Comments on: Free Weights Vs. Machines http://www.lazymanandhealth.com/free-weights-vs-machines/ Get Healthy with Me, One Post at a Time Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:34:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Adam http://www.lazymanandhealth.com/free-weights-vs-machines/comment-page-1/#comment-1228 Adam Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:05:55 +0000 http://www.lazymanandhealth.com/?p=321#comment-1228 The more efficient your training tool is, the less efficient you have to be. And the more efficient you have to be, the more "functionality" you will develop and will be able to apply to life and sport. So, there is a functional continuum that moves from machines to conventional free weights to things like kettlebells, Clubbells, gymnastics rings, etc. I think the best use for strength training machines is when you need to specifically target a muscle for prehab or rehab purposes, so that you can later integrate that muscle into more functional movements. This is a paradigm shift though, since most of the fitness industry is still focused on the "physique" mentality of developing muscles instead of focusing on movement. By focusing on movement first, and allowing the muscle to develop as it will, I find you end up with a much more natural looking development, and at the same time the strength you acquire is much more transferable to daily life. Cheers, Adam The more efficient your training tool is, the less efficient you have to be. And the more efficient you have to be, the more “functionality” you will develop and will be able to apply to life and sport. So, there is a functional continuum that moves from machines to conventional free weights to things like kettlebells, Clubbells, gymnastics rings, etc.

I think the best use for strength training machines is when you need to specifically target a muscle for prehab or rehab purposes, so that you can later integrate that muscle into more functional movements. This is a paradigm shift though, since most of the fitness industry is still focused on the “physique” mentality of developing muscles instead of focusing on movement. By focusing on movement first, and allowing the muscle to develop as it will, I find you end up with a much more natural looking development, and at the same time the strength you acquire is much more transferable to daily life.

Cheers,
Adam

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