Free Weights or a Weight Machine?

Which is better for strength and muscle development free weights or weight machine? Purists will tell you that free weight is the only way to go while those with more modern sensibilities may lean towards a weight machine. Both have their benefits and perceived or imagined shortcomings.

I generally shy away from saying one method is better than the other, because at one time or another I've used both with greater or lesser degrees of success. Free weight or weight machine? It's like asking which came first: the chicken or the egg. Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Edward R. Laskowski, M.D. points out that both free weights and machine weights - as well as other types of resistance - can help you increase your strength. He doesn't however mention anything about making gains in size.

From a strictly safety-first point of view, I will say that weight machines allow for a more controlled environment. For example, you don't have to worry about weights falling on your head or losing your balance if you perform the bench press on a machine. Conversely, when you use free weight you are using a lot of smaller muscle groups to stabilize yourself. In fact, muscle-fast.com points out that one of the primary benefits of free weight training is the development of stabilizing muscles, which support the growth of the bigger muscles. To build maximum muscle mass, you want to stimulate as much muscle as possible with each exercise you perform.

I also believe - and research has proven this - that you are lifting truer weight when you lift free weight.

So, are there any benefits to using machines? Yes - in my humble opinion weight machines are great for beginner, are ideal for homes where space is limited and the controlled movements offered by machines are also ideal for rehabilitation. For example, when rehabilitating an injury where you cannot support a barbell, dumbbells, or your own body weight, a machine might be used. Similarly, an injured leg might be rehabilitated on an exercise bicycle.

In terms of you and your body and the muscles that come with it, I'm sold on free weight. Free weights help build functional strength. Liftforlife.com points out that free weights allow you to move your body in the natural way it was meant to move, with the weight attached to it. So when lifting weights, the muscle size not only increases, but the strength also increases. This is called functional strength.

In short, Free weight allows you to build up your core strength better than any machine can do.

A tough decision to make: free weight or weight machine? If the worst-case scenario is doing nothing, then I'd say choose and use both,just make sure you don't miss your workout!