Machine vs. Free Weights

[jmnewsome]

just looking for opinions here. if you'd try one or the other, or both...what were your results? which do you feel is the most beneficial, that kind of thing. i'm still (always) reading about bodybuilding, etc. and trying to figure out what i would benefit most from..i have a gym membership, but don't get there (ever), but if it'd be beneficial to use machines...i guess i'd hightail it there during my lunch hour, since i work closer to it now. (not that you wanna know that)
anyway - all opinions are welcome and seriously appreciated!

[big g]

my opinion on machines is that they are inadequate to a certain level. an example is a bench press machine has 305lbs to use. now at the time my max bench was 315. on the machine at 305 i could press out 8 reps. i certainly couldnt do this with free weights. so at my level of strength or above most machines just dont have enough weight. another is i did 1000 lbs on the leg press but couldnt go above 400 on squats. also you are not using the stabilizing muscles when using a machine. its ok to mix in 1 or 2 machies but i never seen anyone do nothing but machines and get great results compared to someone using free weights. those guys working out on the boflex commercials or whatever never have gotten in their great shape by using the machine.

ps the boflex in garbage, i cant believe that many people bought that

[Andrew]

I prefer free weights, but some machines I enjoy using as part of my workout - e.g. fly machine.

[lottalead]

iprefer free weights but they both work very well when done right

[Moody]

i like free weights but the gym i go to is limited as far as some free weight workouts...so i'm ,at times, forced to use a machine that works the same muscles as the free weight exercise would.as someone stated above me,the weight on machines is not 100% correct.I can do 270x10 on a cybex but my bench max is far under 200.

[gymBum]

Both serve their own purposes. Many machines do not give your stabilizer muscles much of a workout, so free weights are great for really shocking your muscles and improving their stability.

On the flip side, the opposite is true - machines do not require as much work from your stabilizer muscles, so you will not be hindered by that. Some machines allow you to really blast your muscles with a lot of weight to increase their strength without the weight being limited by your stabilizer muscles.

[pty 31]

in order to train and make muscles grow i think free weights are better.

[bronson]

Here is a little article from NFLHS . com as the source. Sometimes the proof is in the pudding!

Strength Training: What Approach?
Five guidelines that will help you decide what works best for your athletes
Few coaches would dispute the fact that strength training can reduce an athlete's risk of injury and increase his or her performance potential. Many coaches will, however argue over the best approach to the training process.
The different approaches--and the abundant amount of conflicting information--often leave athletes confused.
Coaches and athletes are also quick to jump on the bandwagon of successful teams or programs, a practice which frequently adds to the confusion.
For example, at the conclusion of the 1997 college football season, two schools were named NCAA co-champions: Nebraska and Michigan.
Both schools have a long history of success on the gridiron. But, if you were to compare their strength-training programs, you'd be in for quite a surprise.
Not only are their approaches vastly different, they are downright contradictory!

• One program suggests fast repetitions, the other controlled speeds
• One suggests mostly multiple sets, the other mostly single sets.
• One recommends split routines, the other total body workouts.
• One primarily uses free weights; the other primarily uses machines.
• One uses periodization, the other does not.
• One favors one-repetition maximum efforts, the other discourages them.
• One advocates plyometrics, the other opposes them.

And, get this: They have been using these basic approaches for more than two decades!
Yet, both Nebraska and Michigan have highly successful football programs made up of athletes who are very big and very fast and very strong.
The same story holds true in just about every other sport. Teams are winning despite vastly different approaches to strength training.
So, how do you choose a program that will help you get bigger, faster, and stronger?
Guidelines
Ultimately, you must decide what works best for you and your athletes. In your decision-making process, you have to ask yourself the following questions:
Is it Productive?
It makes no sense to invest time in a strength-training program that doesn't produce meaningful results.
A program will be productive as long as it is based upon the Overload Principle: To increase the muscles in size and strength, you must stress--or overload them--beyond their present capacity.
In layman's terms, you must challenge the muscle with progressively harder workloads.
This can be accomplished effectively through a Double Progressive Technique: Every time you work out, you must attempt to increase the weight you use or the repetitions you performed previous workout.
In short, you must impose demands upon your muscles that they haven't previously experienced by either using more weight or performing more repetitions.
Is It Comprehensive?
The approach must be comprehensive in several ways.
First of all, the strength-training program must address all of the major muscle groups in the body, not just the showy ones. Frequently, muscles injured in competition (such as the neck and the groin) are ignored, while muscles that are mainly cosmetic (such as the biceps and the triceps) are highlighted.
Secondly, a thorough strength-training program targets all of the athletes on the team, not just the weight-training buffs.
Thirdly, a comprehensive strength-training program means that it is performed year-round including the playing season.
Remember, it is during the competitive season that your athletes have to be at their best in terms of strength and conditioning.
Is it Practical?
The approach must be easy, for your athletes to understand. It shouldn't be allowed to become grossly over-complicated and confusing. The use of pseudoscientific terminology coupled with inflexible instructions on the sets, reps, intensity, and volume of activity in rigidly defined "phases" of periodization only add to the confusion.
Strength training is actually quite simple and should progress in resistance and/or repetitions from one workout to the next.
Is it Efficient?
The approach you choose should practice the maximum possible benefits in the least amount of time. An approach that requires more than one hour per workout or more than three sessions per week is neither practical nor necessary. A time-efficient approach will give your athletes more time to perfect their skills, perform sport-specific conditioning and prepare for academics.
Is it Safe?
At first glance, many approaches look great. Closer inspection may reveal problems in safety. This is unacceptable. Since strength training is designed to reduce the risk of injury on the playing field, how can the athlete be exposed to potentially dangerous exercises in the weight room?
Movements that have an unreasonable amount of orthopedic risk include the power clean and snatch, plyometrics (especially those that are done vertically), and any exercise done with an explosive speed movement.
Ultimately, it will be up to you to make the decision on which approach to use in the weight room - the one that is most productive, comprehensive, practical, efficient, and safe for your athletes.

[mvp]

Free weights, hands down. No machine will work you like steel. Resistance training vs. steel will always come out pointing towards steel.

For example, when you go to a gym, do you see the "big" guys working out on the machines? Or do you see them pushing up 300-400 lbs. on bench press and 500-600 lbs. on squats? 99.9% of the time it's the free weights.

It's hard to stick with basic compound exercises when performing with a machine. Such as squat, bench press, ohp, bent over rows, deadlifts, chins, curls, dips, etc.

[bronson]

http://www.strengthcats.com/CSnobestway.htm