Some Spanish researchers compared these two types of training and the discovery was very interesting
Anyone who regularly frequents a gym has at least once found themselves faced with the question: Are (free) weights or machines better? Not infrequently, training regulars look at the machines with distrust: they claim that the free weights (barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells…) allow you to build more strength, especially due to the greater number of muscles needed to stabilize and balance the body when lifting and lowering the weight. The carsinstead, thanks to theirs induced stabilityrequire less muscle activation in all phases of the exercise, which could lead to smaller gains in strength. But are we sure that this is exactly how things are?
Machines versus free weights: the study
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To find out, some researchers from the Faculty of Sports Science at the University of Murcia (Spain) made a comparison 38 men with a minimum of two years of experience in weight training through exercises that are very popular in gyms. Divided into 2 groups – machines vs free weights – the volunteers trained 3 times a week for about two months, following an identical routine in terms of intensity, frequency, number of sets (3), rest between workouts (48 hours), total volume (1,494 repetitions), length of rest between sets and type of exercises. The only difference was the use of barbells or dumbbells or specific weight training machines. The result? Quite surprising: after 8 weeks, tests measuring strength and muscle size revealed little difference in the gains achieved by both groups of athletes. “This suggests that the ways of working with free weights and with machines are the same Effective for promoting strength and hypertrophy without increasing joint discomfort”, explain the researchers.
Conclusions
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So how is it possible that free weights are still considered the better option than machines in the weight room today? In the past, several studies have admitted that exercises with free weights activated more muscles than the same exercises performed on machines. Added to this is also the fact that Free weight training leads to a greater release of hormones associated with muscle growth, and it’s easy to see why free weights are considered superior in building strength and muscle. But the Spanish researchers counter that how the muscles react in the short term is not always a reflection of the final result: “Regarding the theory of muscular activity, traditionally used to facilitate exercises with free weights, it is important to note that greater muscle activity does not necessarily translate into greater long-term strength adaptations“.
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In short, if it is true that training with free weights has many benefits, machines are not necessarily inferior either: good news for anyone who feels more comfortable using them, even when facing a specific muscle weakness, since a characteristic of the machines is precisely that of isolation the various muscle groups more easily.
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