Machine vs. Free Weights

[Andrew]

Cable work can be more advantageous for muscles such as the biceps. I was reading Ronnie Coleman's view on it, but can't remember the site.

[bronson]

Originally Posted by Andrew

Cable work can be more advantageous for muscles such as the biceps. I was reading Ronnie Coleman's view on it, but can't remember the site.

I use cables in my bicep workouts. Variation in training is important, not only for gains , but it helps avoid injury. You can't just always lift heavy max weight, you have to change it up. I like free weights the most but the older I get the more I change it up.

Reading an article by Charles Poliquin made me be more flexable in my training. In the article Dorian Yates tells Poliquin if he would of had more variation in his training, his career would have been longer and healthier.

[mvp]

Free weights are superior.

Machines give you a fixed range of motion pattern, they cancel utilization of the stabilizes and supporting muscle group by giving you a fixed range of motion; therefore, this does not add to functional strength (functional strength means it has potential carryover into the real world).

The benefits compound movements give us in general is the ability to overload several muscle groups at one time- you have various synergists, antagonists, stabilizers, dynamic stabilizers and muscle groups targeted. With a machine, you cancel the largest fraction of these muscle groups utilized.

Free weights carry over to functional strength, machines give you a fixed range of motion pattern unnatural to the original three dimensional planes the body works in (transverse, saggital, frontal) and therefore when you would return to free weights - your stabilizers and supporting muscle groups wouldn't be able to with stain the external load.

Moral- Stick to free weights.