photo: massivekontent.com
Are machines or free weights better? It’s one of the oldest debates in exercise science. The argument for free weights is the fuller range of motion and the need to stabilize better targets your muscles and builds more strength. The argument for machines is a fixed path allows you to focus only on the movement and, unlike some dumbbell or barbell exercises, a weight stack’s vertical resistance fights gravity from start to finish, better working the targeted muscles. So, which is best—free weights or machines? The gym bros have always been Team Free Weights. But a new study challenges that consensus.
FREE WEIGHTS OR MACHINES STUDY
The study had 38 resistance-trained men participate in an eight-week program. They were divided into two groups of 19. One group did four exercises with free weights (squat, bench press, bench row, shoulder press), the other group did those same exercises with machines. All other training modalities were the same. The two groups were evaluated for strength changes, hypertrophy (growth) in the quads, pecs, and abs, and joint discomfort.
The study’s authors found no meaningful differences between the two groups and concluded: “The main findings of the current study suggest that free-weight and machine-based exercises are similarly effective to promote strength and muscle hypertrophy without increasing joint discomfort. Hence, athletes are encouraged to train using either of these two modalities depending on their possibilities or preferences, whereas focusing on other training parameters that have widely demonstrated to be key modulators of these adaptations (e.g., intensity, intraset fatigue, range of motion).”
ARE MACHINES OR FREE WEIGHTS BETTER?
They answer to this question is YES. Machines are better for some exercises, and free weights are better for other exercises. For example, machines are better for leg extensions, which are difficult to duplicate with barbells or dumbbells. And free weights are better for lunges, to name one example, because they’re difficult to duplicate with a machine.
However, when it comes to strength gains, hypertrophy, and joint health, this new study indicates that there may be no difference between doing the same movements with machines or doing them with free weights. Weights, whether in a machine’s stack or on the collars of a barbell, are just tools. Most of the time, the crucial factor for making gains is the intensity of the effort, not the tool itself.
SOURCE
Hernández-Belmonte, Alejandro, et al., “Free-Weight and Machine-Based Training Are Equally Effective on Strength and Hypertrophy: Challenging a Traditional Myth,” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 55(12):p 2316-2327, December 2023.
