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6 Advantages of Free Weights Over Exercise Machines
Meet Sarah.
About a year ago, Sarah saw an infomercial about a "multi-unit" workout
machine. The announcer called it a "revolutionary" piece of
equipment, claiming that people would see results in "just 2-4
weeks". It exercised all major body parts and the female model shown
using the machine said it "was safer and more effective than free
weights."
Intimidated by gyms her whole life, Sarah knew having her own home gym
would be the key to her finally getting into shape. She had heard
that machines were safer than free weights. Besides, the machine
came with "easy to follow video instructions". The price was steep,
but as Sarah imagined changing her body, she got her credit called
and grabbed the phone.
On the day of delivery, Sarah was surprised to see it took up twice the
space she was told it would, limiting space in her already cramped
den. Excited to get started, she popped in the video, and hopped on
the machine. Sarah soon found that she, at 5 3", was too small to
fit on the machine for some of the exercises. She continued on
anyway, trying to ignore the fact that her lower back and knees were
starting to hurt a little.
Sarah used her new revolutionary machine exactly three more times. For the
last six months, it has been her unofficial clothes hanger.
What happened? Sarah thought she was buying a machine that would be very
easy to operate and be a safe alternative to free-weights.
Unfortunately, Sarah and many others are misguided by heavily
marketed hype by machine developers. When it comes to effectiveness,
particularly for the beginning exerciser, free-weights (i.e.,
dumbbells) rate much higher than expensive machines in terms of:
1. Cost. Three or four sets of dumbbells would have cost Sarah less than
10 times the amount she spent on her machine. As she gets stronger,
she would have to buy more, though even a full set would not set her
back nearly as much as the machine did.
2. Space. Dumbbells take up far less space than most of the exercise
equipment sold on infomercials. You can easily place them in a
closet, out of sight under the bed, or in a corner. There are even
dumbbells you can adjust (i.e., PowerBlock) that allow you to adjust
the poundage on one set, eliminating the need for single-poundage
dumbbells.
3. Variety. Most machines are designed as one-dimensional. Even the most
extensive multi-unit machines will allow exercisers to perform only
a limited number of movements in a restricted range of motion.
Free-weights can be used in ranges of motion based on the exerciser,
not a machine. Use free weights along with benches or Swiss Balls
and you have multitude of exercise options.
4. Suitability. Sarah couldn t use her "multi-usage" machine for certain
exercises because the machine was too big. This is not an uncommon
problem. Even though most machines have adjustable seats,
arm pads, and lever arms, there are limitations to their range and
some may not fit the very small or very large person. However, if
you can grab a dumbbell, you can use it.
5. Functionality. Exercising with free-weights increases the likelihood
that the effects of the exercise will cross over into real-world
situations. Think about it. How often during the day do you lie in a
diagonal supine position and push weight up like you would on a
machine leg press? Probably never. But how often are you required to
do activities that are biomechanically identical to the squat?
Sitting, getting in and out of a car, crouching down to pick
something up all the time! Properly using free weights will increase
the functionality of an exercise to real-world situations.
6. Safety. It seems counterintuitive to consider free-weights as safer
than machines. Most of us have heard (somewhere..) that we could get
hurt with dumbbells and that machines were "safer." Maybe just the
idea of someone doing a huge bench press lends itself to imagining
the likelihood that one might lose control of the same amount of
weight if they ever attempted it.
Safety during exercise is more about proper form, technique, concentration
and control rather than exercise apparatus. Someone can get hurt on
a machine just as easily as with a dumbbell if incorrect form is
used. As always, if you don t know how to do something, find someone
(i.e., a reputable trainer) to show you how.
Safety as a result of exercise is a long-term issue. It is not necessary
for the body to stabilize itself or the weight during movements on
most machines, because the weight apparatus is fixed. Key stabilizer
muscles are then never given the chance to get stronger.
Free-weights allow the exerciser to utilize core muscles and allow
multi-plane movement that forces the exerciser to strengthen
stabilizer musculature, which support joints. Over the long-term,
free weights are superior to machines for building a stronger, more
functional body.
You don t need to spend a fortune on a piece of exercise equipment that
you ll never end up using and won t suit your needs. A few sets of
dumbbells are effective, intelligent alternatives to buying
equipment, especially for those setting up their own in-home gym or
workout area.
About the Author
Jon Gestl, CSCS, is a personal fitness trainer and instructor in Chicago
specializing in in-home and in-office fitness training. He is a
United States National Aerobic Champion silver and bronze medalist
and world-ranked sportaerobic competitor. He can be contacted
through his website at
http://www.jongestl.com.
jongestl@jongestl.com
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