Don’t be offended by the title of this post.  I’m not suggesting that you are a weak person because you use machines, I’m saying that machines do not build strength like free weights do and thus are weak.  Now, if the title of this post does offend you, then you are easily offended, meaning you are weak, but that’s for another discussion.

Obviously free weights were the original piece of workout equipment although they weren’t free weights as we know them today.  They were in essence, rocks.  And wow, have we evolved over these past million years or so. Just take a look at one of the most sophisticated pieces of workout equipment in use today, the kettlebell.  The kettlebell is basically just a rock made of iron with a handle.  Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

There have been many advocates for the use of machines in the past who state that machines are safer then free weights, especially for beginners.  Well I guess it is true that you can’t drop a machine on your head or your toe but that is hardly a reason to employ machines in the beginning.  If you want to get strong, you will absolutely have to employ free weights into your regimen, no doubt about that.  Since that is a fact, it is better to begin your education in weight training with free weights from the very start when you are at your weakest and don’t have the ability to lift a lot of weight.  If you wait until you are stronger before picking up your first barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell, you will be learning with more weight then you would have been had you started from the beginning using them.  Since you are now lifting more weight as a novice, your chances of hurting yourself are greater then they were if you were learning with less weight.

The next argument for machines, and this is my favorite, is that they are easier to use then free weights.  Why on Earth would you want to make your weight training easier?  The name of the game is strength and conditioning and that only comes from hard work, not easy work.  Heck, as we get stronger and the lifting gets easier, what do we do, we add more weight to make it hard again.  As the great Homer Simpson is fond of saying, “Duh”!

There are two absolutely devastating arguments that discredit any pro machine position.  First, we should be weight training for real world strength.  Remember, we want to be as strong as we look.  The real world is full of lots of situations in which we will be asked to demonstrate the strength we have build in the gym, from tackling a running back to hitting a baseball to fending off a rapist.  And what do all of these situation have in common, the ability to employ strength in a three dimensional environment.  Machines are only one dimensional.

Secondly, and we mentioned it above, we want be strong all over and at every angle and in any position and from every angle and every position.  Machines restrict the movement to only one plane, meaning any strength gain you get, will also be restricted to that one plane of movement.  Do an experiment one day at the gym.  Do a bench press on the bench machine of your choice.  Take the same weight you just performed on the machine and load it on a barbell and then evaluate which one is harder.  Take it one step further and pick up two dumbbells equal to the weight you just performed on the barbell and evaluate which is harder still.  The dumbbell will be the hardest by far followed by the barbell and then the machine.

As you worked your way from the machine, to the barbell and then dumbbell, you add another dimension to the lift, thus making the lift harder.  You also had to employ more muscles in order to stabilize the barbell and even more to stabilize the dumbbells.  You are in fact, training more muscles in your body by using dumbbells.  Again, in real world situation, you will need ALL your muscles in order to perform at your best.  Machines simply don’t allow you to train all your muscles.  Your grip is probably the area of strength that is most neglected when using machines.

Yes, machines do have a place in the fitness world.  They are a great way to rehab certain injuries because you can target the injured area or even work around an injury by isolating it.  They also look good when you look in the gym window.  I employed machines into my regimen almost exclusively for years because quit frankly, they were easier to use then free weights and because their usefulness was hyped up by the so called gurus.  My strength was poor, especially my grip, and didn’t improve until I got away from machines and started using free weights exclusively.  I now employ only two pieces of equipment for getting strong; the barbell and the kettlebell.  Yes, I do rip phonebooks and card, bend nails and I employ things like free weight plates and sledge hammers to work my grip but for the most part, barbells and kettlebells are my weapons of choice.

I always say that we should keep it simple in the gym and you don’t get any simpler then barbells and kettlebells.  Sounds like a good title for a song don’t you think?

Kill it!

Dennis

P.S. – Have a question about anything I’m doing, email me and I’ll be more then happy to answer it.  ironkettlebellfitness@gmail.com

Before entering into a fitness routine, especially one that incorporates kettlebells, be sure to consult with your physician or medical professional to be sure you are healthy enough to begin a strength and conditioning regimen.  Be sure to learn the proper way to perform each lift and complete each exercises in strict form employing a spotter when applicable.  In other words, if you hurt yourself, it’s your fault.

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