Free Weights vs. Machines

There is a lot of debate about which one form of exercise is more effective when it comes to exercising and producing muscles. People often debate whether machines are more effective for building muscles or free weights. Basically, barbells and free weights are classified as free weights. On the other hand exercises that have pulleys or cables to help you lift the weight are typically classified as machines.

If your goal is to gain muscles you need to focus more on free weight exercises. For all machine enthusiasts out there, you might rethink about which one is more effective. Free weights are indeed more effective for gaining muscle growth simply because they require the use of ancillary muscles as well as stabilizer muscles to help support the weight as you lift it.

By doing free weight exercises you are able to stimulate the most muscle fibers possible. This is impossible to do when you’re exercising on a machine.When you workout with machines there are several instances during a set (while you’re working out and actively lifting wight) where the weight will be completely supported by the machine allowing your muscles to rest. Using machines inhibits the development of your stabilizing muscles and synergistic muscle development.

In a nutshell machines fail to stimulate the muscles that surround the primary muscles you are targeting when your are working out. In order for your  muscles to continue to grow, your stabilizing muscles must be able to sustain larger and larger amounts of weight and they won’t get stronger strictly by using machines. Only by using free weights will you be able to develop your stabilizing muscles.

Free weight exercises, such as squats, dumbbell presses, dumbbell fly, bench presses, bent over dumbbell rows and others put a lot of stress on the supporting muscle groups which is why you get tired really fast doing free weight exercises. However even if you do get tired really fast you will gain more muscles and you will become a lot stronger at much faster rate.

You can include machine exercises in your workout program but you need to schedule the machine exercises after you do all your free weight exercises. This way you will be able to take advantage of the strength you have on free weight exercises and not deplete it on machine exercises which are much better at toning your muscles anyhow.

If you are a beginner concentrate on lighter weights and form when doing free weight exercises. Your primary goal is not muscle gain yet. You first need to properly execute the free weight exercises you have in your workout program in order for you to move on to heavier weights.

Concentrate on strengthening the supporting muscles first and when it is able to support the weight you are lifting and when you are able to execute the free weight exercises properly then it’s time for you to concentrate on the primary muscles.

It’s the goal of most people who visit the gym to have a lean mid section and hopefully ripped abs that they can be proud of and show off by using an effective free workout routine. Many of these same people will make a resolution to get back in the gym and regain the ripped abs they had back in the day…

This is a great goal to have and you can achieve it!

The first thing you need to do is forget all the lies you’ve been told  in all forms of media from alleged “experts” that are only interested in making your pockets lighter. You don’t need miracle pills and fad diets to have lean abs so forget all that junk.

First things first you’re going to have to change your diet. You must know that you’ll never have a lean set of abs if you continue eating hamburgers and french fries for lunch right? As much as possible stay away from fast food and greasy foods that have no nutritional value. all that stuff just sticks to your mid-section and creates that jelly like belly you’re trying to get rid of.

Stay away from processed CRAP!

It’s also a good idea to stay away from the fad diet of the month and miracle pill or drink of the season. None of that stuff works! Just stick to a clean and nutritional diet. Focus on consuming something from all macro nutrieny groups every meal. That means some protein, carbohydrates and even some healthy fats. Just stay away from fried foods by all means.

The second piece of advice I’m going to you give will sound contradictory. STOP working out your abs. More specifically instead of focusing on doing ab work, focus on stripping the layers of fat that cover your stomach and are preventing your abs from showing. That’s the real key to getting a six pack of abs.

So instead of focusing all of your attention on doing ab work you should instead focus on training larger muscle groups so you can trigger your metabolism which will in turn put your body into fat burning mode. Do weight training exercises for your chest, your back, your legs and your shoulders. Those are the largest muscle groups on your body and training working out those larger muscle groups 3-5 times a week will result in a more toned physique that burns more fat and burns more calories all of the time!

Finally understand that weight training will reap longer term results then will cardio training like jogging on a treadmill or an elliptical trainer. The reason for this is because cardio training burns calories today but does nothing for you tomorrow. Weight training on the other hand will result in a more muscular body that will result in a higher metabolism, it will result in abody that burns more fat and a body that burns more calries all the time because of your revved up metabolism. It’s a fact muscle just needs more energy to servive then does fat. What free workout routine would you rather be doing?