When building a program for strength, should you include more free weights or machines when first starting out?
This is a great question, as both develop lean muscle mass, strength, and power.
But which one is better? And which one should you focus on the most?
To be honest, it depends on a lot of factors.
If you’re a beginner, or it’s been a while since you set foot in a gym, I usually recommend machines, since they are great for developing strength and building muscle, without adding stress to the rest of your body.
Machines follow a specific range of motion and focus only on the muscles you’re looking to target.
Free weights, on the other hand, focus on the muscles, supporting muscles, and other stabilizing tissue, like tendons and ligaments.
One other benefit of machines is that they target a specific muscle group, like the biceps for example, when other muscles are fatigued or sore.
This way you can still target the muscle you want, without putting stress on areas that may be too sore.
I do a combination of both.
I love the added benefit of developing stabilizing muscles, or entire muscle groups when doing free weights, such as a squat, deadlift or bench press.
And, if I am tired or the free weights aren’t available, then I can turn to machines to get the same workout, often in less time.
You may also be more at risk for injury when you are doing free weights compared to machines. Most free weight exercises involve more than one muscle group, and there are a lot of moving parts, which may increase your risk for injury.
Using machines, however, minimises the risk, because you’re only going in one motion. Yes, if you’re doing the machine wrong, you can still injure yourself, but the risk goes down significantly compared to free weights.
If you’re coming back from an injury, machines are usually the best option, since you can be sure you’re using proper form, and focusing on the muscles you want to work.
It’s a good idea to combine both free weights and machines,
This way you can hit different muscle groups with free weights and then focus your efforts on weaker areas using machines, so you can still build strength and power.
If you’re looking for the best workout possible, and you’re stuck between free weights or machines, then include both for optimal results.
Your coach
Michał
B3&FIT