Hey all, I'm a complete beginner to weight training, joined gym about a month ago. My build is tall (6ft,2) and weigh 12 stone, with disproportional amount of that weight around my stomach. I've cleared up my diet. But at the gym I just stick to the machines, apart from biceps, triceps which I do on the cables. I spend around 1 hour in there doing full body 3 times a week. Using 10x3 sets on each exercise. Looking over at the free weights area, seems like a whole different world and I'd have no idea what I'm doing. I'm know I shouldn't expect results for a good few months of hard work, but my question is are the results from machines painfully slow compared to free weights? Or is the main advantage of free weights that you can train more muscles per exercise and get out the gym quicker?. Another little things there are some exercises which I will do till failure on the machines the muscles still don't feel worked especially the next day, should I decrease weight and increase reps or visa versa? Or is it just a matter of experimenting.
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Am i wasting my time?
- Thread starter ivatt8888
- Start date
Before I got some good advice, I had been doing the machines for a year or two and never really felt the results I get from a free weight workout. I suggest hitting up a trainer at your gym for 3 sessions and record the exercises they have you do. Or you could do what I did and try one of these workout routines -
I was using his for awhile but have since switched it up as you'll see in my thread from yesterday. If you don't know what you're doing with the weights, watch youtube videos of proper methods or just ask someone. Its not worth hurting yourself to do it wrong.
I was using his for awhile but have since switched it up as you'll see in my thread from yesterday. If you don't know what you're doing with the weights, watch youtube videos of proper methods or just ask someone. Its not worth hurting yourself to do it wrong.
Focus on free weights.
It will give you better results.
Go slow, so you learn to do the exercises correct, and don´t get injured. You might take some lessons with a guy in the gym.
Take a beginners program, that will focus on the big parts of the body, and keep this for some months and see what happens. Don´t overdo it.
Good luck
Best regards
Michael
It will give you better results.
Go slow, so you learn to do the exercises correct, and don´t get injured. You might take some lessons with a guy in the gym.
Take a beginners program, that will focus on the big parts of the body, and keep this for some months and see what happens. Don´t overdo it.
Good luck
Best regards
Michael
free weights are about a better workout, that hits 'assisting' muscles, not just isolate the primary muscles like so many machines do.
A bench press machine...is up and down. Mostly pecs and triceps with some anterior deltoid involvement.
A free barbell bench press, or dumbbell press, allows for a complete range of normal motion (more of an arc than straight line), and your shoulders and lats get a workout just keeping the bar in place in addition to the pecs/tris pushing the weight around.
Machines aren't evil but you shouldn't rely on them too much either. They have their purpose, especially for certain muscles (I love cable/pulley machines, for example, and certain ab machines).
A bench press machine...is up and down. Mostly pecs and triceps with some anterior deltoid involvement.
A free barbell bench press, or dumbbell press, allows for a complete range of normal motion (more of an arc than straight line), and your shoulders and lats get a workout just keeping the bar in place in addition to the pecs/tris pushing the weight around.
Machines aren't evil but you shouldn't rely on them too much either. They have their purpose, especially for certain muscles (I love cable/pulley machines, for example, and certain ab machines).