Machines at the gym

First: Don't be embarassed that you don't know this stuff. We're not taught it in school so you have to learn it somewhere else, this is your time to learn. Good for you!!

Second: The bar is a barbell.

Third: I tend to prefer free weights. The movements on a machine are very restricted and therefore the exercises can often exclude certain muscle that are used as stabilizers when doing the same motion with a free weight. Free weights can obviously move in any direction so all those supporting muscles get worked as well which is a very good thing for improving strength and balance. The one draw back to free weights is that with some of the exercises, especially with a bar bell, you need to have a spotter so that when you life to fatigue, someone is there to help you complete that last rep and avoid injury.

Free weights are best, but for absolute beginners without instruction I'd recommend machines to help prevent injury.

Your PT really should've spent that first session showing you a free tour of all of the equipment and how to use it.
After paying to use any other rental equipment, you wouldn't expect to have to then pay to be shown how to use it, would you?

This is going to sound completely uneducated but I just joined the gym last week. I had a free session with a personal trainer and he showed me exercises with dumbbells and the bar(not sure what it is called) with weights on the end. Okay so now that I sound like a complete idiot, lol.

My gym is split in half with the machines on one side and the free wights and the machines that you put the free weights on, on the other side. What machines are better to use? I see the super muscular people using the free weight side and even some really fit looking women on that side too. I'm only looking to lose about 20 lbs but I am very fat, lol. I have a high bf% (30%) from calorie restricitng and no strength training so the personal trainer recommended I focus on strength training and do minimal cardio.

Can anyone give me pointers on what machines are best and just some good tips for women trying to lift weight and lose body fat?

As a beginner, use the machines to get a "feel" on how an exercise can be done. I usually have a client do at least one week on the machines if they are brand new.

I use the machines. I'm not trained on how to do free weights, I don't know the proper way to stand and execute the skills for free weights. I always assumed the people on that side of the gym know how to use them without doing damage to their bodies. I like the machines because they have easy to understand instructions printed on them and if you follow them it's very hard to do the exercise wrong. You can also tone with out using weights by just using your own body. I like Joel Harpers fit in five videos, I just youtube them and choose which body areas I want to focus on that day.

I have heard that free weights are better. I used to work out with a trainer who gave me a few programs using free weights. I probably never would have been able to figure out what to do with them on my own. So, if you have a program using them, then go for it! If you're intimidated by them (which I sometimes still am), then use the machines. I do both, depending on the day. Often I'll use the machines if I'm tired/super lazy.

I always assumed the people on that side of the gym know how to use them without doing damage to their bodies.

From what I've seen at most gyms, this is a pretty bold assumption. Many of those guys in the free weight cage are clueless as well. In fact I see some of the worst form from those folks.

If you're going to work with free weights, like I said, do your research. Look online, talk to trainers, etc. Also, start with lighter weights first. Focus on getting the form and motion correct then start to put on the challenging weights in future sessions. The biggest key is keeping your abs tight while lifting, especially doing over-head exercises as this will help support your back and prevent injury.

There is a continuum of development when it comes to strength training. Contrary to what many people would have you believe, you are not legally required to stick with the exercise you chose on Day 1.

Exercises that have minimal setup, use isolated muscle groups, and guide you through the path of motion are the most basic. While not foolproof, they provide more guidance, safety, structure and thus are often recommended/preferred for beginners.

On the other end of the continuum are exercises that require a thorough knowledge of form and technique, that are made of more complex movements, and that require the user to define the path of motion.

As a beginner, it makes no difference from a training/improvement/weight loss standpoint what you do. You will improve by doing almost anything. This is not a time for ideology. So, my first recommendation is to choose exercises/modalities that you feel the most comfortable and confident doing. For most people that means starting with primarily machine exercises. That's because they are usually easier to master, safer, and more time-efficient. An important part of beginning an exercise program is positive reinforcement--feeling successful, feeling confident, feeling secure. In my experience, this is more likely to occur starting out, again, primarily using machines.

It doesn't mean that's all you can do. Depending on your knowledge or resources, you can do a mixture. Or, after a few days, weeks, whatever--when you feel more comfortable and start to develop a better sense of where your muscles are and how to use them--you can start to change things up.

Don't get locked into anyone's opinion about what is "best". There is no one answer. As I said, in the beginning you will improve pretty much the same no matter what you do.

I do this on average a dozen times a week and I have a pretty good sense of what works. At our center, every new member gets a fitness assessment, individual plan, and one-on-one orientation. My clients this month ranged from a 17 yr old lacrosse player to a 78 yr old with bilateral hip replacement. For beginners, I usually do a mixture--a core set of machines, but, depending on skill level, interest, and coordination--I try to include some functional exercises as well, like body weight squats, step ups, or exercises using our functional cable trainers (Kinesis, Free Motion, Life Fitness Dual Pulley) to work on core stability. The programs are designed so that the simpler machine exercises work to increase basic strength while they are learning body movement and muscle awareness with the more complex movements. At the beginner level, however, the "free weight" movements are more accessory exercises.

I lift alone and lift to failure, so I use the machines. (well, mostly one, universal machine cuz I prefer to do my strength nights in my apartment fitness center so I can have music playing w/o wearing headphones. lol)

But when I was younger and lifted with friends I preferred the free weights. To me they feel like they give a better overall workout to the body than the machines do. My strength is still improving and I feel good after my machine sets, but if I had an ultimate preference, I'd probably do free weights.

Oh yeah, and don't assume anyone at the gym knows any more or any better than you on anything, I admittedly people watch like mad while at the gym because I'm just easily distracted like that and people do some....ummm...interesting versions of working out sometimes.