Anyone train pretty much machine only

[275bills]

Its also easier to take the ego lifting out of the equation when using machines compared to free weights

 

[hawkmoon]

The shrug machines are way nice bro

Haven't got any here

 

[alfresco]

The whole notion of “stabilizer muscles” and compound movements lead to denser bigger muscles is an out dated thought process and just not true.

 

[Bio]

"Young lifters need to learn the basics! Stick to the bread and butter"
But also
"Young lifters need to train hard...they need to understand where failure is..."

VERY hard to do both of these. I was a football player and powerlifter and lived on the basic barbell movements, and i was strong as fuck at them. BUT, i needed someone around me to make sure i wasnt going to fucking kill myself. I would go up to random 50-year-old men in the gym at 5AM asking them to spot me on bench as I need to hit a triple with 455....like whattt...asking for a problem there lol

Yes, young lifters need to know/learn/understand the basic movement, but you dont NEED those specific movements to build a quality foundation and physique. I havent squatted, benched or DLed in years. Im allll machines now as i train to failure. Its ALOT easier for me to bail out of 5pps on Hammer Incline then it is to get out of 405 on Barbell Incline Bench.

I love the ability to train to failure and not worry about getting stuck by using plate loaded and selectorized equipment!
You're absolutely right TOO55, it's nice to hit 5 plates on incline plate loaded bench and don't have to worry about failure. I've worked with a younger group of guys teaching them powerlifting and some bodybuilding the last few years. They were roughly 18-19 when we started and now they're 20-21. They love the power and big lifts but some also like the feeling that a bodybuilding workout gives them. I told them, one is about moving weight and the other is about squeezing and really feeling that muscle contract. Now some of them are torn on which direction they want to head..LOL! I told them they're young, they can keep the basic compound movements and follow a powerlifting routine with those lifts but then they can supplement the workout with isolation movements. It's fun to watch their brains spin! LOL!!

I use 95%+ machines. Safer and IME more effective, as I can push harder and do rest pause sets.

The only exercises where I grip a free bar are SDLs, hammer curls, shrugs, and the occasional side laterals.

Same here. With all the surgeries I've had and dealing with Ankylosing Spondylitis I prefer the same split of machines vs free weights that you listed. I'll do some upright rows but I do them on a smith machine.

 

[dantes]

Markus ruhl did all his chest training on machines and had one of the largest and densest chests in history

He did a lot of smith machine pressing which i consider more of a free weight press than machine.

 

[luki7788]

He did a lot of smith machine pressing which i consider more of a free weight press than machine.

Technically, it's still a machine

 

[TheRoid]

He did a lot of smith machine pressing which i consider more of a free weight press than machine.

Guided one-dimensional movement pattern.
The Smith Machine is the EPITOME of machines.

 

[275bills]

Smith MACHINE lol

 

[luki7788]

now i do all my presses and squats only on machines

the reason - I'm getting old lol and seriously, when you're strong enough to do 6-12 repetitions, you do 3-4 plates per side or squats 5-6 plates each slightest mistake and instability ends with a minor or major injury. I often had some shoulder or knee injuries when I was doing barbells and dumbbells. Since I started doing squats on hack sq or smith or presses on smith/hamer etc. I train without any injuries and continue to improve but I am 90% safer than with barbells and dumbbells

 

[alfresco]

Its also easier to take the ego lifting out of the equation when using machines compared to free weights

Pretty much. But people still count plates in the stack.

Saw this the other day (ego). Guy gets off the machine. Drops the pin way way down and
walks away. WTF? Never seen a woman do that.

 

[Cerberus777]

Pretty much. But people still count plates in the stack.

Saw this the other day (ego). Guy gets off the machine. Drops the pin way way down and
walks away. WTF? Never seen a woman do that.

I've seen kids do this all the time

 

[Mufasa123]

Pretty much. But people still count plates in the stack.

Saw this the other day (ego). Guy gets off the machine. Drops the pin way way down and
walks away. WTF? Never seen a woman do that.

He should be infinitely more embarrassed over his "move the pin" insecurity versus the weight he lifts. His time is better spent with a therapist.

 

[275bills]

Pretty much. But people still count plates in the stack.

Saw this the other day (ego). Guy gets off the machine. Drops the pin way way down and
walks away. WTF? Never seen a woman do that.

Lol oh i know

Ill admit i even have a easier time adjusting, choosing a weight when using a machine

 

[Cerberus777]

Lol oh i know

Ill admit i even have a easier time adjusting, choosing a weight when using a machine

Yup like "yeah thanks" lol

 

[dantes]

Smith MACHINE lol

Yes thank you I can read but thanks for pointing that out. The load pattern is the exact same as free weight and many smith machines now don’t even have fixed movement they simply lock like a “machine” I would not consider that the same thing as cables or other machines provided the stimulus is no different than a free weight and I believe the basis of this discussion is regarding stimulus of free weight vs machines.

 

[buck]

Conducted my totally unscientific study again today in the gym. The guys in the free weight area defiantly seemed to have muscle then those working out in the machine area.
But there is no way to prove which is better. Same as there is no way to prove which style of lifting or any other area of BB is the far superior way.
I think the only thing that has been pretty well proven to work with growing muscle is progression. If the weights either on a machine or free weight goes up so does the muscle mass all things being equal. Same if it is intensity, volume, RIR progression seems to be the real factor in growth. If other areas are adjusted accordingly.

 

[alfresco]

Conducted my totally unscientific study again today in the gym. The guys in the free weight area defiantly seemed to have muscle then those working out in the machine area.
But there is no way to prove which is better. Same as there is no way to prove which style of lifting or any other area of BB is the far superior way.
I think the only thing that has been pretty well proven to work with growing muscle is progression. If the weights either on a machine or free weight goes up so does the muscle mass all things being equal. Same if it is intensity, volume, RIR progression seems to be the real factor in growth. If other areas are adjusted accordingly.

Think identical twins.

All else being equal (and it is), the biggest variable and perhaps the most important one being motivation.

 

[LATS]

I train predominately with machines.. I believe that free weights just have too many negatives in regards to plain old gravity and balance, weaker supporting muscle etc.. plus with my aweful shoulder Injuries I prefer to not have to balance the load and just put the load on the muscle.. yes, they did just fine in the golden age with free weights. It can be done with just free weights.. but its not optimal..
That being said machines are only as good as the set up.. many are not setting the machines up right in regards to their body and the pivot points etc.. I see it all the time even with video with pro competitors. But if you have a quality machine with great biomechanics you can eliminate the negatives of free weights in regards to their inherent flaw of strength curves in many movements..
My home gym is all hand picked machines that I found worked for me.. I still have dumbells etc and still do db curls, one arm rows etc.. but 90 percent of what do is Hammer strength, Watson, bodymaster, icarian, nautilus machines..

 

[buck]

Think identical twins.

All else being equal (and it is), the biggest variable and perhaps the most important one being motivation.

I know that is why i said unscientific. As most of everything else i have seen here regarding if free weights or machines are better. Pretty much all biased opinion, unless i missed some scientific proof that was posted. People talk about what they use. It would be more enlightening i think if they said over the years if they grew more muscle in the years they used machines mostly or free weights. For me it would be free weights even though i use machines now as they are easier.
The study on identical twins that has been going on in the UK for some time is something i find interesting and shows how lifestyle etc. can influence peoples health and other factors in life. But don't think any twins used free weights vs machines!

 

[qbkilla]

Another unscientific observation, people that do a lot of calisthenics are always lean. Plenty of fat muscular guys using machine, cable, squatting every plate in the gym etc. But you won't see someone with distention or a gut or ugly shape doing china, bodyweight stuff etc. Not sure If there is anything to it other than those guys eat less and are more active. And as people who lift weights we want muscle and have it drilled into our head from day one we must eat and are even told that's more important than training.