Free Weights Or Machine Weights

Free weights or machine weights?  That is the question.  You might be wondering which one is better.  There is certainly enough debate to last a lifetime.  Most of the time the answer is really a combination of both, but it really depends on what your objectives are and what your present physical condition is.

You may fall into one of several categories, but lets take a look at a few different types of gym goers that use weights as part of their workout regimen.  The people that you find in a typical fitness center will range from people with delicate conditions who are trying to carefully manage their health issues to incredibly developed body builders and everybody in between.

So the workouts that each type does and the type of weights they use will vary wildly.  If you are dealing with any kind chronic back issues, for example, you will likely be working out on machines and with very light weight.  It’s not that free weights are completely off limits, its that machines will generally give you support in certain areas of your body so as to insure that you don’t do exercises improperly and risk injury.

On the other hand, if you are in fine health and your goal is to build muscles, your best bet is to focus primarily on free weights.  In the process of lifting free weights you typically involve the complete muscle.  In your effort to not only lift the weights, but to maintain control and balance of them as well, you end up working the muscle more thoroughly and completely.  You may want to sprinkle in the occasional machine if your goal for that particular session is to isolate a specific part of a given muscle.  Still, the bulk of a body builder’s workout will be with free weights.

For those of you who are focusing on overall conditioning, but don’t have a lot of free time, you may gravitate more toward machines.  Many gyms and fitness centers have incorporated fitness training circuits.   These have become increasingly popular for the novice gym member.   A circuit will typically consist of a collection of machines that you exercise in a rotation format.  One set of a series of 10-12 repetitions and then on to the next exercise.  This is exclusively machine weights.  One of the popular uses of the circuit is to introduce first-time gym members to exercise in a comfortable, low-risk way.

Other gym members may be more interested in overall conditioning, but may be limited on time.  If you want to increase strength and stamina, but aren’t necessarily interested in emphasizing raw muscle building, machines should be ideal.  A workout with machines only and short intervals of rest between sets will help elevate your heart rate while working on your strength.  The principal benefit of weight machines in this case is that you won’t need to spend any time lugging free weights around the gym.

Finally, many more gym members prefer to focus on cardiovascular development.  Elliptical machines are an ideal source of combining cardiovascular work with at least a little arm and shoulder work.  Another great machine for this type of gym goer is the rowing machine.  Work the back, arms, legs and shoulders while getting an incredible cardiovascular workout.

Identify which type of exerciser you are and go from there.  Free weights,  machine weights, or both.

About the author

Jim enjoys writing about a wide variety of subjects including the DMC-LX5 Lumix Camera

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