Which Is Better For Building
Muscle: Machines Or Free Weights?
Want to know the Million Dollar question I get asked probably more than any other? Which is better for building muscle: Machines or Free Weights?
Along with "which supplements should I use to speed up the muscle building process", most clients ask me whether they should be using machines or free weights to build muscle.
Well, first of all, overloading the muscle with heavy weight -- whatever the type of equipment you use -- is what promotes muscle growth. Any exercise that limits overload is not a good choice. That's why you really don't want to rely on just your bodyweight for exercising. Not enough overload.
Also, the Bowflex and a few other home gyms can limit the amount of weight you can use.
In most cases, it's much more effective, and more efficient, to overload the muscle with dumbbells and barbells. Most machines are very inefficient and not nearly as effective at muscle stimulation as free weight compound exercises. That's because they limit the amount of overload you can achieve. Less overload... less muscle fiber recruitment and less muscle growth as a result.
Sticking with basic free weight exercises enables you to handle maximum overload and use natural biomechanics as you perform the movements. Machines restrict your natural movements, again, making them less effective for building muscle.
Now, if I had to use a machine for resistance training, it'd probably be Hammer Strength machines. Hammer Strength is a company that recognizes that humans do not lift weights in a perfectly straight line. The range of motion of Hammer Strength equipment generally follows the natural arc of our own force curve.
And the thing is, you can probably lift more weight on Hammer Strength equipment than a free weight barbell. And it makes sense why. The machines help you out by balancing and stabilizing the majority of the weight for you. This makes it easier to lift more weight. But it's not an advantage. Muscle fiber recruitment will always be less than if a free weight were used.
Even though the absolute poundage is greater on a machine, the actual overload on the muscle is greater with free weights because you're responsible for balancing and stabilizing all the weight yourself. This, along with an increased range of motion, is why free weights are better for more muscle fiber recruitment and maximum stimulation.
When it's just you and the barbell, you're responsible for balancing it while lifting it. This increases the overload, which in turn will be more effective at building muscle.
Bottom line, good old-fashioned free weights are the number one selection for building muscle!
Now that you know what's more effective for building muscle, learn how to set up your workout program to get the best results in the least amount of time
