You can walk into most gyms and see machines everywhere—up and down the aisles, back-to-back, side-by-side. Many times, these machines are being used incorrectly or not being used at all. There are even gyms nowadays that are not carrying machines, preferring to use their floor space for more “functional” training (a topic I won’t get into right now). Meanwhile, machines have gained a bad reputation because some people believe that they require less control and are too easy.
First of all, a goal must be established for an individual based on what would best serve her and her structure. I may not have a beginning, overweight 350 lb. client performing bodyweight exercises because they still have to contend with their own body weight. Taking into account their safety, joint structure, and capabilities, they may very well require offloading. Body weight challenge can be a great tool when utilized properly, but it should not automatically be prescribed for everyone. The idea that free weights are more neurologically challenging and require more control is also misguided. Again, it depends on the goal, the type of challenge, the intention, and the cueing from a trainer. Body weight and free weight exercises aren’t bad, and I often choose to incorporate them, but they often receive undeserved glorification from many so-called experts and fitness professionals.
Machines, when manufactured properly and hand-picked by a knowledgable exercise professional, can provide a phenomenal, unparalleled experience. Machines offer so much opportunity when coupled with a trainer who can recognize moment arms, lever arms, how much torque is being applied, where torque is being created, the resistance profile, and how it should match the individual’s strength profile, not to mention joint motion and position, time, effort, intention, and its effect on the individual’s structure. Most trainers look at a machine and write it off automatically without understanding how it works or the opportunity it provides. They see a big hunk of metal that takes up space—a useless contraption. But I see a masterpiece and endless opportunities awaiting a body ready to be built through resistance training.