seriously. If it's just a curiosity thing for you just be cafeful please.

    As mentioned above, because of the designs of the machines just because one is labeled 150 lbs doesn't mean another labeled 150 lbs feels the same. Look at the size of the weight stack you should have a good idea, or better yet start out with low weight on an unfamiliar machine and increase as needed.

    Please don't pull some weak "safety" line when individual responsibility will get the job done.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,365 Member
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    There is one that is labeled that way on the weights at my gym, but there is also a chart on the machine (from the manufacturer) that interprets the numbers to actual weights.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
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    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Merkavar wrote: »
    I am 100% a casual lifter and would much prefer kilos on the weights.
    Isnt that like having a casual oven with off, warm and hot settings instead of a scale from 120-360 degrees. :tongue:

    I hear what you're saying, but people shouldn't assume a certain weight will feel the same on different machines, because machines are rarely identical - different cams & pulleys, different seat adjustments, friction due to dirt, rust or cable wear etc. It's like stepping on the gas pedal of a car halfway and expecting the same amount of acceleration on different cars. When using a machine for the 1st time, i'd start with less weight than usual, for safety's sake.

    Good question. :+1:

    I guess it was more so I can get in the ball part.

    Say my old gym a machine was 100kg
    At this new gym if it was labelled in kilos i could try 100 and see how it goes.

    Instead I started at 23, then 5, then added more each time till I found that 10 was about right.

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