subject: Let's Look At Free Weights Versus Machine Exercise [print this page] Something you require to keep in mind and never forget is that whenever you exercise, you are coaching for life. You still may spend an hour a day in the gym, whilst that will still leave another 23 hours or so for your muscles to function without using any fancy equipment.
Whenever you do any type of exercise, the movement of your body throughout the exercise is known as the range of motion. The more difficult the range of motion is, the more effective the exercise will be, because your body has to work twice as hard to perform the movement.
Take for the instance the classic dumbbell bicep curl. When you are not familiar with the exercise, it is performed through standing up straight with your palms facing forward, and a pair of dumbbells held down by your sides. You'll contract your biceps to bring the dumbbells up to your shoulder height then repeat the exercise as many times as you wish.
Using that same movement for exercise on a bicep curl machine, you should sit down, brace your upper arms on a pad, grasp 2 handles that are in front of you, and then perform the same movement as above to move the handles in an upward motion.
Now, looking at the muscle contractions in this exercise, you are contracting essentially your biceps if you are using the curl machine, and that is pretty much all you are doing. If you use the machine you are sitting down, which will limit just how much your shoulders give. The machine has various muscles used in this exercise limited to the biceps, as well as the muscles in your forearms and fingers.
Most of the time, when using machine weights, you will always be limited as to what type of exercise you can perform. You must always follow a strict procedure, which is pretty much the same with free weights. Unlike free weights, machine weights offer a certain degree of resistance.
One of the best things about free weights is the fact that you move a little chuck around to select the weight you want to use. Instead of dragging it over to your exercise area, you simply select it on the machine. Whenever you are tired throughout a workout, this can be a blessing.
A lot of people argue in the fact that free weights are the best for your body. Although this is normally true, many people out there feel that machine weights are the best. There are pros and cons with both machines, while free weights have been around a lot longer and have been proven time after time to achieve dramatic results.
Body builders for example, have used free weights over the years to establish very impressive bodies. When you ask most of them about machine weights, they would believably laugh at you and tell you that you need to quit joking around.
In a nutshell, free weights will use more of your muscles than the machines do, which makes them more effective overall. This doesn't mean that the machines are a waste of use, as they offer some great advantages. In some cases, it is best to stabilize the muscles that are being used in a movement, which is where machines are the best to use.
The decision on which to use for you should be based on what you want to achieve with lifting weights and where you plan to use the equipment, such as home or at a gym. Both systems are great for your body, though the free weights are best to use whenever you desire the best possible workout, and always ensure that your muscles are getting the correctly workouts they need.
