01/04/2019
Wondering why you aren't getting the results you want in your typical gym using all the fancy machinery?
One big reason is that many gym machines isolate specific muscles, and muscles were meant to be used as a group, with many muscles and joints acting together as a unit simultaneously. Think of squatting down to pick something up, or lifting something off the ground. These basic primal movement patterns use many muscle groups at once, and for muscles to operate at their maximum intensity potential, they need to be trained as a unit with free weight compound exercises (Exercises that use many muscles at once, like a squat, bench press or deadlift).
Even with gym machines that are considered compound exercises, such as a leg press or machine bench press, the free weight versions of the exercises allow you to move in a natural movement pattern for your unique body proportions by not being locked into the rigid movement mechanics of a machine. Further, being locked into a rigid movement pattern like those exhibited in exercise machines can actually increase your risk for injury compared with free weights that move with you and adapt to your specific movement patterns.
Finally, training with free weight compound barbell exercises forces you to train the stabilizer muscles of the body automatically by forcing your body to balance the load as it moves through space....No need for any exotic exercises or machines to train these stabilizer muscles if you are performing the exercises with free weights, which saves you time in the gym. Further, when you train barbell compound exercises like the squat, deadlift, and overhead press, it also allows you to train your overall balance and coordination by moving your body through space with a loaded barbell which will carry over to all aspects of your physical life.
Machine exercises largely fail to do this for you!
The reason gyms want you to use the machines is that it takes a lot of training and know how to properly educate their staff to teach someone the compound free weight barbell exercises. Even most personal trainers, despite how good they may look, don't understand the importance of free weight exercises and how to perform the properly themselves. You need a coach that specializes in teaching the proper form, mechanics and programming for the major barbell exercises to help reach your overall strength and physical potential.
The video below explains the concept above in greater detail. Do yourself a favor and hire a competent barbell coach this new year and make the progress in the gym you want. Please contact Chris at 865-336-6439 for details.
Mark Rippetoe reads his article on the efficacy and reason for barbell training, especially when compared to machines and other forms of exercise.
