Women’s Strength Training: Free Weights Vs. Machines

Is it better for women to exercise with free weights, or machines? I’m a certified personal trainer. There are advantages to both forms of strength training for women, but if I had to choose either one or the other, I’d definitely go with the free weights. I will present the ups and downs of both types strength training for women.

Free weight benefits

1. More muscles get involved, because you are forced to balance and guide the weights through the air, against gravity. So not only are the primary-mover muscles working, but so are secondary or “helper” muscles.

This may be true, to an extent, with machines, but with free weights, many more secondary and synergistic muscles get involved. This translates to more calories burned, and improved balance and neuromuscular efficiency. This includes recruitment of lower back/core muscles, which many women are interested in strengthening.

2. Free weight workouts exercise joints more completely, and this means stronger tendons and ligaments.

3. A far greater repertoire of range of motion is possible. You can more readily work out in three dimensions.

4. Your grip will become stronger; what woman doesn’t dream of not having to depend on men to open jar lids?

5. There is more variety.

6. You can combine routines into one exercise, such as going from dumbbell shoulder presses immediately into dumbbell biceps curls, alternating the two back and forth.

7. Can simulate real-life movements against resistance, such as picking heavy things up.

Free weight disadvantages

1. You must pay a lot more careful attention to form.

2. There is a higher risk of injury.

3. You must be careful not to let weights drop on your feet.

4. Entries and exits into heavy dumbbell routines can be tricky, and can even cause injury.

5. Women with low back pain may find some routines uncomfortable.

Machine benefits

1. Basic instructions are on most machines, including which muscles they target.

2. Your body is more stabilized, better postured, since machines offer pads to support yourself against.

3. Machines isolate certain muscles for the work.

4. If the resistance becomes too heavy, you don’t have to worry about it crashing down on you.

5. You can enter and exit into and out of the exercise without any difficulty; less need for a spotter.

6. You’re less likely to get injured.

7. People with lower back pain can work out with more comfort.

Machine disadvantages

1. Most weight machines do not simulate real-life movement against resistance. Thus, using only machines will not make you as efficient in real life as you may think they will. Only one exercise at a time can be performed.

2. Fewer options; can become boring after a while.

3. Machines do break down and malfunction.

4. Some can be uncomfortable, just by virtue of the design.

5. Not appealing to some very large women who fear they might not be able to fit into the apparatus.

All women should take up serious strength training. For best results, women should use both free weights and machines, and focus more on multi-joint routines like deadlifts , squats, leg presses and bench pressing, rather than isolated routines like triceps kickbacks and dumbbell frontal raises.