Free Weights or Machines?

The question free weight or machines has been asked over and over and depending on who you ask the answer you receive will be different.

What is the truth about it? Let’s look at both.

Machines

Using machines has several overall benefits. When you are using machines you only need to sit or lay on the machine and select the appropriate weight, this can help you move through your workout much faster. This is great if you feel that you don’t have enough time to do all the exercise that you set out for your routine. Machines for beginners are also great, because often beginners don’t take the time to learn or get a trainer to teach them the proper form of an exercise, by using the machines it can significantly reduce the chance of injury. If one is dealing with a major injury by using machines they can isolate that particular body part or muscle making it possible to continue training during the healing process.

Some of the drawbacks of using machines though are you do get a false sense of strength gain. When you are using machines you isolate that muscle however when you not sitting on a machine and you do go to pick up that weight all of the other muscles required to make that motion do not have the strength. Injuries do also occur from machines this is due to the fact that people get a false sense of security; they think that because the machine is guiding them they can’t be doing it wrong. Even though the machine is guiding you through your range of motion, you still can overload that muscle and cause it to tear.

Free Weights

When one uses free weights you must use not only the major muscle associated with that exercise but all the stabilizer muscles that help to support your body though the exercise.
This helps develop your core making you much stronger and giving you the ability to use heavier weights and growing!!! Because you are using your stabilizing muscles more you will also find your sense of balance and coordination will greatly improve. This is a very important skill for athletes or anyone who plays sports.

Using free weights does have drawbacks though because you are not guided it can be very easy to move a body part out of alignment and increase your chance of injury. You need to be a lot more aware of your movements sometimes requiring to drop down in weights used to make sure proper form is maintained. Depending on the gym you go too free weights are not always available so you do tend to spend a lot of time waiting for others to finish their set. A lot of time is also spent adding and removing plates to adjust the weight, adding to your time at the gym.

Conclusion:

So what is the right answer machines or free weights? While both have their pros and cons, free weights in my opinion is a better choice for almost everyone. Free Weights will give your body a more complete workout and build your muscles and strength much faster. While in my workouts I do incorporate a machine here and there I tend to do it more while doing super sets giving me the ability to drop down in weight and continue with the exercise much faster. I would have to say though if you are trying to gain Muscle Mass the only way to truly get it is through free weights.