If you’ve been active in the fitness community for some time, you’ve probably heard over and over again that machine training is inferior to training with free weights (barbells and dumbbells).
The problem with this statement is that it tries to get you to choose one or the other. As if it would be blasphemy to use both modalities to your advantage.
Now, I don’t disagree that if you had to pick one or the other, free weights are the better option. For one, they’re more versatile.
All you need is a set of dumbbells, a barbell, some plates and an adjustable bench and you can get a complete workout in.
With machine training, you essentially need a full machine for each exercise you perform. Not that efficient, especially if you’re working out at home.
As well, a lot of times machines aren’t designed for elite level lifters. So if you plan on achieving godlike strength and a killer physique, you may outgrow most of the machines in your gym.
The other advantage of free weight training is that you develop your stabilizers. This may not have a role in promoting muscle growth – after all, how big do you think the rotator cuff and hip stabilizers can get?
The answer, is not very big. However, building stabilization strength can improve your athleticism and functionality.
Finally, with free weights, there is a standard across the board. Bench pressing 300 lbs is the same, no matter where in the world you are.
Whereas, 300 lbs on one machine may feel different than 300 lbs on another machine. This makes free weights better for developing standards.
The Advantages of Machine Training
With all that said, you might be thinking, well now why would I bother with machine training. Well the first reason is for variety.
One of the key strategies I use in my routine is exercise rotation.
When I stall on a specific lift, I’ll rotate it to a similar movement pattern. Machine training allows for exercise rotation, beautifully.
For example, if you stall on incline dumbbell curls, you can switch to a machine curl variation. What you’ll notice is that you feel incredibly fresh.
Over the next few weeks progress will move swiftly. Then when you go back to incline dumbbell curls, for example, you will start to make positive progress again (since your CNS will no longer be drained).
Machine Training Allows You to Get More Volume In
Due to the nature of machine training, there is less neural fatigue and mental burnout. You simply position yourself in the machine and start working your muscles.
There’s no stabilization involved, there’s no loading heavy dumbbells, you just sit and lift. For this reason, machine training is less taxing than free weight training.
Now that’s not to say that free weights are bad. But rather, at the end of your workout, if you want to get more sets and reps in to promote more muscle growth, machine training may be the better option.
I know that after hitting three heavy sets of bench press, the idea of going into heavy incline dumbbell bench presses is frightening.
That said, doing a few sets of incline machine presses is a walk in the park. The same is true with dumbbell lateral raises and dumbbell rear delt flyes.
Sometimes these exercises drain me when I’ve been doing them for a while. But machine lateral raises and machine rear delt flyes are easy like sunday morning.
So I find that incorporating a few machine exercises into my routine, allows me to get in more volume without increasing the level of mental exhaustion or burden.
Hybrid Workout Including Machines
I have crafted together a Superhero Muscle Building workout routine you can perform, that blends free weights and machine training together.
This is quite similar to a workout that I’ve been doing for sometime.
Monday (Workout A) – Chest, Biceps, Rear Delts
Flat Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets RPT
Machine Incline Bench Press: 3 sets RPT
Incline DB Hammer Curls: 3 sets RPT
Lat Pull Down Curls (or machine curls): Rest Pause
Machine Rear Delt Flye: Rest Pause
Wednesday (Workout B) – Legs, Calves
Single Leg Squat Variation: 3 sets RPT
Sumo Deads or Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets RPT
Leg Extensions (toes pointed out): Rest Pause
Calf Raise Machine: Rest Pasue
Friday (Workout C) – Shoulders, Back, Triceps
Weighted Pull ups: 3 sets RPT
Seated DB Shoulder Presses: 3 sets RPT
Seated Cable Row (or machine row): 3 sets RPT
Cable Rope Pushdowns: Rest Pause
Lateral Raise Machine (or cable lateral raises): Rest Pause
Notes:
2. RPT = Reverse Pyramid Training
4. If you want to do this routine on a cutting plan, I recommend dropping the number of sets down for Reverse Pyramid Training to 2 per exercise.
Final Comments:
For the most part, I recommend using free weights as the staple of your routine. That said, as you get more and more advanced, it makes sense to include some machine exercises into your program.
For example, in my most advanced muscle building course, superhero bulking, I give machine substitutions for the workout program.
These are only for the secondary/accessory movements. But adding in some machine training can help give advanced lifters a neural break and encourage higher volume for optimal muscle growth
