Are you obese and wondering which is better for strength training, free weights or machines? I’m a certified personal trainer. If you’re brand new to strength training, you can use both free weights and machines, but put more emphasis on the machines.
This is so that you will more safely develop conditioning and stronger joints. It will also help your body get used to the feel of moving resistance while at the same time, providing stability, especially to the lower back.
Pros of Machine Weights for Obesity
Machines will help get your body introduced to strength training without requiring the balance and core stability that’s needed with free weights.
Secondly, machine workouts are done while seated, so that if the obese exerciser has knee problems or finds standing uncomfortable, they can strength train more comfortably while sitting.
Pros of Free Weights for Obesity
Free weights, when used for exercises that have a machine comparable, work more muscles. More muscles worked means more fat burned and more fitness generated. Free weights engage the core much more (lower back and abs).
Plus, the best exercises in terms of burning fat, developing strength and fitness, and shaping the body, involve free weights: deadlift, squat, bench press, dumbbell press, to name a few.
Even some single-joint exercises (isolation work) are superior to using machines when done with free weights, such as side lifts with dumbbells.
Using free weights means that the hand position can vary (in the case of dumbbells), and an unlimited range of angles can be used, such as in dumbbell work. Free weights also more closely mimic real-life movement.
Cons of Machines for Obesity
These are the same disadvantages for any body size, and that’s the limited range of motion; it is fixed; same angle and hand position every time, though some machines offer several different gripping positions and a seat height adjustment, which alters angles.
Nevertheless, you still have far more choices with free weights. Machines also tend to isolate muscle groups, and though there’s nothing wrong with this, a workout program should not be based upon this, because a body’s natural movement does not isolate muscle groups.
Cons of Free Weights for Obesity
Many free weight exercises involve standing, though quite a few can be done while seated or lying down. The disadvantages also apply to thinner people, in that some people will find it awkward to execute certain movements, even with light weights, such as the barbell squat, deadlift and even overhead dumbbell press. But with practice comes mastery of form.
Injury is more likely with free weights, for any body size, though machines do not guarantee avoidance of injury, either.
Obese men and women should get started with mostly machines, and then as they become more conditioned, shift the ratio to mostly free weights.
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