| I've been lifting weights for as long as I can | | | | magazine doing the latest (*recycled) muscle max |
| remember - Machines as well as free weights; and | | | | workout using particular pieces of equipment, and |
| I believe you have as well, at one time or | | | | they no doubt think that if it worked for Ronnie, |
| another. While not being totally hard-core, I do | | | | then it will work for me ( *There's actually nothing |
| love the feel of iron. Looking back, I can | | | | new in bodybuilding over the last 30 or so years. |
| remember the tremendous pump I received while | | | | Only the faces and the drugs have changed). But |
| using variable resistance machines, but it wasn't | | | | anyway...Bodies are meant to move three |
| long before I had my fill. You could say I was | | | | dimensionally through space (which is what free |
| physically and psychologically burnt out. Basically I | | | | weight training allows). Muscles contracting, |
| became bored. I needed something different. | | | | balancing, and stabilizing in all three planes of |
| Machine work wasn't challenging enough for me | | | | motion (frontal, sagittal and transverse). The |
| anymore. So from a creative standpoint, I would | | | | interplay of all these factors is what determines |
| have to go with free weights.As far as function is | | | | and creates human movement. Lack of this |
| concerned-that's very diverse. Leading fitness | | | | interplay is what causes injury. When you take |
| manufacturers would like you to believe that their | | | | away your body's mobility - the ability to stabilize |
| seated exercise machines are functional. I've even | | | | and balance (which is what machine training does) |
| seen marketing material from some top | | | | you've got a problem. You decrease your body's |
| equipment manufacturers depicting professional | | | | ability to protect itself during those dynamic, |
| athletes training on their so-called "new line" using | | | | rehearsed and also unrehearsed movements that |
| the seated leg extension, chest press, etc. Is that | | | | we all encounter during a sporting event or while |
| functional? If the answer is yes, then functional | | | | performing everyday activities. After looking at |
| for whom? We all know that the activity will | | | | machine training in this light; it really doesn't seem |
| dictate the means. And what you also know is | | | | all that safe anymore.And you won't realise it at |
| that at least 90% of all sports are played in a | | | | that very moment; it's a slow process. But |
| standing position - exceptions being rowing, | | | | eventually it will come back to haunt you. Machine |
| kayaking and wheelchair basketball to name a | | | | training causes movement pattern overload. |
| few.When you use the typical variable resistance | | | | Placing unnecessary stress on your joints, tendons |
| machines found in most gyms or "life-style | | | | and ligaments; creating back, shoulder and knee |
| centers" you put your body in a position that | | | | injuries of all sorts (I should know -trust me!). For |
| doesn't even closely resemble how your body | | | | example: while using the seated chest press, your |
| functions or operates. Your body doesn't like | | | | transverse abdominus (part of your core |
| isolation - period.(quoting Carlos Santana - It's like | | | | musculature) which initiates all movement is |
| fitting your body with a cheap suit. It doesn't fit | | | | basically asleep. Unnecessary loads are being |
| very well.) It's difficult to find a machine that | | | | placed on your wrists, shoulders and elbows, |
| perfectly fits over 700 muscles and 206 | | | | because you are forcing yourself to train in a |
| bones!But for certain populations they probably | | | | certain movement pattern - Remember, your |
| are useful in very limited doses - I repeat very | | | | body doesn't like isolation.Despite all of this, I'm |
| limited doses. For example: a person who is new | | | | not going to give machines a total thumbs down. |
| to weight training, can't control their own | | | | They have their place in a training program- |
| body-weight, and doesn't like to perform body | | | | somewhere. I've seen them in rehab settings for |
| weight exercises. This would be a temporary | | | | example; I've read that you sometimes have |
| solution. For the bodybuilder, whose primary | | | | work a muscle in a isolated fashion to improve it's |
| purpose is to load a muscle group with a freakish | | | | function, and then integrate later. But it seems |
| amount of weight and volume to increase muscle | | | | that something has gotten lost in the way we |
| size. Trying to pump-up and "isolate" a muscle | | | | prepare our bodies for sport/athletic movement. |
| group - which we all know is impossible and isnt a | | | | Something has gotten misplaced between physical |
| testament of true strength - but don't try to tell | | | | therapy and bodybuilding. Ironic isn't it that the |
| them that! Useless strength is what it is ( but | | | | same machines (most, not all) physical therapists |
| that's no porblem if your goal is to build useless | | | | use to rehab an athlete are the very same ones |
| strength!). But the name of the game in | | | | that create most of the problems in the first |
| bodybuilding is primarily aesthetics (appearance), | | | | place! Then again, you can't blame the machine; it's |
| not performance. If you are going for real | | | | just a machine, man made in fact. If anyones the |
| strength. Sheer overall strength and power, free | | | | blame, it's the therapist, the athletic trainer! |
| weights win - hands down.I still laugh to this day, | | | | Another analogy is this: Guns don't kill people, |
| because I was also sold on the same B.S. when I | | | | people do. It's a little extreme, but the message is |
| first started weight training. Hell, all I had for | | | | the same.I think we all have to make sure that |
| reference were all those muscle magazines. No | | | | we give everything it's proper place and know |
| offence to Joe Weider - but for years he pulled | | | | when to say enough is enough (e.g. too much |
| the wool over all our eyes! Laughing all the way to | | | | volume, too much so-called isolation, etc).Like I |
| the bank! I had nothing but chronic injuries while | | | | said, maybe machines have their place in a |
| strength training, performing pure bodybuilding | | | | program somewhere; but you'll never find them in |
| routines (which I thought was true strength | | | | any of mine (At least not in the traditional sense). |
| training back in the day) and play high level | | | | A good cable/pulley system is all I need (the |
| basketball. The two just didn't mix. Show muscle | | | | Keiser Functional Trainer and Ground Zero are |
| is not the same as performance muscle. But since | | | | good examples). I can't imagine any coach or |
| I've become more involved with athletic | | | | trainer telling me - with a smile on his face, that |
| performance I've managed to se the light.Let's | | | | their weight room injury rate is zero, while half of |
| talk about safety for a moment. First of all, | | | | the team is on the injured list and their overall |
| everything has a certain danger element to it - | | | | athletic performance sucks! That's nothing to be |
| certain risk factors; weight training is not excluded. | | | | proud of!I'm not an advocate of the sport safety |
| I can imagine that some people have the idea | | | | for weight room safety trade-off, sorry. I can't |
| that training with free weights is dangerous, when | | | | count how many bodybuilders and athletes that |
| they hear stories about some idiot being all alone | | | | have fallen to machine related abuse/injuries; |
| in weight room (no spotter in sight) trying to | | | | myself included! Just out of pure ignorance. That's |
| bench 225, but is unsucessful. Later to he has | | | | a shame, because they're so easy to avoid.So |
| that 225 siiting on his chest, or even worse, his | | | | you have my answer. Use machines sparingly and |
| throat! All alone, gasping for air. If I was a novice, | | | | at your own risk. Free weights - you can't beat |
| and heard that, I would also be scared as hell to | | | | the carryover (e.g. balance and stabilization |
| lift free weights! That's a scary scenario. | | | | components), which is needed in every sport. |
| Accidents can and will happen, but a lot of them | | | | Then there's also the creativity factor-the |
| can be prevented. Most of the time accidents | | | | possibilities are endless. You can basically train |
| stem from sheer carelessness. If you train | | | | your entire body with two sets of dumbbells and |
| responsibly ( i.e. proper form, having enough | | | | build a nice one at that (for those interested in |
| common sense to know when to use a spotter, | | | | only aesthetics) for only a fraction of the cost of |
| and a reasonable load) weight training is very safe. | | | | one of those multi-systems. You know the ones |
| Use common sense, respect yourself and the | | | | with the chest press/leg extension/ lat-pulldown/ |
| weights the weights that you use and you should | | | | leg-curl/Etc, Etc, etc. Name one piece of |
| be fine.Now the other side of the coin. Due to | | | | equipment where you can do so much with so |
| their fixed position and guided movement, | | | | little.Free weights are definitely better.John Grady |
| machine training is supposedly safer. But In the | | | | is the owner of A company based in Europe (the |
| long run who are they safe for? I catch clients all | | | | Netherlands) that specializes in Sport-specific |
| the time squirming in their seats (compensating) | | | | training and athletic development. John is certified |
| trying to push 70 to 90kg on the chest press or | | | | by ACE and the ISSA and has more than 15 |
| with a behind the neck press on the smith | | | | years of training experience. He has trained clients |
| machine, and so on. I literally see the beginning of | | | | from all walks of life and regularly trains and |
| the end, these people just don't know what they | | | | advises many amateur and professional athletes in |
| are doing to themselves! And talking reason into | | | | the areas of athletic development.Hungry for |
| them is like talking to a...a...smith machine! We all | | | | information?Visit his website at and feel free to |
| know the types, with the unshakable, dogmatic | | | | subscribe to his free, information rich newsletter. |
| mindset (almost cultlike), that's not founded on | | | | Sign up and receive as an added bonus his 6 part |
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| science. They've seen Ronnie Coleman in a | | | | Conditioning"Questions on training? |