Free Weights vs. Machines — Which Equipment Is Best for Workouts

You might avoid the weight machines in your gym like the plague—but are you missing out on potential gains?

This is Your Quick Training Tip, a chance to learn how to work smarter in just a few moments so you can get right to your workout.

Resistance machines tend to take a lot of heat around the weight rack. They’re viewed as "newbie equipment"—equipment you use until you get your bearings in the gym and discover the superiority of free weights. That's why there's seldom a wait for machines, but someone always seems to be using the dumbbells you want. But as scientists become increasingly involved in this overwhelmingly one-sided debate, they’re discovering that there's really no need for it at all.

When it comes to resistance machines and free weights, it doesn't have to be an "either/or" situation. One isn't necessarily better than the other. Each has its own merits, and your training program should include both to capitalize on their individual advantages.

Free weights—dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, etc.—require you to stabilize and control not only the load you’re lifting, but also the path along which you’re lifting it. That gives those implements a leg up when it comes to muscle recruitment.

Machines, on the other hand, tend to be better when it comes to promoting more time under tension. When you’re doing a cable fly, there is no point where you aren't straining against resistance, for example—it's constant. And that constant tension can help maximize muscle growth.

Your move: Incorporate both machines and free weights in your workouts—but be smart about the machines you use. Depending on your goals, experience, and any injury concerns you have, you might consider avoiding anything that limits or controls your range of motion (e.g., the Smith machine squat) or stresses a joint or body part excessively (e.g., the leg press, which can increase your risk of lower back injury).

But no matter what machine you use, know this: You don't have to worry about shortchanging your gains. Indeed, research increasingly shows that when it comes to building muscle and strength, machines and free weights can each get the job done equally well.

Trevor Thieme is a Los Angeles-based writer and strength coach, and a former fitness editor at Men's Health. When not helping others get in shape, he splits his time between surfing, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and trying to keep up with his seven year-old daughter.

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