BG-7: Machines vs Free Weights: Which One Is Right For You pt 3
BG-7: Machines vs Free Weights: Which one is Best For You, part 3
In the first part of this 3 part series I talked about how gyms waste space by filling their gym floors ½ full with seated exercise machines. While these machines do serve a significant purpose for the right people, I do think they should be reserved for only a fraction of the people who use them, because your ability to provide your own movement and stability gets lost.
In the second part I talked about the limitations of those seated machines and how, basically, if you are able to walk into a gym, unassisted – and without an assistive device – those machines, for the most part, should be off limits. I also, in the 2nd part of the series introduced the one machine that every gym should have more of.
In this 3rd and final part of the series I’m going to talk about why the cable pulley machine should be the only machine that – im guessing – 95% of they typical gym users should be using.
Most people who go to the local fitness centers are there to either lose weight or build muscle. And the key to whichever one is your primary goal is in muscle development and strength building. In muscles development and strength building, well it’s obvious why muscle is important.
Muscle plays a significant role in weight loss, also, the more muscle you have the faster your metabolism.
Yes! Those seated machines are definitely capable of helping you build muscle, but there are 2 important things that they miss, that the cable pulley machines do not.
1st: Anytime there is movement, controlled movement, there has to be a point of reference. In other words, there has to be a point of stability in which to gauge your movements from. The seated machines that I’ve talked about provide that point of reference for you.
In using the cable pulley machine, from a standing position, your core has to engage to provide the stability – as opposed to you sitting and letting the frame of the seated machine provide it for you. In addition, because you are using the core – strengthening it – you get some carry-over because the functional exercises help more with your typical day-to-day activities
And 2nd, with equal importance, it allows you to move in various directions. Because the machine is designed with a cable and a handle – of some sort – that moves away from the machine itself and in a number of directions, we have a lot more freedom of movement.
Any one seated exercise machine moves front-to-back, side-to-side or up and down…ONLY! Whereas the cable pulley machine allows you to move in any direction, front-toback, side-to-side, up-and-down, and even allows you to rotate, and at the same time, build muscle in all those motions, because you can still perform the move against resistance.
In addition, being able to move in all of these different directions helps to engage the smaller – stabilizing – muscles which helps with managing pain and preventing injuries.
Next Up – Exercise: The Body’s Best Medicine For Joint and Muscle Aches and Pain
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