• FreeTrainers.com Forums
• Beginners to Exercise
• machine vs free weights

Group: Beginners to Exercise

machine vs free weights

nuclear_dragon Posts: 4 Joined: 2001/07/31	2001/07/31, 04:11 PM I am trying to gain mass and strength so should I do more free weights then machine work? Or does it not matter. I have a huge machine at home that I plan to dust off but if free weights are more desirabble for what i want to do I can start buying some as well.
jbennett Posts: 1,558 Joined: 2001/02/28	2001/07/31, 09:22 PM There's nothing like heavy weight and gravity - I personally prefer freeweights. Machines will do OK for a while. Your stabilizer muscles won't be worked much, but you should try to implement both into your workout if possible.
nuclear_dragon Posts: 4 Joined: 2001/07/31	2001/07/31, 10:46 PM thanks jbennett I'm going to follow your suggestion and start out with my machine and add free weights along the way
jbennett Posts: 1,558 Joined: 2001/02/28	2001/07/31, 09:31 PM Forgot to add one thing..... My neighbor has a machine that he does most of his excercises with. Whenever he comes over to my house to lift, he struggles with the freeweights because he's not used to using his stabilizer muscles. I have him doing the same workout as me (on his own time) but I am seeing MUCH better gains. Could be many factors involved, but I think the use of the machine hinders his progress a bit. BTW, machines are great to start with - less risk of injury, stricter movement, etc. I just think both machines and freeweights would increase your results.
mongrel2012 Posts: 125 Joined: 2001/05/04	2001/08/01, 02:53 AM what sort of machine do u have? I think you should stick with the freeweights for most of the time. Like jbennet's story, I was once helping move stuff from a house. They guy I was helping only used machines, and he couldn't make half the furniture budge. In my opinion you simply can't replace many free weights movements including OL movements with machines.
paulz Posts: 67 Joined: 2001/07/11	2001/08/01, 11:24 AM i agree with freeweights. machines take too much of the total movement out of the exercise and did nothing more for me than to tone up not bulk up. you can get them cheap out of the classified ad from our brothers and sisters who have fallen and cant get up no more.
titanoz Posts: 16 Joined: 2001/07/21	2001/08/02, 07:44 AM Use what youve got, stay focused,eat,eat,eat,work out. I gained 45 pounds in 3 months after giving up smoking, and Im still gaining, food and water is a must!
coolness Posts: 338 Joined: 2001/05/23	2001/08/03, 05:32 AM Wow titanoz!! That's incredible. I like your advice. Do you ever get tired of eating so much?? What does your diet consist of?