You’re wanting to get the most out of your weight lifting program so you start doing some research.  First, you find some meathead telling you that you should only use free weights.  But then you visit your local gym and it’s packed full of machine weights so you figure they must be good for you.  So now you’re thinking…..

 

“This is so confusing!  This super buff dude said only use free weights, but this gym spent $100k on machine weights and gym owners must know what they’re doing.  So how do I know which is best?”

 

Clearly the correct thing to do is ask your favorite personal trainer.  So here’s your answer….

First, you need to understand the goal for lifting weights.  Your goal should be to work as many muscle fibers within your targeted muscles as possible.  Your muscle fibers work on a fire or non-fire principle.  Which means each muscle fiber in your body either gives 100% effort or 0% effort depending on whether it’s needed to accomplish the desired movement.

 

FOR EXAMPLE:  Let’s say you’re doing bar curls to work on your biceps.  There’s about 500,000 muscle fibers in your biceps.  If you put forth a half-ass effort by working with half the weight you’re capable of lifting for your desired rep range, you’ll only be working 250,000(ish) of the muscle fibers in your biceps.  If you did the same exercise.  Gave it everything you got.  Went to muscular failure.  You will have then maximized your potential improvement by recruiting almost all of your bicep muscle fibers to work.

 

For more on how heavy you need to go in the weight room check out my previous post http://www.sarcastictrainer.com/?p=524#more-524

 

Assuming you want to get the most from your time spent in the weight room, here’s why you should work with either free weights or machine weights.

 

FREE WEIGHTS

Advantages:
  • Using free weights recruits stabilizing muscles to help balance the weight.  This additional muscle recruitment gives you the opportunity to work more muscle fibers.  Therefore getting you more bang for your buck.

 

  • Free weights more closely mimic athletic movements you will use outside the gym.  This better prepares you for athletic movements you will want to perform later.  This could include things like playing sports, chasing your kids, moving furniture, etc.

 

Disadvantages:
  • You can’t truly go to failure on all free weight lifts without a good spotter.  We’ve all seen “that guy” that was doing bench press with no spotter and got trapped under the bar when he couldn’t complete the last rep.  And the thought of getting squished by 300lbs while trying to do squats doesn’t sound fun either.

 

  • There’s a higher risk of injury on free weights.  First, you could get squished (as mentioned above).  You could drop the weight on you foot.  And if you’re very NOT athletic (elderly, bad genetics, sedentary for a couple decades, etc.) or have terrible form you’re more likely to injure yourself than on machines.

 

  • There are some muscle groups that are difficult to work with free weights.  Off the top of my head I would say Hamstrings, Lats, and Calves fall into this category.  Sure you can get creative and come up with something that will work these muscles, but machines target them better.

MACHINE WEIGHTS

Advantages:
  • Using machine weights allow you to go to failure without getting squished.  Being able to go to failure gives you the opportunity to recruit as many muscle fibers as possible to move the weight.

 

  • Machine weights allow you to target muscle groups that are difficult to work with free weights.  Because you’re not dependent on gravity, resistance can come from a variety of directions.

 

  • Machine weights are safer.  If you completely lack coordination, you can still use machines safely.  Sure you’ll need to learn how to use the equipment, but they are easier to learn than proper form on free weights.
Disadvantages:
  • Machines weights don’t recruit as many muscle fibers to work as free weights if you can use the same intensity on both.  If you can go to failure on a machine weight and on the free weight version, you would get more benefit from the free weight lift.

 

  • Machine weights don’t mimic athletic movements as well as free weights.  Sure your athletic abilities will increase greatly by using machine weights, but they’d be even better with free weights.

 

THE VERDICT

There are advantages and disadvantages with free weights and machine weights.  With the above information you can decide which is the better match for your situation.  If you’re still not sure, here’s my recommendations.

 

Free Weights are better for:
  • Experienced weight lifters
  • Athletes
  • Average Joes and Janes with a reliable spotter

 

Machine Weights are better for:
  • People new to weight lifting
  • The elderly
  • People that are very athletically challenged

 

Everybody else:

Most people fall into this category.  In this category I recommend using a combination of free weights and machine weights.

 

Yes I know I didn’t give you an absolute answer to the question “Should I use free weights or machine weights?”.  But my goal for today is not to give you an absolute answer, but to give you the advantages & disadvantages of both.  Therefore giving you the ability to make an educated decision based on your capabilities.