Free Weights vs Machines

[Rusty]

What's your preference, free weights or machines?  

 

I've been to the Y a time or two with my wife and the free weights there are gathering dust while everyone waits in line to use the machines.

 

Meanwhile, our school got a generous grant to redo the weight room and they got rid of every machine, it's now 100% free weights.

 

 

Being an old fart, I'm old school and stick with the free weights.   

 

 

[not on the rug]

Free weights.  The ideal is to train the body using compound exercises and moving the most weight through a vertical pathway.  Low-bar squat.  Deadlift.  Overhead Press.  Bench Press.  Throw some weighted chinups in there and you've got yourself a bona fide strength training program.  

 

The other approach would be olympic training, but that requires a different setup, and far more extensive coaching.  It also leaves you a bit more prone to injuries.  

[JHbowhunter]

I have always been a free weight and natural resistance like pushup, pullup, dips kind of guy. 

[Buck154]

Your free weights Rusty????????

[DeplorableDan]

Free weights have shown to be more effective at building muscle, even though you can simulate the motion with machines, it's just not the same

[Rusty]

Your free weights Rusty????????

 

Wood is my aerobic exercise not my resistance exercise.  When you're old like me you need both.       

[Haskell_Hunter]

12 oz. curls.  Actually, they're 20 oz. curls.  I've been working out a lot recently.

[Bubblehead]

Lifting free weight promotes better overall strength for everyday scenarios. It works more muscles groups and works muscles more completely than machines. Free weights force you to not only use muscle groups to lift the weights but also to use muscles to stabilize the weights you are lifting from straying up, down, left, right, etc... If your work out goals are to lift weights to burn calories and subsequently lose weight then machines will do just fine. If your goal is to actually become more fit and make lifting things in real life easier with a lower risk of throwing out your back or blowing a hammy than free eights are the way to go.

Edited May 3, 2017 by Bubblehead

[not on the rug]

Lifting free weight promotes better overall strength for everyday scenarios. It works more muscles groups and works muscles more completely than machines. Free weights force you to not only use muscle groups to lift the weights but also to use muscles to stabilize the weights you are lifting from straying up, down, left, right, etc... If your work out goals are to lift weights to burn calories and subsequently lose weight then machines will do just fine. If your goal is to actually become more fit and make lifting things in real life easier with a lower risk of throwing out your back or blowing a hammy than free eights are the way to go.

Exercise barely burns calories though.  Building muscle mass will burn calories.  Lift the free weights and grow the muscle.  You'll naturally become more lean that way

 

Also, body composition is made in the kitchen.  Muscle grown, fat loss, etc is all 85% what you stuff in your face or don't stuff in  your face and 15% what you actually do.  Unfortunately, people think it is the opposite and do the opposite.  They justify poor eating habits with "going to the gym."  

[LittleM]

Agreed on the free weights..............

[JHbowhunter]

Exercise barely burns calories though.  Building muscle mass will burn calories.  Lift the free weights and grow the muscle.  You'll naturally become more lean that way

 

Also, body composition is made in the kitchen.  Muscle grown, fat loss, etc is all 85% what you stuff in your face or don't stuff in  your face and 15% what you actually do.  Unfortunately, people think it is the opposite and do the opposite.  They justify poor eating habits with "going to the gym."  

 

As long as it doesn't exclude beer, I am fine with that...

[not on the rug]

As long as it doesn't exclude beer, I am fine with that...

As long as you're not 85% beer, then I think you'll be ok

[Lunatic]

I say it depends why you are doing it and even how old you are.

Free weights are great for body and strength building but if you are getting up in age the machines will keep you in shape with less possibility of injury.
The only thing I do anymore is leg presses. Playing hockey keeps me in shape otherwise.

[Trykonkid11]

Free weights and resistance training. i.e. Putting chains on your bars, or manual resistance.

 

 

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[newjerseyhunter]

Exercise barely burns calories though.  Building muscle mass will burn calories.  Lift the free weights and grow the muscle.  You'll naturally become more lean that way

 

Also, body composition is made in the kitchen.  Muscle grown, fat loss, etc is all 85% what you stuff in your face or don't stuff in  your face and 15% what you actually do.  Unfortunately, people think it is the opposite and do the opposite.  They justify poor eating habits with "going to the gym."  

 

Exercise and having more mass have a negligible effect on caloric burn rate or BMR when all is said and done. Diet is the most important thing in terms of keeping weight off (or putting it on), staying lean, etc. Research shows other things like circadian rhythm and your feeding/fasting schedule also play a large role. A good deal of interesting research is being done right now which is great because the masses are poorly educated on what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and this information needs to be studied and published. Of course publishing this stuff doesn't mean it will reach the masses, I'm sure the greedy corporate interests of McDonald's, Kraft, et al will do their best to keep the masses dumb and fat.