RESISTANCE MACHINES

Key moves Lat pull-down, chest press, seated row

ESSENTIAL INFO Most gyms have resistance machines that work all the major muscle groups, but the main criticism levelled at these bits of kit is that they’re not as effective as free weights when training for improvements in muscular size and strength. That’s because they only allow fixed movement patterns that don’t engage your core or the small but important stabilising muscles of your joints. However, it is for this very reason that they’re useful in some ways for both beginners and advanced lifters alike. PROS Resistance machines only allow movement in a fixed pattern, which makes them ideal for beginners or those coming back from an injury, who need to master a correct and safe movement pattern before advancing to more challenging barbell and dumbbell moves. They’re also useful for people who want to isolate a specific muscle because the fixed movement of the machine doesn’t recruit the stabilising muscles – nearly always the weak link that limits the weight that can be moved – so you can lift heavy in the safest possible way to maximise muscle growth. You can also adjust the weight you are lifting quickly and easily. CONS Because they don’t require the activation or engagement of any of the important stabilising muscles, using resistance machines at the expense of free weights can lead to an injury-prone body and muscle imbalances. Many smaller gyms also favour installing more popular “pushing” machines that work your chest, shoulders and triceps over “pulling” machines that work your back and biceps, so an overreliance on machines can lead to a very unbalanced upper body that is always limited by its weakest link.