Free weights vs Machines

[MikeyFXD35]

What are the options here on free weight vs machines? Im old school and was taught free weight build more muscle faster because your work more parts, but I am reading more were they recommend machine as you are not wasting energy on balancing weights.

[Danger]

Both, exercise selection is HUGELY personal. Do what works for you, the more you get to know your body and how it responds the easier it gets. Dont worry too much about what you read in articles/online worry about doing what gets the results you want.

[Ritch]

Both, exercise selection is HUGELY personal. Do what works for you, the more you get to know your body and how it responds the easier it gets. Dont worry too much about what you read in articles/online worry about doing what gets the results you want.

Man that is so true. For the longest time I was doing pull ups and chinups for back. But for me, pulldowns work so much better. But for chest, shoulders, biceps and mostly triceps, I go free weights. For hamstrings now, it`s all machines also. If the machine or free weight exercise feels right to you, stay with it.

But here`s the thing. Any beginer will automaticaly choose machines over free weights because they feel the muscles working better and that is only natural. That`s why as a beginer you must work on the basics first. And before saying something like " I prefer machines" I hope it`s comming from someone who`s at least given 2 years of free weight training in top priority. In my case it was much, much longer than that. I even know a guy who competes in the Mr Canada and does only machines and has a sick shape. By looking at him I would have never believed machines could produce a build like that.

[Danger]

Yeah, I know a few really big guys who prefer Machines but after talking to them it seems like when you hit 250lbs+ your ROM is different and the amount of weight they are moving is generally enough that they prefer the safety of machines.

[arcnspark77]

You guys hit the nail on the head. Instead of thinking in terms of which is better think certain machines and certain free weight exercises will give a person a better feel and thus work the muscle better. I think a mind muscle connection is important. Definately an individual thing, and perhaps partially based on lifting experience. ie a beginner may like the feel of machines because they generally can isolate body parts better than free weights. I like both ways, usually finishing off body parts with machines.

[Drummer]

machines sometimes take the stabilizer muscles out of the equation allowing you to focus on the target. This can be good or bad depending on how you look at it.

~D~