Every body builder comes across a situation where he starts questioning which is better- Free weights or Machines? Well, in reality, they both have their pros and cons like anything else in life. In this article I will tell you the advantages and disadvantages of using machines and free weights.

Advantages of weightlifting Machines

o Extremely effective for the beginners as it has a fixed motion and the chances of lifting incorrectly is minimal. Thus, a person ends up targeting the right muscle group without putting in extra effort.

o Machines are user friendly and easy to use, especially because they have instructions on them.

o Usually all machines are safe to use. They don’t drop on you in the middle of a lift.

o Machines help you isolate your muscles so that you can rest your injured body part and still be able to work on your other body parts effectively.

Disadvantages of Weightlifting Machines

o Because the lifting motion is fixed in machines, it stresses the same joints, tendons, and muscles. This whole process increases the risks of injuries.

o As it isolates the muscles, you end up working out only the targeted muscles with lesser involvement of the supporting muscles. Thus, muscle gain results will be less balanced and slower in pace.

o Since it does not take into account individual body frames and structures, working out on machines can be a hindrance for many. Irrespective of the shape, size, and height of the lifter, one always has to use the same pathway range of motion and width of grip. All this in turn can hamper your muscle growth and also cause possible injury.

Advantages of Free Weights

o Along with the targeted muscles one ends up working out other stabilizing muscles, resulting in better overall muscle growth.

o Using free weights improves your balance and muscle coordination. You would be required to balance the weights while lifting and that can only be done by the coordination of different muscle groups.

o Free weights are less expensive compared to machines. Moreover, you don’t really have to hit the gym as these weights can be easily kept in a house. Thus, they are convenient to use and do not require much space.

Disadvantages of Free Weights

o Because the range of motion is not fixed, you can easily go wrong with the form and technique involved, resulting in a badly shaped body.

o Not so user friendly, as you will be required to carry weights from one area to another for different exercises. Moreover, your will be physically required to add or reduce weight as per the requirement.

o One has to be extra careful while lifting them, unlike machines, if your fingers slips in the middle of a lift...Well, lets just say you wouldnt be in a conditon to work out for the next few weeks.

Hopefully, this article has adequately enlightened you to figure out which is better. For bigger and faster muscles, free weights are definitely ahead of weightlifting machines. On the other side, machines are much safer and easy to use for targeted muscle groups. There is no good or bad as such, I would suggest you to find the best combination of the both that works well for you.