To be free or not to be

[Amkey]

Okay free weights or machines?

I mean do you reallys ee tha much difference. I like the machines because I keep good form on certain things. BUT I do't want to be doing something where I can not get maximum results.

Some machines are very nice to work with, but if I had to make a choice between the two I would go with free weights all the way!

[Tuna Fish]

Might as well use both since they are available.

Would I use free weights exclusively? Yes. The workout is second to none.

Would I do both if available? Again, yes. Using the machines for variety is great if you use free weights a lot and need to break a rut, or if you find a machine that moves in a way that can't be duplicated with free weights.

Would I use machines exclusively? Not likely.....

If I had only a single option, I would choose free weights- most bang for the buck.... sounds like you have a choice, though.

But that's just me...

Tuna

[Lee J B]

*glances at machines* ........ hell no.......free weights all the way!

[Maxima]

Originally posted by Tuna Fish
Might as well use both since they are available.

Would I use free weights exclusively? Yes. The workout is second to none.

Would I do both if available? Again, yes. Using the machines for variety is great if you use free weights a lot and need to break a rut, or if you find a machine that moves in a way that can't be duplicated with free weights.

Would I use machines exclusively? Not likely.....

If I had only a single option, I would choose free weights- most bang for the buck.... sounds like you have a choice, though.

But that's just me...

Tuna

+1 Tuna

The most important thing is ballance and stability, you lose this with machines because your path of motion is already dictated to you, there is no reason for your stabilizing muscles to control the weight.

Machines do have there place though. Example a dumbbell fly is a very inefficient way of working the chest, the exercise is the hardest when the muscles are very weak, so you will fail in your weak point before your strong point (the farther away the weight gets from the pivot point, the heavier it feels like on a see-saw, your shoulder is the pivot point and the weight is of course the dumbbell.)
Nautilas came along and made somthing called a "cam." It is that wierd kidney shaped thing that the cable raps around, it is attached to where the machines pivot point. This was made to match the muscles ability (muscles are weak when fully stretched, strongest in the middle, and then weak again at the end), you will notice that as you do a rep the kidney shaped thing causes the cable to either get farther or closer to the pivot of the machine, this makes the weight either harder or easier. So if a pec dec fly machine has a good cam profile where the cable is close to the pivot point at first, then gets farther away and ends up close again, it can be much more effcient than dumbells. However for exercises like skull crushers and standing bicep curl the design of your body matches up perfectly with free weights.

I totally agree with Tuna, I would use free weights exclusivly if I had a choice between the two, but both if I had the opprotunity.

[Steve]

I like both. Machines give me such a kick.....you can usually lift more than with free weights.

Steve

[Gearhead]

I also like both..I normally start with free weights and end with machines..
Steves right though..machine weights are a little lighter..I can bench 415 on the h.s....
Id have a sweet little indention on my chest with the free weights..Can I get a spot?

[Wolfnatas]

I use both, because I workout alone in my basement. For some exercises it's perfectly safe to use free weights alone, but I'm not about to try to go to failure on bench press using free weights with no spotter.

[Jock]

I only use machines as finishers to my workouts, where I have already blasted my bodyparts using free-weights.

Jock

[gramalyn]

I don't have a work out partner and therefore have no spotter. I am also not confident enough yet that I am doing the free weights in proper form. Everything I have been reading tells me though that free weights are prefered for all of the reasons that have all ready been mentioned.

[TsiTalon]

My 2 cents is that i use free weights all the time and ALMOST nothing else BUT to change up my workout here and there i will jump on a machine and i can feel it work the muscle just as good with more weighted cause it makes it easier. I also will use them when i dont have a spotter to for example like smith machine for incline bench press .



first free weights
then machines.....maybe

[DaRkAnGel]

Originally Posted by TsiTalon

My 2 cents is that i use free weights all the time and ALMOST nothing else BUT to change up my workout here and there i will jump on a machine and i can feel it work the muscle just as good with more weighted cause it makes it easier. I also will use them when i dont have a spotter to for example like smith machine for incline bench press .



first free weights
then machines.....maybe

Personally, i cannot think of a single exercise that cannot be done without free weights and maybe a bench. Although machines make it easier to do some things, working every single muscle that you can work on machines is all possible with 2 dumbbells.