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.

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