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Free Weights vs Machines: Which is Better for Fast Muscle Building?

Free Weights vs Machines: Which is Better for Fast Muscle Building?

Free weights or machines - which is better for packing on muscle mass in the shortest amount of time? If you absolutely have to pick one over the other, than free weights reign supreme when it comes to quick muscle building. But to achieve that awe-aspiring physique you need to include both free weights and machines in your routine.

5 Reasons Why Free Weight Are Better Than Machines For Building Muscles

  1. Increased Muscle Activation

Free weights are inherently compound exercises which means they recruit more muscles and joints during an exercise. This leads to higher muscle activation. Free weights have been shown in multiple studies to be more effective at increasing muscle activation than machines.

Compound exercises also tend to require more energy and effort, making them an excellent choice for those looking to burn more calories and improve their cardiovascular health.

A study published in the Journal Of Strength & Conditioning Research showed that "using free weights compared with more stable machines results in greater muscle activation (as measured by electromyography) during upper- (15) and lower-body (25) strength exercises. The increased muscle recruitment during free-weight activities can potentially provide a more anabolic stimulus."

  1. Full range of motion

When using free weights, you have complete freedom in your range of motion. You are not limited by the fixed movement patterns as you are with machines. This allows you to engage more muscle fibers and activate muscles in ways that are simply not possible with machines.

For example, when you perform a bench press with a barbell, you have to lower the bar all the way to your chest and then press it back up to the top the the range. This full range of motion allows for greater activation of the chest muscles, which results in more muscle growth.

On the other hand, when you perform a bench press on a machine, the range of motion is limited. Typically, you can't lower the weight all the way down to your chest, which means that you're not getting as much activation of the chest muscles.

  1. Free weights require more stabilization

When using free weights, your body has to stabilize itself to maintain proper form and balance. This engages much more muscles than performing similar exercise on a machine. This increased stabilization requirement results in greater muscle activation throughout the body, leading to greater overall muscle development.

Take squats for example. When you perform a squat with a barbell or dumbbells, your body has to work to maintain balance and stability throughout the movement. This requires the activation of multiple muscle groups, including those in your core, back, hips, and legs. You simply get more bang for your buck by effectively training your entire lower body in one go. 

Overall, the stabilization required during free weight exercises can simultaneously lead to greater muscle activation and strength gains in multiple muscle groups.

  1. Free weights are more functional

Free weights more closely mimic real-life movements and activities than machines. Exercises like Squat, Lunges, Farmer's Walk, Overhead Press, Deadlifts not only build muscle, but also enhance functional strength by working multiple muscle groups and joints simultaneously. Hence free weight exercises not only build muscle mass but help improve strength, mobility, balance, coordination, and endurance.  

  1. Free weights allow for progressive overload

If you are new to training you will soon hear the term "Plateau". It is something all bodybuilders, new and old, struggle with. It is a point in your fitness journey where you stop seeing progress despite consistent effort. It is frustrating and demotivating. It happens when your body has adapted to your current workout routine and is no longer being challenged enough to stimulate further gains in strength or muscle growth.

Here is another word you will hear soon enough "Progressive Overload". It refers to gradually increasing the amount of weight lifted over time to continuously challenge muscles and avoid plateau. Free weights are absolute best when it comes to progressive overload.

Remember, with free weight you are training multiple muscles in one go, so you get stronger all around and not in just one area. In contrast, machines often target only one muscle group at a time and may not engage as many stabilizing muscles. Also, machines often have a fixed range of motion and limited weight increments, making it more difficult to make small incremental increases in weight. This can lead to hitting a plateau more quickly. 

So Why Use Machines?

For muscle growth, including machines into your muscle building training can be a game-changer. Free weights are great for building overall strength and muscle mass. But doing volume training with free weights are taxing on the body and can lead to fatigue. This is where machine training really shines.

One of the main advantages of machines is the ability to perform high-volume training without as much strain on the body. This is why many bodybuilders often start with free weights and finish off with machines to maximize their gains.

Take, for example, the following chest routine. Suppose you did 3-4 sets of incline barbell press, 3-4 sets of flat bench press, and 3-4 sets of dumbbell fly. These free weight exercises engage a lot of muscles, including the triceps and shoulders, to assist with the movement. Doing 8-12 reps (70 to 75% of 1 max rep range), most people will be feeling fatigued after 9-12 sets of free weights and may not be able to do another free weight exercise effectively.

But you can move on to machines to really isolate and squeeze the target area. You might use the Hammer Strength chest press machine, for example, which isolates the chest muscles and will allow you to focus on squeezing and contracting the muscles with greater intensity.

Train with free weights first or machines?

The best way to build muscle is to use free weights for most of your workout and then finish off using machines. Beginning your workout with compound movements using free weights, such as squats or deadlifts, may lead to greater muscle activation and increased strength gains compared to starting with isolation exercises using machines. This is because compound movements engage multiple muscle groups and require more overall effort, leading to a greater metabolic response and muscle growth.

Another reason to start off with free weights first is that you may also find it easier to transition from free weights to machines - rather than the other way around. For example, it is relatively easier to do a few sets on the leg press machine after doing squats and deadlifts. However, if you exhausted your leg muscles by using isolation training on machines first, you will find it extremely challenging to train with free weights afterwards.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Can I get ripped using only machines?

You can get ripped using only machines. However, it's important to note that relying solely on machines for your workouts will have serious limitations your progress in terms of overall strength, functional fitness, and hypertrophy. 

Machines are effective for targeting specific muscles and achieving a "pumped" look, but they may not be as effective for building overall muscle mass and strength. Additionally, relying solely on machines can lead to muscle imbalances and limit your ability to perform real-world movements.

If your goal is to get ripped, incorporating a combination of both machines and free weights into your workout will help you achieve an overall better result. Incorporating both will allow you to target specific muscles with machines while also building overall strength and muscle mass with free weights. The best way to build muscle is to use free weights for most of your workout followed by machines to train the muscle in isolation. 

  1. Do machines build more muscle than free weights?

It is generally accepted that free weights build more over muscle and strength than machine as we explained in this article. 

While machines can be effective for targeting specific muscles and achieving a "pumped" look, they may not be as effective for overall muscle growth and hypertrophy as free weights. Free weights require more stabilization and activate more muscle fibers, making them more effective for overall muscle growth and strength.

That being said, incorporating a variety of exercises, including both machines and free weights, into your workout routine will help you achieve the best results in terms of muscle growth and hypertrophy.

  1. Do Free Weights Get You Bigger Than Machines?

Free weights are generally more effective for overall muscle growth and hypertrophy than machines. This is because free weights require more stabilization and activate more muscle fibers, which can lead to greater muscle activation and growth.

That being said, machines can be effective for isolating specific muscles and achieving a "pumped" look, which can be beneficial for bodybuilders or athletes looking to target specific muscle groups. If your goal is to build overall muscle mass and strength, incorporating a combination of both free weights and machines into your workout routine will help you achieve the best results.

  1. Can You Build a Good Physique with Machines Only?

While machines can be effective for building muscle, they are not the best option for building a well-rounded physique. If you use machines only, you may end up neglecting certain muscle groups and developing muscular imbalances. Free weights, on the other hand, require you to stabilize the weight, which engages more muscle fibers and promotes better overall muscle growth.

  1. Why Do Bodybuilders Use a Lot of Machines?

Bodybuilders often use machines in combination with free weights to target specific muscle groups and add variety to their workouts. Machines are a great option for isolating specific muscle group and performing high-rep, low-weight exercises to promote hypertrophy.

However, it's important to note that machines should not be the sole focus of a bodybuilding program. Free weights are still the best option for building overall strength and mass, and should be the foundation of any muscle-building program.

Conclusion

Free weights must be the foundation of any muscle-building routine. They require greater stabilization and activate more muscle fibers, resulting in serious muscle activation and growth. Additionally, free weights allow for full range of motion through out the exercise. While free weights are inherently compound exercises, machines are great at isolating specific muscle groups. Unless you have a specific reason for choosing one over the other, incorporating both forms of training will give you the well-rounded physique you desire.

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