Switching from machines to free weights: how should I go about it?

G

ghaef

0
Hey all, I'm fairly new to the weight lifting scene, which is why I'm still using machines, but now that I've been using them for about two and a half months, I'd like to switch over to free weights and I'm looking for tips on how to do it.

Today I was at the gym and I tried switching from the bicep curl machine to curling with just free weights because the machine was shut down for maintenance, and I had trouble curling even half the weight I was consistently repping on the machine. I'm baffled by this. Hence why I'm here looking for help.

What are some pointers on switching over to free weights from machines? How should I go about it?

Thanks in advance everyone, I appreciate the help!
 
Any relation between the weight shown on machines and free weights is completely coincidental. Remember, machines have pulleys, cams and levers and oddly fixed ranges of motion, and generally remove most of the stabalizing muscles from the movement, which is their strength and weakness. Start your free weights with a weight you can complete 12 reps with perfect form with and gradually increase the weight from there.
 
It's definitely better to start too light than too heavy, whatever the exercise may be. Never assume that there's going to be a carry-over between a machine weight and a freeweight. While one will condition the muscles (or at least some of them) used in the other, as dswithers said, any similarity in the numbers moved is largely coincidental. Case in point, at the end of last year I was able to row over 120kg using a cable machine. Using a barbell, I couldn't lift 1/3 of that. Likewise, I've seen plenty of people who can barbell row much more than me, but can only cable row half what I can row.

If you need to start with an empty barbell or a very light dumbell, so what? You're always better off starting out too light rather than too heavy. It gives you more opportunity to work on technique which you'll need once the weight gets heavier, and it might even provide a deload, which will improve performance and progression later anyway. So don't worry if the weight isn't very impressive starting out. Just do the exercises with good technique, then increase the weight slightly in the next session and do the exercises again.
 
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