Which Is Better For Building Muscle: Machines Or Free Weights?

Want to know the Million Dollar question I get asked probably
more than any other?

Which is better for building muscle: Machines or Free Weights?

Well, first of all, overloading the muscle with heavy weight –
whatever the type of equipment you use — is what promotes
muscle growth. Any exercise that limits overload is not a good
choice.

However, in most cases, it’s much more effective, and more
efficient, to overload the muscle with dumbbells and barbells.

Most machines are very inefficient and not nearly as effective
at muscle stimulation as free weight compound exercises. That’s
because they limit the amount of overload you can achieve. Less
overload… less muscle fiber recruitment and less muscle growth
as a result.

Sticking with basic free weight exercises enables you to handle
maximum overload and use natural biomechanics as you perform the
movements. Machines restrict your natural movements, again,
making them less effective for building muscle.

Now, if I had to use a machine for resistance training, it’d
probably be Hammer Strength machines. Hammer Strength is a
company that recognizes that humans do not lift weights in a
perfectly straight line. The range of motion of Hammer Strength
equipment generally follows the natural arc of our own force
curve.

And the thing is, you can probably lift more weight on Hammer
Strength equipment than a free weight barbell. And it makes
sense why. The machines help you out by balancing and
stabilizing the majority of the weight for you. This makes it
easier to lift more weight. But it’s not an advantage. Muscle
fiber recruitment will always be less than if a free weight were
used.

Even though the absolute poundage is greater on a machine, the
actual overload on the muscle is greater with free weights
because you’re responsible for balancing and stabilizing all the
weight yourself. This, along with an increased range of motion,
is why free weights are better for more muscle fiber recruitment
and maximum stimulation.

Bottom line, good old-fashioned free weights are the number one
selection for building muscle!

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