Free Weights or Machines- which is best?

Free weights and machines are just two of the vast array of resistance or strength training apparatus available to us. One of the most frequently asked questions is: "should I use free weights or machines?" My answer is usually, "yes!" The Active Image philosophy is balance, variety and tailoring exercise to your individual needs. With this in mind, you can benefit from both forms of training once you understand where they fit in your program and even personality type. As with all aspects of your program, the main consideration should be safety! Other factors which will determine your choice are convenience, availability, time and your level of fitness. These two modes of training can be compared to driving automatic vs, standard transmission.

Machines

If I'm going to stick with my driving analogy, using machines would be the automatic transmission -- you plug in the weight you want and the machine does the guesswork for you. You don't have to worry about body positioning, range or (to a degree) technique! Machines provide better control and stability and therefore are great for beginners, seniors or someone who is injured. That is not to say that everyone should not use machines.

And back to our driving analogy, machines can get a bit boring after a while! Machines are for the average-sized person, so if you are very tall or short, they may not fit you very well. Other disadvantages include lack of portability; for home use -- they take up a lot of space; expensive to purchase and some equipment is a lot better than others (but, that's another article!). Perhaps the biggest disadvantage is that machines always train the muscle at the same angle which cannot simulate real life movement like free-weights do. Popular exercises on machines include the Pec Deck machine (chest), lat pull down (back), leg extension (quads.- front of thigh) and leg curl machine (hamstring - back of the thigh).

Free weights

In case you are unfamiliar with the term, 'free-weights' are dumbbells or plates. They would be considered your standard transmission since they are more difficult to learn and require a lot more co-ordination. They are definitely more fun! You get more range of motion; they tend to better simulate the body's natural movement patterns; they usually require more training and instruction; there is a greater risk of injury and can be time consuming - carrying different sizes of weights back and forth vs. pulling a pin to change the weight on the machines. Free-weight training also requires more balance and coordination of muscles to maintain your positioning. For this reason, you may require a spotter. The upside is that using free weights strengthens your core muscles (abdominal and back) while stabilizing and requires the use of more muscle in general so that you get more bang for your buck. Free-weight training is ideal for the conditioned exerciser, body-builders and athletes.

Popular free weight exercises include the bench press (chest), one arm rows (back) one arm kick backs (tricep), bicep curls (bicep)

My training routine combines free-weights, Nautilus machines and even my own body weight (push ups and dips). Remember, let your body be your guide -- it will tell you what it needs!!