Machine work-outs that work

Imagine for a moment you just paid for a membership at that fancy new gym that you have committed to getting into shape at, motivated in part by the sum of money you parted with to gain access to it. But one look at the expanse of intimidating machinery on the floor has you wondering if you might have gotten in over your head. Where do you start?

The free weight area is even more threatening, with thick-necked body builders cranking out reps with barbells, so laden with plates that you can't see the bar holding it all together.

... No you're definitely not ready for that sort of workout.

The first question crossing your mind as you head back to the room filled with fancy new machines is, 'can a machine workout provide anywhere near the effectiveness of a session with free weights?' ... The answer to that is YES!

Advantages of exercise machines

The main advantage of exercise machines is how easy they are to use compared with free weights. You have to have a certain amount of know-how to safely work-out with bars, interchangeable plates and dumbbells - the kind that comes with experience.

Using free weights builds your 'core' trunk muscles through the ongoing effect involved with maintaining balance and coordinating movements. Since the core muscle group is your foundation for all powerful and lower body movements, that's a big deal.

You're sure to notice this the first time you try a free weight lift with the same resistance you set on the machine. It will feel a whole lot heavier with free weights.

Real strength comes from core muscle activation and is developed not just with floor to overhead olympic style lifts, but simple dumbbell exercises as well. 

Even though you may be focusing on just one muscle group with a certain free weight exercise, the coordination and balance required to stand there cranking out reps, activates the surrounding muscles including your core.

Until you're ready to work out with free weights, you can compensate for core muscle underdevelopment by incorporating bridges, push-ups, squat thrusts and other core building calisthenics into your fitness routine.

A disadvantage that may not be all that obvious, until you actually get set to begin exercising on a machine is the way it fits or does not fit your body. 

Proper form is important for maximising the valve of each of the many different free weight exercises, not to mention reducing the risk of injury.

Starting out with exercise machines is a great way to gain exposure to the form requirements of resistance training. There's usually a diagram displayed prominently on each machine showing the range of motion and muscles utilised. This is valuable information because it is the same basic movement you would perform if you were doing the exercise with free weights. All you really have to do is position your body as shown on the machine's instructive diagram.

A quick tip is to keep the momentum from taking anything away from your efforts. Remember to keep your butt on the seat and your back/chest (depending on the exercise) touching the protective padding.

Muscle isolation is another advantage that machines have to offer. Machine resistance is provided through a cable or series of levers that provide continuous tension throughout the full range of motion.

Let's use barbell curls as an example. With free weights, the most difficult part of the exercise is when the bar is a mid point. That's when the pull of gravity is at its greatest. As the bar moves beyond mid-point, resistance decreases.

Momentum can also effect resistance when using free weights. But both of these issues are nullified by the machine's continuous tension. Plus, because you don't have to worry about balance and coordination, the way you do with free weights, you can focus on working only on the muscle or groups of muscles that the machine was designed to train. That's valuable to people who may have well developed ham strings and need to focus on calves. The abdominals are another popular group of muscles to isolate with machine exercises.

The biggest advantage that exercise machines have over free weights is the ability to train yourself without relying on a partner. Go ahead and lift heavy, all the way to muscle failure if that's your plan. You don't need a spotter, since the machine is designed to prevent you from being crushed by all that weight. Just remember not to let the weight stack drop freely from the raised position, since that could easily jar the bottom couple of plates, in addition being a very noisy distraction to others.

Disadvantages of exercise machines

With all the benefits that exercise machines have to offer, there is a down side to using them. The biggest disadvantage is the lack of work your core muscles get on machines.

Machines are designed for the average person and despite the fact that adjustments can often be made to seating height, grip width and chest pad reach. Typically stall or short people may have a hard time achieving the correct range of motion. In extreme examples, you might even strain a tendon or pull a ligament because of the way you've tried to adapt your frame to push or pull through through the the machine's fixed movement pathway. That's one of the reason's why it is a good idea to always warm up with a lighter weight, or no weight at all. If a certain movement doesn't feel natural, you can make adjustments or simply avoid that machine altogether.

When weighing the advantages and the disadvantages, consider the fact that exercise machines provide you with every opportunity to achieve a serious full body workout.

So if you're just getting used to resistance training at the gym, or you're travelling and need to lift without a training partner, pick the right machines and the right combination of exercises and you can train all the major muscle groups.

So the key here is - don't fall into the most common mistake most people make by using several different machines to train the same muscle groups.

The Body Guru has put together two full body routines to get you started on the right track:

Machine Routine 1:

•   Machine bench press (chest) - 3 sets

•   Pec deck flyers (chest) - 3 sets

•   Wide grip lat pulldowns (back/lats) - 3 sets

•   Seated hammer strength row (back/lats) - 3 sets

•   Seated machine press (deltoids/shoulder) - 3 sets

•   Triceps pushdowns (triceps/arms) - 3 sets

•   Cable curls (biceps/arms) - 3 sets

•   Leg extensions (quadriceps/legs) - 3 sets

•   Leg curls (hamstrings/legs) - 3 sets

•   Seated calf raises (calves) - 3 sets

•   Seated machine cruches (upper abs) - 3 sets

Machine Routine 2:

•   Leg extensions (quadriceps/legs) - 3 sets

•   Seated leg curls (Hamstrings/legs) - 3 sets

•   Squat machine (legs) - 3 sets

•   Standing calf raise machine (calves) - 3 sets

•   Incline press machine (chest) - 3 sets

•   Cable cross-overs (chest) - 3 sets

•   Hammer strength overhead pulldowns (lats/back) - 3 sets

•   Seated cable rows (back) - 3 sets

•   Machine side laterals (deltoids/shoulders) - 3 sets

•   Smith machine seated press (deltoids/shoulders) - 3 sets

•   Seated tricep extensions machine (triceps/arms) - 3 sets

•   Preacher curl machine (biceps/arms) - 3 sets

As you can see routine 1 works upper body muscle groups first followed by muscles of the lower body. Conversely routine 2 starts with the legs and works its way up.

Remember your muscles need 48 hours of recovery between workouts in addition to a post-workout protein shake. That's true whether you're working top to bottom or vice versa.

Also, please note the watchful eye of an experienced personal trainer who can get you started properly, so you get the full benefit of these machine routines, otherwise your results and gains will be slow and tedious to the point where you will throw the towel in.

So to stay motivated and get the results you deserve, do it for you. You're worth it!


Remember, health and fitness are your greatest assets.
Ask the Body Guru
www.totalharmonyfitness.com.au