PRO'S TRAIN WITH MACHINES???

[Dezzy]

Whenver I watch a video on Youtube of a pro, 90% of the time they are training heavy with a hammer strength machine or cables. Do Pro's avoid free weights in general or just close to contest? Or are the just lifting heavy a** weight on machines just for the benefit of the video? Or once they have gained pro size do they avoid free weights cause of injury? The Pro's I have seen on machines is guys like flex wheeler...

 

[natabolic]

Whats wrong with machines?
I know a lot of bodybuilders who train with machines, and can accomplish just as much size + strength gains from machines than they would be able to with free weights. And hell, most people that i know definitely switch over to more machine use closer to precontest, as with less water lubricating the joints, some free weight exercises CAN become dangerous.

But the whole free weights vs. machines debate has been beat to death over the years. personally, i believe that the only benefits free weights offer over machines is the development of stabilizer muscles.

Hammer strength machines and smith machines are pretty close to normal body movement as well, so i get pretty good gains from them, without having to worry about a spotter. Just as good of gains that i would have gotten from free weights? probably.

Resistance is resistance. period. the way it affects the muscle, and what muscles it affects is what is different. Like i said, stabilizer muscles.

Because stabilizer muscles are being activated, there is a possibility that your body thinks its straining more.. so more muscle fibers could be working.

but ive completely hijacked the thread
sorry ahhaha.

in short, yes, i know a few amateurs + semi pro bodybuilders that train with machines just as often, or more often than they do with free weights.. especially closer to precontest.

and on a side note, i prefer to train with free weights, but do incorporate machines into my training cycle. I just love the feel of pushing or pulling some heavy free weight. but i also love the feel of being *completely safe while pushing.

 

[chris250]

I use whatever is at the gym...If there are good machines then I will use those, but if its mostly free weights then I will use those to..Just depends on where I train at for the day

 

[Dezzy]

Whats wrong with machines?
I know a lot of bodybuilders who train with machines, and can accomplish just as much size + strength gains from machines than they would be able to with free weights. And hell, most people that i know definitely switch over to more machine use closer to precontest, as with less water lubricating the joints, some free weight exercises CAN become dangerous.

But the whole free weights vs. machines debate has been beat to death over the years. personally, i believe that the only benefits free weights offer over machines is the development of stabilizer muscles.

Hammer strength machines and smith machines are pretty close to normal body movement as well, so i get pretty good gains from them, without having to worry about a spotter. Just as good of gains that i would have gotten from free weights? probably.

Resistance is resistance. period. the way it affects the muscle, and what muscles it affects is what is different. Like i said, stabilizer muscles.

Because stabilizer muscles are being activated, there is a possibility that your body thinks its straining more.. so more muscle fibers could be working.

but ive completely hijacked the thread
sorry ahhaha.

in short, yes, i know a few amateurs + semi pro bodybuilders that train with machines just as often, or more often than they do with free weights.. especially closer to precontest.

and on a side note, i prefer to train with free weights, but do incorporate machines into my training cycle. I just love the feel of pushing or pulling some heavy free weight. but i also love the feel of being *completely safe while pushing.

Quite the contrary my friend. Good comment and information thanks for the response...

 

[Johnny Smiles]

Free weights best in my opinion

Compare a squat to a leg press. Two COMPLETELY different effects IMO.
i can leg press 1,000lbs but can only squat 500.
the free weight squat is FAR more taxing on the entire body.
for reasons like this i believe free weights are superior to machines. -JS

 

[ericraven2003]

I think a combintation of both will yield better results than one by themselves.

 

[Dezzy]

Compare a squat to a leg press. Two COMPLETELY different exercises IMO.
i can leg press 1,000lbs but can only squat 500.
the free weight squat is FAR more taxing on the entire body.
for reasons like this i believe free weights are superior to machines. -JS

The Squat is a much more difficult excercise in my opinion...

 

[penance]

in 2005 i trained in a almost machine only gym *cough shitgym cough*, everything that required heavy weight ie.inclines and squats had to be done on a smith machine.

Luckily I changed to a well equipped gym.. My physique got much denser from the freeweights I feel.. or was it cuz I just started my first cycle

But on a serious note; Watching Jay Cutler's "One Step Closer" gave me a serious message of what needs to be done by every BB: benches, rows, military presses etc..I think Jay just realized that machines did'nt cut it if he wanted to dethrone Ronnie.

 

[Big Bapper]

Bottom line is stick to what works

For you as a indvusual. Ever watch Marcus Rulls DVDs he uses all machines for chest. No bench press, no dumbells. All machines and this was before he got injured. One of the biggest chests in the world and that was after th injury.

 

[oldfella]

Compare a squat to a leg press. Two COMPLETELY different effects IMO.
i can leg press 1,000lbs but can only squat 500.
the free weight squat is FAR more taxing on the entire body.
for reasons like this i believe free weights are superior to machines. -JS

OK this is true but.........Does the fact that you can only squat 500 mean that the leg is not working harder when isolated with a much heavier weight on the leg press? Leg press enables you to handle much more weight than normal and safely. Less strain on lower back and other smaller muscles. Just targeting a specific movement and working with max effort will yeild great results. So again there is no real answer to this debate other than they both have good benefits and bad consequnces if you get it wrong. Meaning get a 500 squat wrong and what happens, you will get hurt. Get a 1000 leg press wrong and the same thing will happen.

 

[zephyr22]

I believe in intensity.....

Machine or bb or db. Go to failure and youll grow. Muscles only know resistance. That being said I like using free weights mostly. But on legs I like leg press, hacks etc....Although I think I should go back to squats agian. It just agrivates the shit out of acid reflux. Same thing with deads. If I do either super heavy Ill be up throwing up acid at 2am that night and the next few days. When I was in Cali in the Mecca in Venice pros were using machines ad barbells both.

 

[BigCracker]

Although deviant from the norm, I have seen some huge guys grow off of cable exercise and high partial reps only. I think a lot of this has to do with the nerve impulses sent to the muscle from the brain. Some people can stimulate more muscle fibers through deep concentration on the rep itself w/o worrying about the balancing/stablizing required w/ free weights.

I also believe having lower bf allows one to focus more on how the muscle works so you can find the right groove for max muscle fiber recruitment. Fat doesn't flex.

 

[abolish the weak]

its all resistance

its all resistance, your muscles pushing weights, bottom line. Machines def have their place, they allow me to pump a muscle up beyond what I could w/ free weights because I only have to focus on pushing the weight, not balancing. I do however use both, but many have gotten great results from machines. I believe King Kamali uses machines predominately

 

[Doomed Messiah]

All I know is I get a killer workout on the Nautilus V-Tricep Extension machine, great for strength training BUT after that I'll do some heavy skullcrushers ...

then again this questions was directed towards PROs.

 

[doug1]

for me both have a definetely place in the bodybuilder's arsenal. variety is very important i believe in full develop of the muscle. some machines can be better than others. i think a free weight movement that maintains constant tesnsion on the muscle like bench press, skull crushers, bent over rows, etc should be a larger portion of a typical workout. muscles like biceps can benefit greatly from machines due to the constant tension in all areas of the movement.

 

[Ashop]

Whenver I watch a video on Youtube of a pro, 90% of the time they are training heavy with a hammer strength machine or cables. Do Pro's avoid free weights in general or just close to contest? Or are the just lifting heavy a** weight on machines just for the benefit of the video? Or once they have gained pro size do they avoid free weights cause of injury? The Pro's I have seen on machines is guys like flex wheeler...

They/we use a variety of equipment. From machines,,to hammer strength,,,and free weights. At certain levels I thinks it best to mix your training up,,,theres not just one way to train.

 

[locutus61]

Compare a squat to a leg press. Two COMPLETELY different effects IMO.
i can leg press 1,000lbs but can only squat 500.
the free weight squat is FAR more taxing on the entire body.
for reasons like this i believe free weights are superior to machines. -JS

This is a specious argument. The force on a leg press is vectered through roughly a 45 degree angle. YOu are not moving it through a vertical plane like a squat.

 

[norm1220]

Those Pro's you see in the video's have been pounding their bodies lifting heavy weight for many years. This takes it's toll and many guys end up using more machines to work around injuries and joint problems.

 

[Dezzy]

Those Pro's you see in the video's have been pounding their bodies lifting heavy weight for many years. This takes it's toll and many guys end up using more machines to work around injuries and joint problems.

This makes a lot sense. Thanks.

 

[1blackz28]

This is a specious argument. The force on a leg press is vectered through roughly a 45 degree angle. YOu are not moving it through a vertical plane like a squat.

Also you have to figure in your body weight in the lift when doing squats