Posted: 8/19/2009 5:26:44 AM EDT
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Hello Everyone,
For the last few months i've been doing a routine of cardio/resistance, using my gym's lifefitness machines for resistance. I used the machines because i am new to working out and figured there was a lower risk of injury on the machines vs freeweights. i was seeing good progress, but visible growth seems to have stopped in spite of my ability to apply more resistance. i really haven't made any drastic changes in my diet, but i try to eat something high in protien on days i do weights (some sort of egg dish afterwords). i do 2 days with 15 mins eliptical, then machines alternated with 3 days of 35 minutes on the eliptical. Tuesday/thursday are weight days, MWF are eliptical. On saturdays i usually do 25 on the eliptical with nothing on sunday. i feel great. I have gained about 5 lbs through all of this, i am 5.7 and 155 lbs. would moving to freeweights help me to add mass quicker than the machines? do i need to be looking at some sort of protien supplement? where should i start reading on that? i will be ordering "beginning strenght" by rippletoe today. |
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Quoted:
i will be ordering "beginning strenght" by rippletoe today. Every question you have will be answered, in great detail, in that book. He's very verbose, but the topic is complex, so I suppose it's a good thing. I believe machines hold you back from gaining mass because they can't come close to accommodating the amount of weight that an olympic barbell, or even a dumbbell, can. I believe that free weights also afford you a better variety and freedom of movement. If nothing else, you'll gain mass faster because you'll be more efficient: 3 sets, 5 reps of full barbell squats vs. leg extensions+ham curls+leg press+ham kick backs. |
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I'm far from an expert, and really just getting back into shape myself, but a few years ago I got in great shape off pretty much only machines. All weight machines and elliptical. It works to drop weight if that's your goal. Put an hour in weight machines and a half hour on the elliptical 3 times a week and pretty much anybody will get in shape.
However, they suck for putting on muscle. I'm a stocky guy who carries decent muscle when I'm not working out and the machine absolutely thinned me out. I didn't gain much strength, got a bit of size, but quickly plateaued like you've mentioned. I was incredibly skinny. I mean, crazy scary skinny because I was always a fat kid. But I wanted big muscles, not a skinny body. This time I'm doing strictly free weights and some MMA type workouts with tires, sledge hammers, medicine balls and dynamic stuff like that to not only drop weight but put on working muscle, not "show" muscle. I'm also taking protein and creatine to help things. I'm already bigger in 2 months than I was in 6 on machines. I'm losing weight, but adding size. I'm sure the bodybuilding guys will be in here to tell you yes, but from someone who has done machines and been disappointed by the muscle development, YES, go to free weights. Don't forget all the machines, but if a machine does something you can do with weights, use weights instead. The one machine I absolutely love is the cable machine because you can do so many one off exercises. A good cable machine is on my list to buy. I'm slowly putting together my own little gym of free weights because I can't afford a gym right now and there are only a few things I can't do with what I've got. Add another weight day. You're doing over twice the cardio days as weight days. You should even it out if you're wanting to get bigger. 5 days of cardio and only two days of weights is going to thin you out. As for protein, yes, and I'll let someone else with more knowledge help you there. |
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Quoted: I'm far from an expert, and really just getting back into shape myself, but a few years ago I got in great shape off pretty much only machines. All weight machines and elliptical. It works to drop weight if that's your goal. Put an hour in weight machines and a half hour on the elliptical 3 times a week and pretty much anybody will get in shape. However, they suck for putting on muscle. I'm a stocky guy who carries decent muscle when I'm not working out and the machine absolutely thinned me out. I didn't gain much strength, got a bit of size, but quickly plateaued like you've mentioned. I was incredibly skinny. I mean, crazy scary skinny because I was always a fat kid. But I wanted big muscles, not a skinny body. This time I'm doing strictly free weights and some MMA type workouts with tires, sledge hammers, medicine balls and dynamic stuff like that to not only drop weight but put on working muscle, not "show" muscle. I'm also taking protein and creatine to help things. I'm already bigger in 2 months than I was in 6 on machines. I'm losing weight, but adding size. I'm sure the bodybuilding guys will be in here to tell you yes, but from someone who has done machines and been disappointed by the muscle development, YES, go to free weights. Don't forget all the machines, but if a machine does something you can do with weights, use weights instead. The one machine I absolutely love is the cable machine because you can do so many one off exercises. A good cable machine is on my list to buy. I'm slowly putting together my own little gym of free weights because I can't afford a gym right now and there are only a few things I can't do with what I've got. Add another weight day. You're doing over twice the cardio days as weight days. You should even it out if you're wanting to get bigger. 5 days of cardio and only two days of weights is going to thin you out. As for protein, yes, and I'll let someone else with more knowledge help you there. scroll down till you find mine....... http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=113&t=906562 ETA: to the OP: it would seem that the amount of work it takes to say, clean one's bodyweight through the full range of motion is significantly greater than the amount of work one would do on a "pec deck" (the thing you do butterflies on) or a leg extension machine, and their respective ranges of motion. as glassman puts it (crossfit koolaid warning), "how much weight did you move, how far did you move it, and how long did it take you?" not only that, but in life and at work i'm sometimes called upon to move heavy, inanimate objects (pushing cars, lifting bodies, moving equipment) that i can excercise for (deadlift, clean, bench, etc), but i've never needed to perform a leg extension or a butterfly outside of a gym. my .02; YMMV of course. |
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The thing about weights is that it works a lot of muscles at once ( in general)
For example, if you were to do bench presses on the machines for a year, you would probably get a lot stronger in your chest. However, when you tried to bench free weights, you would have trouble balancing the weight, and your performance wouldnt be as good as someone who spent the last year using free weights. Not to mention, there are lifts that you do with free weights that cannot be done with machines, such as squats, deadlifts, etc. If you are worried about dropping weights on yourself, use dumbbells instead of a bar. (This is just my opinion) |
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Quoted: The thing about weights is that it works a lot of muscles at once ( in general) For example, if you were to do bench presses on the machines for a year, you would probably get a lot stronger in your chest. However, when you tried to bench free weights, you would have trouble balancing the weight, and your performance wouldnt be as good as someone who spent the last year using free weights. Not to mention, there are lifts that you do with free weights that cannot be done with machines, such as squats, deadlifts, etc. If you are worried about dropping weights on yourself, use dumbbells instead of a bar. (This is just my opinion) First off I'd never do bench presses with either w/o a spotter. That said I'd feel 1,000,000x safer with barbells. |
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Thanks gentlemen.
I'm sticking with the machines until my book gets here. I really don't want to hurt myself on the weights. I continue to add more and more weight- and i'm definitely getting stronger, but i wanted to add some mass and it's not happening anymore. Thanks for the advice! |
| When I first started out I used a Hammer Strength bench machine and got up to about 320 lbs before I changed my work out and started using dumbbells. I was shocked when I had to start out at 100lbs (2x50) with the dumbbells. I could push the weight up easy, but it was hard as hell to keep it from going all over the place or dropping it on my head. |