What is a gym machine?

A gym machine is a piece of strength equipment that provides resistance for exercises that target specific muscle groups. Some machines have been designed for compound movements such as a leg press, whereas others have been created for isolated, single-joint exercises such as the tibia dorsi machine. All of the machines have a fixed range of motion, making them suitable for beginners to advanced gym users.

What are the positives of using a gym machine?

• Easy to use for beginners
• Fixed range of motion is safer
• Less need for joint stability
• Focus on specific muscle groups
• Less skill and motor control required
• Safer working close to failure
• Harder to get a movement pattern wrong

What is the difference between a plate loaded and selectorised gym machine?

Plate machines are gym machines where you adjust the weight by loading weight plates onto the piece of equipment. You can use olympic or bumper plates, and generally plate machines can hold more weight than the selectorised equivalent. For example, our selectorised lat pulldown machine has a 135kg weight stack, whereas our plate loaded lat pulldown can hold more. You also have the opportunity to adjust the weight in small increments by using fractional plates.

On the other hand, to adjust the weight on a selectorised machine, you simply insert a pin into the hole on the desired weight plate. This is less hassle than a plate machine as you can quickly adjust the weight without having to load/deload plates. The machines generally increase in 5kg increments so that you can adjust weight accordingly. The ease of weight adjustments makes selectorised machines great for training methods such as drop sets as the weight can quickly be changed between sets.

Tibia Dorsi Machine

• Strengthens the tibialis anterior (front of shin)
• Plate loaded (Olympic and bumper plates)
• Can be performed standing or seated
• Single or double leg
• Reduces the chance of shin splints and ankle injuries
• Use seated to direct the resistance to the hips and not the spine

Bicep Curl and Tricep Extension Machine

• Dual function for bicep and tricep exercises
• Perform bicep curls, hammer curls and tricep pushdown
• Single and double arm exercises
• Plate loaded (Olympic and bumper plates)
• 7 adjustable seat heights

Lat Pulldown and Seated Row Machine

• Selectorised – 27 increments ranging from 5kg – 135kg
• Selectorised – Suitable for commercial gyms
• Plate loaded – use Olympic and bumper plates
• Plate loaded – also suitable for bicep curls and tricep pushdowns
• Both – Adjustable height thigh pads for comfort
• Both – High and low attachments

Functional Trainer

• Selectorised – 2 x 100kg weight stacks
• Selectorised – 17 height positions on each side pulley
• Selectorised – 20 x 5 kg increments
• Plate loaded – Olympic and bumper plates
• Both – multi-grip pull up bar (wide, narrow and neutral)
• Both – Multiple attachments available