Machines or free weights?

In most gyms you walk into, there are an array of machines as well as rows of dumbbells, barbells, weight plates, kettlebells and a host of other equipment.

Why would one use free weights rather than a machine that has specifically been designed to target certain muscle groups?

Exercise machines have various shortcomings:

They are designed to fit the theoretically average person. If you are someone who is tall, or short, or someone who is obese, these machines may be dangerous because they may not adjust to accommodate you in order to move the resistance safely. Think about the lat pulldown machine, I have watched many reels on Instagram that are quite amusing where a petite woman is pulling down a heavy load and then when she removes her legs from under the bars her entire body is lifted up off the seat. Now consider that same person having to stand up to grasp the bar in the first place, having to pull it downward while seating herself and securing her legs before commencing with her pulldowns. It is especially difficult to position oneself correctly while holding a bar with great tension on it. This “preparation” may place one in unsafe positions and provide an opportunity for injury. Another example would be a seated rowing machine where the person using it has to reach too far forward to grasp the handles. This position places the spine in a vulnerable situation with the rounded lower back which creates massive compression on the disks as they begin to pull the handle back to begin the exercise.

Some exercises are more safely performed standing rather than sitting, particularly the overhead press. Any seated exercise where you are handling considerable weight overhead places far more compressive forces on the spinal disks than when performed standing upright. When you are seated you are unable to use your legs as absorbers of force, and the spine has a much greater tendency to round in the lower back.

One advantage of using free weights rather than a machine is that the body is forced to stabilize itself when the resistance is moved. For example, if you are standing doing overhead presses with dumbbells, in order to keep your balance while moving the weight up and down, the body engages the core and the legs to provide stability. On a machine, the body does not need to balance nor stabilize itself as the machine will support you regardless. Compound movements (movements across multiple joints of the body), like the deadlift, the squat etc. are an important base of any strength training program and these are not possible with machines.

So why on earth would anyone choose to use exercise machines?

Exercise machines, if used correctly and adjusted in a manner that makes the joints safe, are very effective at targeting muscles and muscle groups. They are efficient at placing the load on the targeted area rather than the entire body. This is why they are often included in training programs, and we see this particularly in bodybuilding (think of the leg press machine, this is a fantastic way of increasing the load pushed by the legs without having the direct force of a heavy barbell across the shoulders loading the spine) where machines are often included as accessories to the various compound and isolation movements done with free weights.

Exercise machines are great for people who may have balance issues, or are unstable and therefore unable to safely move weights without any support.

Exercise machines are a useful tool when a person is injured but wishes to continue training while resting the injured area. When I had my knee injury, after the first surgery my leg was in a brace and my knee was locked in full extension (I couldn’t bend my knee at all). This limited my mobility enormously and meant that my stability wasn’t great. I was able to continue training by using exercise machines which allowed me to sit with my leg straight out in front of me while working on my upper body strength.

I think that the takeaway from this, is to be aware of the shortcomings and possible dangers and then to make informed decisions accordingly. Exercise machines are a very useful tool and my personal choice is to use them mindfully and in combination with free weights in order to gain the benefit from both.