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Episode 2844:
Dr. Neal Malik dives into the debate between weightlifting machines and free weights, highlighting their distinct advantages and how they cater to different fitness goals. Discover which approach suits your needs best, whether you're focusing on building strength, enhancing flexibility, or prioritizing safety.
Quotes to ponder:
"Machines provide controlled movement and are perfect for beginners or those recovering from injury."
"Free weights mimic real-world activities, improving balance and coordination while building strength."
"Choose the equipment that aligns with your personal fitness goals and physical needs."
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[00:00:00] It's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily and I'm Dr. Neal Malik. Hey there, happy Friday. Welcome to another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily where I answer your health questions related to fitness, diet and nutrition and lots more. You send in the questions and I answer them for you.
[00:00:17] Now today's caller brought up a very interesting point, something that I didn't even realize. And so this is why I love hearing from you because you can tell me if you need more information about something or if I need to go into more detail about something else. So again, thank you for sending in your questions. I'm sure you're excited to hear today's question. So let's jump right in as we optimize your life.
[00:00:43] Hi, my name is Heather and I live in Orange County, California. And your show a lot of times you stress the importance of weight training, which is super exciting to me. My question is to weight machines at the gym. Most of what I hear on your show deals with free weights or bodyweight exercises, but you don't often mention lifting using the weight machines at the gym, which is really where my comfort zone is. What are your thoughts on using these machines? Thanks so much.
[00:01:13] Hello, fellow Orange County resident, Heather. Thank you for your question. I'm really glad you asked about this. I didn't realize that I spent so much time discussing free weights and bodyweight exercises. I had no idea that I spent so little time discussing weight machines at the gym. This probably made me sound like a free weight snob, which I swear I'm not. So let me start by saying that I have no problem with weight machines. In fact, I used them when I first started getting into strength training and frankly,
[00:01:42] I used weight machines. So I'll first talk about why I like them and then mention when it may be time to graduate and begin incorporating free weights. So first, the good. I mentioned that when I first started getting into resistance training, I used weight machines. The reason is these machines can help you get a feel for how to perform the move properly and in general can help protect you from injury. This is because these machines restrict your range of motion so that when you're performing the move, your form is nearly perfect.
[00:02:11] Now why nearly perfect and not perfect all the time? Let's imagine for a second. You're using the shoulder press machine at the gym. For those of you that aren't quite sure which one that is, it's the machine where you sit in what looks to be a high back chair with a handle placed in front of each shoulder. You grab the handles with both hands and then press them to the sky. As you press your hands up, your shoulders kick in to help you lift those handles. And as you lift, the machine guides you through the perfect motion.
[00:02:40] But people can still injure themselves if they're not careful. For example, breathing is super important. So even if you're using a machine, as you lift the handles, you want to be sure you breathe out. As you bring them back down, breathe in. You can use this same breathing technique for almost any weight lifting exercises.
[00:03:00] But a common mistake, even when folks use these machines, is to hold their breath. And if you hold your breath, you might actually pass out. So we don't want that to happen. Also, have you ever seen people just swinging the weights back and forth when they're using these machines? It's better to use controlled movements to prevent injury. Plus, when folks swing the weights like that, they're often using a weight that's either too heavy or too light.
[00:03:24] So when you're just starting out, aim for a weight that you can lift 12 to 15 times. As you become more comfortable with the machine, you can increase the weight so that you can only lift it maybe 8 to 10 times. Oh, and another advantage is that these machines allow you to increase and decrease the weight really easily. Usually, it's as simple as moving a pin to a new weight on the weight stack. Now, these machines can also help you perform exercises that simply aren't practical to do with free weights.
[00:03:51] For example, let's say you want to work on your glutes and hamstrings. The leg curl machine is great for building up those muscles. Now, that's the one where you lay flat on a bench, face down, and you place the backs of your feet under a padded bar. You then lift your feet, and while you lift, the bench keeps your knees in place, forcing you to use only your glutes and hamstrings to lift the weight. Now, can you imagine trying to do this move with free weights? It wouldn't be all that practical.
[00:04:21] So machines like these can be great for isolating certain muscle groups. So as long as you're using the machines properly and safely and lifting the proper weight, you can absolutely get some fantastic results and build that muscle. Now, when would you want to consider graduating from these machines and onto free weights? Now, I usually recommend folks incorporate free weights into their routine because using free weights forces you to use all those little muscles you didn't even know existed.
[00:04:50] So remember how I mentioned that machines help keep your form perfect? Well, it's kind of a catch-22. Because the machines restrict your movements, some of the smaller stabilizing muscles may not kick in. Let's use the shoulder press example from before. When you ditch the shoulder press machine and try to perform the same move with dumbbells in each hand, you may find that initially it feels kind of odd. You press the weights towards the sky,
[00:05:15] and your arms might start to move too far forward or too far backward as you try to balance the weight. But just know this is perfectly normal. What's happening is all those little muscles that weren't being used when you were using the machines have to kick in now to balance the weight. In fact, you may find that the next day, you start to feel sore in places you didn't even know existed. So this is why I like incorporating some free weights into a resistance training program.
[00:05:42] It kicks in those stabilizing muscles that can help prevent injury. So the bottom line is this. Using machines for building muscles, isolating specific muscle groups, and strengthening your bones, of course, is great. I especially like to recommend them when someone is brand new to resistance training. But to be sure you work your muscles to their fullest extent, incorporate some free weights every now and then. Thank you again for the question, Heather.
[00:06:12] And if you want your question answered right here on the show, send one in. You can email one to health at oldpodcast.com Or if you want your voice heard on the show, come by oldpodcast.com slash ask. You can record your question right from your computer's microphone. It's really easy and you can even play back your message, delete it, and do retakes before officially sending it in. Or you could do it the old-fashioned way and call in your question.
[00:06:39] The number is 161-ILOVE-OHD. That's 1-614-568-3643. All right, that'll do it for today. I hope you have a great start to your weekend. And I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.