Free Weights or Machines?

 We’re starting a new Question & Answer series after a lot of requests for answers to the most commonly asked questions. This is the first segment, so if there’s something you are dying to know, please don’t hesitate to ask. If I don’t answer your question as part of a blog post, I will answer you directly. So either way, you should walk away with a little better understand to that nagging question that keeps coming up in your head.

Have you ever wondered if free weights are better than machines? Well the answer to that depends on several factors. Are you an experienced exerciser? Or are you just starting out and fairly new to the gym? Is your goal to build power? Or are you more concerned with toning or firming up? Are you training for sport or just training for overall health. If you are new to the gym and are considering hiring a trainer to learn the ropes, grab your free consumer report on personal trainers first.

I would have to say that one isn’t “better” than the other, only different. If we are talking about an exercise like the bench press, the primary mover is the chest muscles, or pectoralis muscles. If a person is comparing a seated chest press machine to the bench press, there are a lot of differences. If a person is a novice and need to develop stabilizer strength, then I would suggest he/ she start on the seated chest press. They will learn the fundamental movement without the added difficulty of keeping the barbell from swaying side to side, or the possibility of dropping the weights on their chest if they don’t have a spotter.

However, once a person is confident in the movement associated with a bench press (i.e. bending the elbows and lowering the weight down toward the chest), I would say the bench press is better because the weight is not confined to one plane of motion, and so requires the shoulders and triceps engage to stabilize the load on the chest. It requires a little more skill to do it properly and injury free. Also, an experiences lifter can utilize torque to create more power during the lift. This is also known as breaking the bar.

So I guess my answer to this commonly asked question is the exercise you choose should depend on your end goal and your level of experience. Remember to get your free 2014 Personal Training Consumer Report before you hire a trainer. That way, you can make an informed decision. Hope this helps!

Your friendly health & fitness expert,