Which is better, gym machines or free weights?

This debate has raged within the fitness community for decades now, with people being adamant that their preferred method of training is objectively the best.

Of course, it’s not that clear cut and both machines and free weights have their positives and negatives.

We’re going to examine the upsides and downsides of both, as well as examples of different pieces of equipment to help you decide which is right for you.

What are free weights?

A free weight is any type of weighted fitness equipment which can be freely picked up and moved around without its path being fixed by cables, levers, or rails.

Examples of free weights include -

• Barbells

• Dumbbells

• Weight Plates

• Kettlebells

• Sandbags

• Medicine balls

What Are The Benefits of Free Weights?

The main benefit of free weights is their versatility. A simple barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell can be used to train every single muscle in the body with full freedom of movement.

This also makes them very cost and space efficient, since you can perform hundreds of exercises with just one or two relatively small pieces of equipment.

They are also great for training stabiliser muscles since you have to hold the weight steady while performing movements such as bench press, overhead press, squats, etc.

What Are the Drawbacks of Free Weights?

Anything that is a jack of all trades is also a master of none, and this can apply to free weights too.

While you can train your whole body with them, they can lack precision since you can’t target individual muscles as directly as with machines because your whole body has to support the weight.

They can also cause problems for people with wrist, joint, or tendon pain since the structure of the body is placed under stress when using a weight such as a barbell.

There is also the skill curve to consider. Using correct form is an important part of any exercise, and any free weight exercise requires that you first learn how to properly perform it to ensure proper muscle activation and to avoid injury.

What Are Gym Machines?

Exercise machines are generally pieces of equipment that either control the path of a weight, or serve a specific purpose.

They can also be pieces of cardio equipment, like rowing machines and ski trainers.

Examples of gym machines include -

• Cable machines

• Air bikes

• Bicep Curl and Tricep Extension Machine

• Lateral raise and shoulder press machine

• Leg Curl and Extension Machine

• Hack Squat Machine

What Are The Benefits of Gym Machines?

Being purpose built to do a handful of specific movements means that a machine is generally more effective at stimulating a target muscle than free weights are.

For example, a seated row machine can better isolate the lats in a way that isn’t possible with free weights, and a leg press means you don’t have to worry about balancing a heavy barbell on your back and can focus fully on training your legs.

The outlier here is the cable machine, which lets you perform a wide range of exercises for almost every muscle in the body. You can get a great workout using only a cable machine.

Workout machines are also easier to use since the bar or handle is usually moving along a fixed path, this means they lack the required skill component and learning curve of free weight exercises.

What Are The Drawbacks of Gym Machines?

While they are great at doing the specific thing they are designed for, most machines don’t have much utility outside that, and for most home gym owners floor space is limited so you need to make sure that everything you have in your gym is worth not just the investment, but also the room it takes up. This is why having a dual purpose machine, such as the leg press and hack squat machine, is beneficial.

Exercises on machines also have less carry-over to other exercises since they are often so focused. You may be able to leg press 5 plates, but that doesn’t mean you can suddenly load 5 plates onto a barbell and start doing back squats.

Are Free Weights or Machines Better?

After reading through that, hopefully it should be clear that one isn’t really “better” than the other.

They each serve their own purpose and most good exercise programs will include a variety of both free weight and machine-based exercises to get the best results.

If you have a home gym with limited space it can be a good idea to have a rack, barbell, and plates for access to a wide variety of exercises along with one or two of your favourite machines to help target certain areas more precisely.

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Tags: Equipment > Gym Machines ; Exercise Type > Strength ; Misc > Gym Planning