Exercise Machines
vs. Free Weights
This debate has raged on in
gyms for decades. Many find themselves lured in by expensive
exercise machines, drawn to their promises for instant success
and supported by the claims of well muscled fitness models.
Others completely shun the machines, and are drawn to dingy
gyms and clanking 45 lb. plates. The truth is that both machines
and free weights have benefits and drawbacks, and understanding
this will lead to greater success in they gym.
Let’s start off with
free weights. Most seasoned lifters would agree that free
weights should be the centerpiece of a good weightlifting
program, and I would tend to agree. The most obvious benefit
free weights offer is the incorporation of supporting muscles
into a lift. For example, when you bench press you mostly
use your chest, shoulders, and triceps, but to keep the bar
upright and balanced you use a whole host of smaller supporting
muscles. These muscles would be completely overlooked in a
machine that worked out your chest. One of the most simple
and yet powerful truisms accepted by exercise physiologists
today is that you become better at a specific movement by
practicing that movement. In other words, a basketball player
can do as many squats as he wants to improve leg strength,
but the best way to get better at a jump shot is to do a jump
shot.
Where am I going with this?
Well, even though a lot of weightlifters hit the gym for aesthetic
reasons, they would like some of their hard earned strength
to carry over into real life. For example, there are definitely
machines in many gyms that will work out your lower back,
your legs, and your arms, but where is the machine that simulates
the motion of you lifting a heavy rock off the ground? Working
out with these machines will help you somewhat with a task
like this, but only to a questionable extent.
In this example, the best
approximation is the deadlift, which, because it stimulates
the supporting muscles, will be far better at helping you
lift the rock. To summarize the problem with machines, there
is rarely, if ever, a time outside the gym where you will
need to do that exact motion. Contrast this with free weights;
though with free weights there are generally accepted ranges
of motion, there is plenty of variation in technique to make
your muscles more “usable.”
Maybe some of you out there
don’t care at all about practical applications. Should
you completely abandon free weights? Let’s go back to
the idea of supporting muscles. Not only does the stimulation
to these muscles help with your practical strength, but they
also look good! The stimulating muscles are the muscles that
you are never quite sure how to work out, but they look really
cool. Think of the crazy muscles exhibited by Van Damme or
Stallone; those are the supporting muscles.
The last benefit of using
free weights is greater overall stimulation of large muscle
groups. There are certain free weight exercises, such as rows,
pull-ups, bench presses, and squats, that no machine can duplicate.
Why-Because these exercises require that a large amount of
muscles work together to lift a weight. You can work out your
quads with a leg press machine, but you could never top the
effectiveness of the squat for a quad workout. Exercise physiologists
have even measured muscle stimulation with things like squats
vs. free weights, and almost without fail the free weights
wins out.
Now that I have completely
bashed exercise machines, let’s go over the benefits
they offer. The most important benefit machines offer is that
they are a great introduction to weightlifting for beginners.
The machines can get you into basic shape, and can teach you
how to lift properly. You can quickly construct a workout
just by looking at the diagrams of the machines and figuring
out what muscles each works out. However, keep machines as
your introduction to lifting. Only once you are going for
a few weeks will you want to construct a workout that incorporates
more free weights.
Another benefit exercise machines
offer is the ability to do a safer version of a “dangerous”
or advanced exercise. For example, there is a squat machine
that guides the bar but lets you do the rest of the motion.
If you don’t have any experience with squats, this is
a great introduction and starting ground. There are plenty
of other examples of exercises that would be best learned
on a machine and then done with free weights. Another example
is particularly striking. Many people can’t do one pull-up,
or can only do a few, but there are machines that let you
do assisted pull-ups. This type of machine should definitely
be utilized, because unassisted pull-ups are one of the best
possible back exercises.
To summarize, a great workout
will incorporate both free weights and exercise machines in
combination. Try to make the center of your workouts free
weights, but use the machines for more specialized lifts if
necessary. One word of caution though, do not be lured in
by the promises of infomercial style machines that promise
to give you a total body workout. A lot of these machines
use complex pulley systems, rubber bands, or are just shoddily
constructed. If you want to construct a home gym, your first
investment should be a free weight rack and a sturdy bench.
| Authors Details: Andy Fairclough Web
Site |
More Exercise Articles
(The
Top 10 Reasons To Exercise In The Morning)
(5 Ways
to Stick With Your Exercise Goals)
(Exercise
Machines Vs Free Weights)
(The
Benefits Of Exercise Bikes)
(Abdominal
Exercises)
(Ab Exercises -
6 Minute Workout)
(Exercise Ball
To Get Fit)
(Strengthening
Exercise Program For Lower Back Pain Relief)
(Weight
Loss Exercise: The Secret to Burning Fat Up To 300% Faster)
(Anti Aging
Exercises)
See Also Health & Fitness Section
|
