Machines vs. Free Weights

Group: Strength & Powerlifting

Created: 2012/01/01, Members: 39, Messages: 16459

Discuss the topic of Power lifting, Strength training and Strong Man training!

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brachii Posts: 79 Joined: 2007/02/26	2007/02/27, 09:23 PM I've been told that machines are useless when it comes to increasing one's own physical strength. I've been given an example of how machines take away some of the resistance in the exercise. The example given was take two dumbbells and do dumbbell bench press and do as many as you can, next do bench press with exact amount of weight and do as many as you can, and finally go to the smith machine, put same amount of weight and you'll realize you can do the same amount of weight where you failed twice before. Please correct any errors I've made in this statement. -------------- \"I\'m not concerned with body building; I\'m just trying to make people normal human beings\" - Joseph Pilates brachii

wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/02/27, 10:38 PM What's your question? Why couldn't you run a search? What statement is it you made? -------------- Gravity hates you. Enter the Darkside.
jaytori129 Posts: 657 Joined: 2006/11/14	2007/02/27, 10:39 PM well actually it all depends...a smith machine you can do more weight if you ar counting the bar the same which technically it isnt but none the less machines dont put all the weight into motions
Velasca Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/10/26	2007/02/27, 10:44 PM i think they are wanting a confirmation in that they were told that free weights are better than machines...that you can do more weight with free weights than you can with machines.. I think both have different pros and cons...
raiderfanusa Posts: 139 Joined: 2002/06/06	2007/02/27, 10:52 PM Typically free weights bring more stabilizing and or secondary muscles into action. Machines are typically designed to specificly target muscles and reduce the chance of injuries. Either way resistance causing muscle tissue breakdown is what stimulates muscle growth no matter where it comes from. I personaly prefer free weights for the most part. The best one really though is the one You will Use and keep using. -------------- Only two defending forces have ever offered to die for You. Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. Both died for your Freedom!
brachii Posts: 79 Joined: 2007/02/26	2007/02/28, 10:21 AM Hehe, this was more of an opinion post, thats all -------------- \"I\'m not concerned with body building; I\'m just trying to make people normal human beings\" - Joseph Pilates brachii
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/02/28, 10:53 AM If your asking for machines vs. freeweights opinions, then my opinion that machines should make up a SMALL part of a healthy individuals routine. -------------- Gravity hates you. Enter the Darkside.
	2007/02/28, 11:26 AM Freeweights should be the bulk of your program I see a few reason to use machines #1 rehabilitation #2 working around injuries #3 conserving energy #4 working on a specific muscular imbalance
brachii Posts: 79 Joined: 2007/02/26	2007/03/01, 05:38 PM How bout doing machines when you first start out cause' i read/heard that when first starting out machines will help you perform the exercise properly then moving up to free weights later on. -------------- \"Gold medals aren\'t really made of gold. They\'re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.\" - Dan Gable brachii
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/03/01, 05:56 PM While that sounds great on paper, it's bs in real life. When you first start out you should develop the proper neural patterns and muscular stabilizers from the start. How is an unnatural movement pattern going to prepare you to do an exercise properly? -------------- Gravity hates you. Enter the Darkside.
brachii Posts: 79 Joined: 2007/02/26	2007/03/01, 06:02 PM Good point, Thanks for the input guys! -------------- \"Gold medals aren\'t really made of gold. They\'re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.\" - Dan Gable brachii
brachii Posts: 79 Joined: 2007/02/26	2007/03/04, 06:56 PM Would you say that the example i gave you at the beginning of this post is on the most part correct? -------------- \"Gold medals aren\'t really made of gold. They\'re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.\" - Dan Gable brachii
Lift101 Posts: 3 Joined: 2007/09/28	2007/09/28, 01:16 PM Free weights and machines both have their advantages, but I do belive the benefits of free weights are better felt than when using machines. Free weights not only work the target muscle group, but also improve then strength of the stabilizer muscles as well. When doing overhead presses with dumbels, you are targeting the delts and shoulder complex muscles. But at the same time stabilizer muscles up and down your back including the erector spinae are being constantly worked to help keep the weight balanced as it is lifted over head. As a college athlete, it is so important because the actions I do are not just dependent on one particular muscle but the entire body working as one unit. Overall strength will always give you an advantage over the guy with impressive pecs but no core strength to use them.
Tinnuk Posts: 291 Joined: 2005/12/19	2007/09/28, 05:04 PM I didn't read all the posts so forgive me if I'm repeating someone. Machines train a single plane of movement and generally leave out stabilizing muscles. Training on one plane of movement with no balance involved with create screwed up neural patterns and you'll likely wind up injuring yourself when trying to use this machine built strength. Machines also tend to promote isolation exercises which also create gimped neural patterns; your muscles are supposed to work together and develop coordination together.
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/09/28, 05:25 PM Tinnuk, sounds like you are reciting something written by someone that has no formal education involving neural firing patterns. And when I say reciting, I mean it sounds like you're quoting a book. While I can't tell you the last time I did a machine exercise, it is impossible to develop a "gimped neural pattern" from the use of a strength training protocol. It is impossible to regress further through forcing a muscle to work, no matter what plane you use it in. However, you can develop much more versatile motor patterns through freeweight exercises than you can from machines. -------------- SQUAT MORE ~Jesse Marunde Mortal by birth. Strongman by the grace of god. Blood Guts Sweat Chalk
Tinnuk Posts: 291 Joined: 2005/12/19	2007/10/01, 08:42 PM I'm not quoting anything; parphrasing maybe. Maybe "gimped" was the wrong word but strength imbalances and weak stabilizing muscles can cause injury. In reality a weight being lifted has the potential to move in an x,y, or z direction, your stabilizing muscles are what should be limiting it to one plane of movement (more or less at least). And excuse me for not having access to a "formal" education about neural firing patterns at the moment, I'm doing the best I can here.
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/10/01, 08:57 PM I'm not critiquing you, I'm critiquing whoever you are paraphrasing. I've read basically the same thing you just said, using the same words, multiple times, and it has pissed me off just as much every other time I've read it. -------------- SQUAT MORE ~Jesse Marunde Mortal by birth. Strongman by the grace of god. Blood Guts Sweat Chalk
Tinnuk Posts: 291 Joined: 2005/12/19	2007/10/02, 07:52 AM I admit that I havn't read anything that gets too heavy into the scientific details yet; tending to use simple analogies in the place of describing all the complex phenomena going on.
Lift101 Posts: 3 Joined: 2007/09/28	2007/11/08, 10:45 AM I must agree with wrestler125 that any work you do for your muscles will ultimately benefit you in some way, rather than harm your progress. It ceratinly is better to train stabilizers, but using machine weights will not handicap you.