The topic of which is best — machine or free weight training has been debated since the advent of the first popular exercise machines. Because of their popularity and demand by the general population, most gyms today have a predominance of exercise machines. Free weights are also available but they are given proportionally much less space than the exercise machines.
In most gyms it appears that the exercise machines are used predominantly by bodybuilders and fitness buffs. However, many athletic programs still rely heavily on exercise machines. Most athletic programs, prefer free weights. The choice of equipment is usually reflected in the philosophy of the strength coach and what he or she believes is most important for athletic performance. As a general rule, it appears that more athletes use free weights while more bodybuilders use exercise machine exercises. However, each group does not rely solely on only one method of training. They typically use a combination of both with a predominance in one.
Use of both types of equipment is effective for use by bodybuilders and some athletes for some of the following reasons: When doing machine training, the movement is predetermined by the machine which pretty much dictates your body position and the push or pull that you exert. There’s also no need to worry about balancing the weight which makes the machines especially useful in isolating a muscle group, especially if you are trying to target a specific weakness.
Workouts on machines typically go faster than with free weights, mainly because changing the weight is as simple as inserting a pin. Machine exercises are touted as being safer, but this is not always the case. Many individuals get injured on machines the same as they do with free weights. This occurs mainly because they force the body into specific movements for which the body may not be prepared or is capable of executing in a safe manner.
For all-around body development, and especially for improving athletic performance, free weight training is much more effective.
• Free weights allow for an infinitely wider variety of exercises and angles with which to work a muscle or movement pathway. Height and stature do not play a role when doing free weights. On many machines, very tall or very short individuals have trouble fitting into some of them to do an exercise effectively and safely. • You can do many more exercises with free weights than you can with machines, especially for one muscle group or in compound movements. This is much more advantageous for athletes as it can more closely duplicate some of the movements seen in their sport. • With free weights, you develop better coordination and balance skills. These two factors hardly apply when working with exercise machines.
For more information on exercises done on exercise machines and with the use of free weights, read Biomechanics and Kinesiology of Exercise