BG-5: Machines vs Free Weights: Which One Is Best For You part 1

I am what you would call a regular in the gym.  In addition to training others, I spend a lot of time in various gyms doing my own workout. And if I had to guess, I’d have to say that 85% of the gyms that I’ve been in are filled wall-to-wall with fitness machines.  And while that is great and all, and it makes the gym look like the ideal fitness center because there is “a lot of equipment”, to me it looks cluttered and more like wasted space.

In my years I have been fortunate to have worked on both ends of the fitness spectrum.  One one end as a fitness trainer and on the other end as a physical therapist.

The reason I call gyms with wall-to-wall machines wasted space is because I see that floor as space for more functional exercises.  In my opinion, no one that walks into a gym should, EVER, be using a machine that has you sitting down. 

Now, I know that there are exceptions, like if you are on crutches, have an injury or are in a wheelchair or something like that. Sometimes we need those machines. But if you are walking into the gym, under your own power, and without a hitch in your step, you should just walk right past every one of those seated exercise machines.

Most of the activities we perform on an average day, where we need strength and stability are performed while on our feet. In fact, I would have to think long and hard to come up with a functional activity where someone would need to be very strong in a seated position, and only a very few lying down.

Where probably 90% of the members walk into a gym under their own power, there is only one exercise machine that I am not opposed to them having.

I will name that machine and go into greater details in part 2 of this blog.

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