Machines versus free weights discussed
Q: Which builds bigger muscles, free weights or machines? A: It is an old gym tale that machines only tone and build definition.
You can build big muscles using free weights and machines.
Building bigger muscles involves work, fatigue, recovery and, of course, diet and nutrition.
Both free weights and machines are beneficial in strength training and both are recommended.
Beginners will benefit from using machines, says Bonne Marano, founder of Fit to Be Tied Online (www.fittobetiedonline.com) and a certified personal trainer.
“Machines require little coordination and basically support your body in position and guide you through the motion. Machines help to isolate muscle groups and ensure proper form.”
Marano notes that free weights are portable and a lot more versatile than machines. With one pair of dumbbells, you can do hundreds of exercises.
Free weights allow the muscle to work in a manner that resembles real-life movements. Free weights integrate more muscle into a movement.
You require several muscles to move, balance and steady the body as you lift and lower a weight.
There are also free-weight machines that combine the best of both.
These are plate-loading machines that allow you to work in angles, but you have to control the lift and lower.
In addition, many of these new machines allow you to work each limb independently. A far cry from the early Nautilus machines of the 1970s.
But don’t overlook one of the obvious ways to build muscles.
“Probably the most convenient of the strength-training methods is using your own body weight as resistance, requiring no machines or equipment. Take your body anywhere and you’re ready for a workout,” says Marano, who co-authored the book, “Road Warriors – the Traveler’s Workout Guide.”
(Send your questions to Steve Infanti, A Fit Life Column, 801e BAB, University Park, PA 16802 or via e-mail to SCInfanti@compuserve.com.)