Effects of Weight Machines

Most people that are new to lifting typically start their resistance training program with the weight machines at the gym. Weight machines have numerous benefits in terms of increasing strength, building everyday fitness and improving body composition, but there may also be better methods of lifting that are more functional to the real world and help you progress faster.

  1. Machines for Muscle

    • One of the most common goals among people who lift weights is building muscle mass. Your muscles grow when they are broken down through weight training and then rebuild themselves bigger than before. Any form of progressive overload can accomplish this. By challenging your pectorals and triceps on the chest press machine, your quads on the leg press or your hamstrings on the leg curl, you're causing muscle breakdown, which can lead to growth. Machines can even build more muscle than free weights, as they allow you to concentrate more on the target muscles, according to sports scientist Jim Stoppani.

    Training the Technique

    • Since free weights can be cumbersome and difficult to balance at first and body weight moves can be challenging, machines offer a better way to increase strength in the early stages of a training program. According to the McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois, machines guide you through the correct range of motion, which can help you master technique. If your goal is to bench press 225 pounds with a free bar, for instance, starting on a chest press machine can help you build a base level of strength before progressing to free weights.

    Count Those Calories

    • Cardio tends to be the go-to calorie burn exercise for many people, but you can burn calories on weight machines, too. An hour of resistance training can burn between 365 and 545 calories, depending on your body weight and how hard you work. The key is to lift heavy and push yourself, notes trainer Charlotte Andersen of "Shape." The heavier you go, the more calories you'll burn, both during and after the session. Use good form, but strive to lift as heavy as you can in the 8-to-10-reps-per-set range and use mainly multi-muscle machines, such as leg presses and hack squats for your lower body and seated row, chest press, shoulder press and pull-down machines for your upper body.

    Improving for Every Day

    • Getting stronger on weight machines can make everyday life easier. Stronger forearms will help when carrying grocery bags, stronger legs will help walking up stairs and bigger shoulders and arms are useful when lifting boxes or decorating. The only downside to machines in this respect is that while they are beneficial, they're not as functional as free weights. Free weights are better for building balance and coordination, notes personal trainer Ben Greenfield. So, at some stage, you may wish to look at switching over to free-weight squats, deadlifts, lunges, presses and rows.