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Old 04-08-2011, 12:02 PM
 
Location: NYC
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There are very few machines I use regularly, as I am all about free weights. I like the Lat pull down, and that thing that isolates glutes. I go to these every week. A couple of times a month I'll hit the abductor/adductor machines. Other than that, free weights all the way for me.
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Old 04-08-2011, 12:05 PM
 
Location: NJ
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MStant1 View Post
Machines isolate muscles and generally only incorporate one or two muscles at a time. Free weights incorporate more muscles at one time and make you work harder as you are having to control the movement of the weight rather than a machine.
whether you are using free weights or machines, arent you generally trying to isolate one or two muscles at a time?

i doubt you will see any competitive bodybuilders supporting much machine use. its kind of taboo and they often work out multiple times a day and their workouts are much more important to them. im doing 5 days a week maybe 45 minutes of lifting each workout. i will accept that there is a benefit to free weights, but nobody really can tell exactly how much it is. for me, its not worth the inconvenience.
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Old 04-08-2011, 12:35 PM
 
Location: Houston, Tx
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainNJ View Post
whether you are using free weights or machines, arent you generally trying to isolate one or two muscles at a time?

i doubt you will see any competitive bodybuilders supporting much machine use. its kind of taboo and they often work out multiple times a day and their workouts are much more important to them. im doing 5 days a week maybe 45 minutes of lifting each workout. i will accept that there is a benefit to free weights, but nobody really can tell exactly how much it is. for me, its not worth the inconvenience.
While there may be greater emphasis on some muscles in certain lifts than others, a lot of free weight exercises are compound movements. The squat, deadlift, bench press and shoulder press all incorporate large amount of muscles to complete with proper form.

I also don't get how people are saying free weights take longer.

Let us examine one example for Legs.

Machine: Extensions, Leg curls, calf machine.
-Muscles worked: Quads, Hams and calves.

Free Weight: Squats and Deadlifts.
-Muscles worked: Quads, Hams, Calves, Glutes, Hip Reflexors, Spinal Erectors (ie back muscles), rectus abdominus, external and internal obliques, transverse abdominus and the forearms.

So two exercises versus three. So you do less exercises and work more muscles. Should be a no brainer in my opinion.

EDIT: The deadlift isn't even specifically a leg exercise. So if you wanted to you don't even have to do the deadlift on leg day. You could just do squats and your legs will be in better shape than with the three different machines for legs. In other words 1 exercise that works out your entire body from the waist down as well as your back and abs.
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Old 04-08-2011, 12:45 PM
 
Location: NJ
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well, i do a squat machine movement and a deadlift machine. so its not accurate to say im replacing a squat with extensions, curls and calf machine.

this is my squat machine below. i do the max weight on it (i think 400lbs) so the only issue would be that i need more weight. the deadlift machine isnt specifically that so im not sure what its called but its a pretty good machine copy of the movement.

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Old 04-08-2011, 12:57 PM
 
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Personally I think you could:

a) use only free weights
b) use a combination of free weights and Machines

I'm not too sure if only using machines will target all your muscles in a timely manner. Also the movement(s) from machines is often not natural and has actually caused me some injuries over the years, but thats just me, I know guys can get a nice build from machines alone, but I highly doubt a true body builder could with just machines.
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Old 04-08-2011, 01:17 PM
 
Location: Houston, Tx
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainNJ View Post
well, i do a squat machine movement and a deadlift machine. so its not accurate to say im replacing a squat with extensions, curls and calf machine.

this is my squat machine below. i do the max weight on it (i think 400lbs) so the only issue would be that i need more weight. the deadlift machine isnt specifically that so im not sure what its called but its a pretty good machine copy of the movement.
Even if using more advanced machines that mimmick the free weight exercises it takes away your need balance and stabilize yourself. That balance and stabilization part of the exercise is just as important as hitting the quads and hams themselves. The same can be said for the leg press. There is a reason people can do hundreds of pounds more on machines than they can on free weights. I can almost guarantee that you would not be able to do 400 pounds on a freeweight squat and if you by some miracle can then I'm pretty sure it's nowhere near the same rep count.
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Old 04-08-2011, 01:18 PM
 
Location: Houston, Tx
541 posts, read 1,899,057 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by darrensmooth View Post
Personally I think you could:

a) use only free weights
b) use a combination of free weights and Machines

I'm not too sure if only using machines will target all your muscles in a timely manner. Also the movement(s) from machines is often not natural and has actually caused me some injuries over the years, but thats just me, I know guys can get a nice build from machines alone, but I highly doubt a true body builder could with just machines.

I agree with this. Machines have their place, but they should never be the center of your workout.
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Old 04-08-2011, 01:22 PM
 
Location: NJ
31,771 posts, read 40,511,088 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MStant1 View Post
Even if using more advanced machines that mimmick the free weight exercises it takes away your need balance and stabilize yourself. That balance and stabilization part of the exercise is just as important as hitting the quads and hams themselves. The same can be said for the leg press. There is a reason people can do hundreds of pounds more on machines than they can on free weights. I can almost guarantee that you would not be able to do 400 pounds on a freeweight squat and if you by some miracle can then I'm pretty sure it's nowhere near the same rep count.
i agree, there is no way i could do 400 free squat. but maybe im hitting my muscle exactly where i want with 400lbs as opposed to spreading it around to less significant muscles and being forced to use less weight.

i mentioned the squat machine because i dont think you can extend the argument beyond this "stabilizer" muscle thing by suggesting other major muscles are being worked.
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Old 04-08-2011, 01:27 PM
 
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I always wondered how much weight are you really lifting with a machine, it is hard to tell, I can do certain machine excercises that say im using WAYY more weight than I could with a free weight. How much of the apperatus is helping with the lift (if that makes sense).
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Old 04-08-2011, 01:30 PM
 
Location: NJ
31,771 posts, read 40,511,088 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by darrensmooth View Post
I always wondered how much weight are you really lifting with a machine, it is hard to tell, I can do certain machine excercises that say im using WAYY more weight than I could with a free weight. How much of the apperatus is helping with the lift (if that makes sense).
yeah, i dont ever say the weight because it means nothing when it comes to machines. i just try to keep it in mind so i know what weights to use next week. i believe i do 300 in the machine seated bench, but i cant bench 300 free.

i have had this "debate" in a bodybuilding forum. a lot of times in this type of situation, people are limited to what they can say depending on how beefcake the person is that they are arguing with. i have beefcake legs and i havent squated in many years. risk of injury with a free squat is too high for my liking.
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