This is always a common question that fitness professionals receive. Which is better? Should one be prioritized over the other? What are each pros and cons? The answer is, as usual,: it depends.
Machines
When talking about machines, we are not talking about the cable crossover machine or any type of 'assist' machine. Machines fall under what some people call selectorized equipment, they produce a select movement and the machines are only meant to be used in that one movement. This is why cable crossovers and 'assist' style machines do not fall under this category. They are both meant to be used in a variety of movements to accommodate for a variety of factors. Machines, for what is being focused on in this article, have many ways to be used in any program, but here are the main breakdowns.
1. Limited use: If you are outside of the average height range, in either direction, machines can limit their use for you. You may not be able to get the seat high or low enough, therefore using muscles you are not supposed to be using for the exercise. Similarly, if people have wider shoulders or hips, machines can feel awkward and uncomfortable.
2. Beginner use: Machines have always been said to be a great way for people to start exercising, especially strength training. Form is fixed by the machine for the most part and all machines have image cues to show you how to use it properly. Machines also isolate the primary muscle groups, taking away from having to work the secondary muscles to assist with stability and form. However, if the machine is not set up properly, injury risk does increase compared to when set up properly.
3. Isolation of Muscles: Selectorized equipment is a great way to isolate a muscle that you know is giving you problems. Machines put the body in such a way that when you are doing a bicep curl, you are only use the biceps to do the work, not you back or legs. However, this may not be ideal as it is just as important to focus on the stabilization muscles that will be important in the progression of someone's health and fitness journey.
4. Can be difficult to transfer into other settings: Imagine you are at another gym and you wanted to use the machines. They look very different from the ones the last facility you have been to has and your not sure how to set them up properly. You're worrying about injuring yourself so you ask if there is a staff member available to help you but no one is. What are you going to do? Or the gym is so crowded in the machine area that you don't want to wait around for something to open up. What are you going to do? This is something that does happen to many people who workout just using one mode of training.
Free-Weights
Free-weights have two main modes under this heading; dumbbells and barbells. Free-weights can be used for simple exercises, like curls, extensions, and rows, or used for something a little more complex like cleans, snatches. They are very versatile pieces of equipment that doesn't force the user to be in a fixed place. However, they do require more control and focus during us. Again, here is the breakdown.
1. Core is always on: Or should be during every exercise. When using free-weights, balance and stability are two important factors that are required to keep form. This doesn't only apply to the 'core' but it also applies to small stabilizers in the shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, elbows.
2. Weights: For some, people struggle with the starting weights of barbells and dumbbells. Most dumbbell sets start between 5-7.5 lbs while barbells start between 25-45 lbs. This could be intimidating for individuals who have never lifted weights before, are coming back from injuries, or many other reasons. Form should always be the key, not how much you are lifting.
3.Variety, variety, variety: With free-weights, there is so many more fun exercises to try because, for the most part, you are not stuck in one position. You can move freely and move the weight through multiple planes of movement, rather then being stuck in one track like a machine. But, because of this, the stabilizers have to work so much more!
4. Injuries? You are just as likely to injure yourself with free-weights as you are with machines, possibly even less. As long as you are controlling the movements and picking weights that are appropriate for you, there is no exponential increase in injury.
So, which is better? It depends on what you are looking for. There is a place for both in a workout for the most but free-weights are much more versatile than machines.