Introduction
Which is better, machines or free weights? This is one of the great rivalries of the modern age, up there with Stalin vs Hitler, Coke vs Pepsi, and Coleen Rooney vs Rebekah Vardy. This debate has raged within the fitness industry for decades now, but remains unsettled. In a bid to finally bring peace to the gym community, this blog will explore the merits of both, and decide which comes out on top.
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 weight equipment include barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, medicine balls, and weight plates.
Benefit: Versatile
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. Moreover, as you’re fully in control of the load and movement pattern, using free weights also engages vital stabiliser muscles often neglected by machines. These are vital for joint stability and injury prevention.
Drawback: Skill Curve
Put simply, free weight movements are more complicated than using machines. This makes them difficult for beginners to learn and perform safely without the right guidance.
What Are Machines?
Gym 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. Examples of machines include cables, movement specific machines (e.g. prone hamstring curl), C2 equipment, and assault bikes.
Benefit: Isolation
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. This is why machines are heavily used by bodybuilders, when isolating a specific muscle is the aim of the game.
Drawback: One Trick Pony
While they are great at doing the specific thing they are designed for, most machines don’t have much utility outside that purpose. However, the obvious exception here is the cable machine, which does let you perform a wide range of exercises for almost every muscle in the body.
Summary
It’s clear to see that free weights and machines both have their advantages, but your preference will depend on your training philosophy and fitness goals. Personally, I will always sit in the free weight camp, because my formative training years were spent in a home gym, exclusively training with barbells and dumbbells. Moreover, in relation to versatility and functionality, I think it’s hard to look past free weights as the more practical option for most. I’m not anti-machines by any stretch, but don’t be that nause who gets a rod-on when they see a new piece of Cybex equipment in the gym.