Ever heard this…
“Machines are for girls, bro”. “Free weights only, bro”...
or something to that effect…bro?
Of course, these are very scientific arguments against the use of machines for those of us wanting to build muscle lol 😉
On a serious note, there are disadvantages to machines, and using only machines would be a HUGE mistake.
But there are also advantages, yes good reasons why you SHOULD use machines when you are training for hypertrophy.
Apart from the observational evidence that all top bodybuilders (both natural and non-natural) use machines, what other evidence is there?
SHOULD YOU USE MACHINES TO BUILD MUSCLE?
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Here’s the deal: Machines force you to move the weight up and down along a set path of motion. This totally REMOVES the issue of stabilization from the exercise because the machine is stabilizing the load for you.
Without a portion of your strength being diverted away to the issue of stabilization, that much more is left to push against heavier loads (this is why you can always use heavier weights with machines).
Let’s take an overhead shoulder press machines for example. Are the same fibers in the intended muscle (deltoids) being used? Yes indeed. With these fibers recruited, can you use more or less weight to work them intensely? More. Therefore, for hypertrophy/growth seekers, machines play a role in our development. Sean Hyson, who is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (C.S.C.S.), does a good job explaining this in his fitness myth no.4 – Machines Suck for Building Muscle.
You guys also know that I’m big on training to positive failure in each set. With machines there’s the obvious advantage of allowing you to push to failure without fear of a bar crashing on your chest or head!
Furthermore, I recommend a light “burn out” set or 2 at the end of each body part when utilizing lower rep ranges like the 6-8 rep range in my THT training. Machines are a good choice for burning out. Your strength and mental focus are not shifted away to stabilization, but are 100% focused on moving the weight and stimulating the intended muscle only.
So, the next time you have a bro tell you “never use machines, brah”, don’t just take his advice, look at him and say, “Why not?” There are only 2 possible outcomes…
He wasn’t expecting a follow-up question and will improvise on the spot and say “they suck”, or something to that effect, and run off *rolls eyes*. Or…
Some will have an answer and it will almost certainly be, “they don’t use your stabilizer muscles”. To which you reply, “Which ones? I mean specifically. Tell me which muscles?” This is when you’ll get a blank stare.
Follow this up by telling him/her that you only supplement your workouts with machines and that some stabilizers may not be recruited, but the fibers of the “intended” muscle ARE recruited, and because stabilization is taken out of the equation, more weight can be used to overload the muscle fibers of that intended muscle. Say, “You know, taking stabilization OUT of the equation is kinda the whole point, brah”.
It was for this precise reason that the concentration curl that Arnold used came top in a recent study of the best bicep exercises (not a machine, but a very isolated movement having the same effect as a machine).
But let me be clear so there’s no confusion: Free weights should form the bulk of your workouts and come earlier in your sessions. Use machines later; they’ll play a supplementary role in your muscular development. If free weights were “bombs” and “rockets”, machines are the “snipers”. And gaining or cutting makes no difference.
If you want the FULL package of training designed specifically to make you bigger (including your arms), download my THT training program free below
Train With Intensity!
Mark
Thank you! One question though:
Machines are clearly better than free weights. Then why a workout with only machines is a huge mistake?
@Yeser. They’re not better. You can’t train all the muscles of your body without free weights, and without free weight compound movements. Also, the stabilizer muscles don’t come into play.
The point is that machines play a role in full muscular development since they allow a single intended muscle to use more weight and go to failure (including drop sets, burn outs). So the key is to have the bulk of your workout be with free weights and use machines as the “snipers” at the end.
True dat! Mark, always good to come here and see the other point of view. The no isolation, no machine guys have been talking that crap for too long. Yes machines aren’t good for the whole body, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a part to play for the reasons you’ve given,
Hi mark
By chance I finished my glutamine stock and had no spare. Since 1-2 weeks I noticed dat I m lifting a bit heavier. Is this related to stopping glutamine…..i don’t know. I have been taking glutamine for quite some time now and creatine in cycles.
Mark you should encourage your readers to use the better brands of machinery like Hammer Strength, Technogym and Cybex. These are essentially redesigned free weights and allow a very natural and smooth range of motion without undue stress on the joints. Some cheap machines are terrible for your joints and can cause injury and are not adjustable for bigger and smaller guys. Good stuff as always, keep it up.
To put simply, without risk of argument, any lifting of heavy weights with correct form is good. Now, if I could just follow my own words and get my ass back to the gym, I wouldn’t be losing the battle of muscle loss. Hmmph!
I actually found that using the machines in the beginning helped as a newbie. As a guy walking into the gym, never working out before, you tend to avoid the free weight area. I was machine 100%, was me, some old guys and a few girls. I used them initially as a guide, taught me what weight I could use (I too feared of the weights crashing on my head), proper form. After a couple weeks I went to free weights and I did notice those extra muscles that weren’t worked.
I still use them from time to time, mostly because certain parts of the day at our gym you get a flood of crossfitters doing these crazy exercises with chairs and elastic bands placed on the bench press bar (on either side). When asked why not just use more weight instead of elastic bands, never get an answer. So rather then waiting for these fellas, I will use a machine.
@Nandan. No it wouldn’t have anything to do with stopping glutamine.
@Darshan. Good point, buddy. I’d actually recommend the Nautilus equipment because of the cams they use (at least the older machines did). I think Cybex is the same.
@Thomas. Get some motivation. Download some pics of guys you aspire to look like, and look at those pics often. Remind yourself that with dedication, it’s only a matter of time.
@Tony. That last part made me lol
Thanks for the article. Since starting Muscle Hack I’ve noted that you can’t truly train to positive failure without a spotter with exercises like bench where not finishing your last rep could mean injury. My wife became too busy to spot my bench so I’ve been using an old press machine lately. I miss not being able to do the full range on my last couple reps but at least I feel safer going for them.
Hi Mark. Quick question on your “burn out” reps. Can you confirm these are the cheat reps at the end of a set with struck form? Also, I train solo and hence try to go to positive failure each time, not easy and I often wonder if I am training hard enough. Should I do a quick drop set at the end of each body part? E.g. For THT vol 8-12 on biceps;first set to positive failure using your constant load technique with 2 cheat reps (allowing weight to stop at bottom). Same for second set but then drop some weight and do another 4-6 reps.
Thanks for your help – you’ve made a HUGE difference to my training.
But what is the point of increased strength gains in the prime movers achieved via some additional machine-based isolation if when you get back under that squat bar you are still limited by the capacity of the overall system?
Just nonfunctional hypertrophy?
@Gabriel. By burn-out sets I mean grabbing a lighter weight and “repping out” until failure with the same exercise. Yes it’s a drop set, but it’s only done at the very end of training a particular body part.
What you’re describing there at the end is a rest-pause after reaching failure. If this is safer for you as you train alone, go for it. Only do the drop set after the last set.
@Jake. The point is that this is a Hypertrophy training site. The goal is to maximize growth in ALL muscles. Therefore in THT training, squats are a fundamental exercise, but so are isolation exercises as it’s literally impossible to stimulate maximum growth in all muscles without them.
Nonfunctional hypertrophy. There’s no such thing. All hypertrophy/growth is functional.
I wrote a critique on 5×5 training systems, which includes points relevant to your question.
In the first section called ‘The Rep Range’ scroll down to the part that says ‘IS THIS EXTRA GROWTH JUST “SARCOPLASMIC GOO”?’ – it is not nonfunctional hypertrophy.
For more on the necessity of isolation exercises, see the last section called ‘NO ISOLATION EXERCISES’. Here’s the article…
https://musclehack.com/why-5×5-workouts-dont-build-maximum-muscle/