Free Weights vs. Machines: We Set the Record Straight
Active Lifestyle 
Consult your physician before starting any diet and/or exercise plan.
You've got your diet down and have started to be more conscious of your calories. You've also got your supply of Hydroxycut® to help increase your energy and boost your metabolism to burn more calories. The only question mark remaining is how to structure your workout plan. Free weights or machines? It is a common question for many people. Depending on what you want to achieve from your workouts, both have benefits and some pitfalls.
Ultimately you have to define your personal goals, try both types of workouts, and decide for yourself which will help you tone up, get leaner, and achieve your goals. But to help you weigh the pros and cons of both, we've provided a short list of some things you should consider about both before you choose one type of workout over the other.
Workouts Built Primarily around Free Weights
The Pros
- If your goal is to get a bit stronger in addition to losing weight, there is evidence that suggests you can achieve greater strength gains using mainly free weights.
- Doing compound exercises such as squats, chins, and bench presses will require you to involve additional muscles to stabilize yourself more than when performing these movements on machines.
- There are generally more exercises - and variations of exercises - that you can do using free weights compared to machines.
- If you prefer to work out at home, it typically doesn't cost as much to set up a home gym with free weights as it does machines.
The Cons
- If you are new to weight training, it can take a little longer to get adjusted to free weights than machines, which are on a fixed path of movement.
- If you are short on time, working with free weights can require longer workout times due to more running around finding weights, changing plates, taking on and removing collars, etc.
- Free weights do carry an increased risk of injury. That's not to say free weights are dangerous, but working with them does require extra care.
Workouts Built Primarily around Machines
The Pros
- Pulley-based machines offer a relatively consistent amount of resistance throughout the entire range of motion, whereas many free-weight-based exercises have portions of the movement that are easier than others. An example of this is the single-arm biceps curl. If you're using a machine, you'll notice that there is still a good amount of resistance at the top of the movement, but with a free-weight dumbbell curl, because the angle through which the weight exerts its force changes relative to your bicep, the resistance isn't as great.
- Machines often make many movements somewhat easier to perform, so they are great to people who are just starting to work out.
- Machines are perfect for circuit training, which is a time-saving way to train and great for calorie burning and toning your muscles.
The Cons
- Because of the simplicity and ease of use that are associated with training with machines, you can get bored faster.
- Machines require more maintenance, can break down, and have associated repair costs (this applies especially to home gyms).
- Machines take up a lot more room than free weights if you are using them in a home gym setting.
