GregoryD said:Take a bench press, for example. If you use the machine, you are basically
pushing on a bar that goes up and down. The machine guides the bar for you.
If you're doing free weights, not only do you have to supply the force to
move
the bar up and down, but you also have to use your muscles to stabilize the
bar so that it doesn't fall forward on you or behind your head.
Works for me in a rudimentary sense.
Quoted message said:Curling is another good example. If you use a machine to do a curl, you're
simply pulling forward on the machine using your biceps. If you use a free
weight, you're using your abs, your shoulder muscles, and your biceps to
keep
the weight moving in the right direction.
All those are in use in both lifts albeit the directional control of the
load is more so depending on the machine. Many machine supply little
directional control or guidance as per the movement itself.
Quoted message said:In short, machines are good for exercises that require total isolation of
the
muscle you're working on, but do a horrible job at building strength and
muscle
overall because they take away too much of the exercise away from secondary
muscles.
There is no such thing as an isolated muscle, or a movement that isolates a
muscle from other muscles. (Great) Strength can be built very
satisfactorily with either machines or free weights.
Quoted message said:Machines are a good starting point for people who are really out of shape.
People who are really out of shape use free wieghts all the time. It's
called their body.
Quoted message said:Once you're in relatively good condition, switch to the free weights and
you'll
see quicker improvements.
Completely depends on what improvements are sought.