3 Machines in Every Gym That You Should Use
Since I was in high school, barbell training has been the center of whatever fitness program I’ve been following.
I’m not big on machines for a few reasons:
Little resemblance to athletic activities: there isn’t a machine out there that can replicate dynamic real-world movements
Your body is supported and forced into a pre-determined movement pattern
Very little stability requirement
However, machines have a couple advantages too. There isn’t much of a learning curve, and many even have instructions posted right on them. Can’t make it much more idiot-proof. In addition, it’s safer to train to failure on machines since virtually all of them have safety mechanisms and pre-set ranges of motion. I don’t recommend training to failure often, but if you want to do bodybuilding techniques like forced reps, drop sets, or rest-pause, machines give you a safer way to pull this off.
All that being said, there are some common machines that can easily be incorporated into your program once you’re out of your “beginner” stage of lifting and have a good grasp on barbell and bodyweight training fundamentals.
Smith Machine
I don’t usually use the smith machine in a conventional sense. Instead, I use the adjustability of the bar height to change the resistance for bodyweight exercises like push-ups and rows.
If you struggle with push-ups and can’t get very many from the floor, elevate your hands by using the smith machine’s bar. As you get stronger, you can lower the bar in steady increments. This is an easy and consistent way to measure your progress. Same goes for bodyweight rows.
Yeah, you can do this with a bar in a power rack too. But the smith machine is quicker to adjust.
Chest supported row
There are a lot of back and row machines out there, and they’re all great. Using a chest supported machine takes the lower back stress out of the row. If I’m pushing my squat and deadlift hard, I might not want to induce more lower back fatigue by doing standing barbell or dumbbell rows.
I’m a fan of variety when it comes to rows. If you have access to different row machines or attachments, use them all.
Lat pulldown
Pulldowns get a bad rap in favor of pull-ups, which is kind of deserved. Pull-ups will strengthen your upper back and biceps like few other exercises, and you can do them basically anywhere. For more info on improving your pull-ups, read this.
However, pulldowns can be useful if you need a break from pull-ups or need to incorporate a large amount of back volume and can’t do 50-60 pull-ups in a single workout. I also like to use a wide variety of attachments to change grip width and angle. If you’re using techniques like controlled tempos, rest-pause, or partials, it’s easier to pull these off on pulldowns rather than pull-ups.
Like the rows, you can use a variety of machines and attachments. Just don’t use pulldowns as an excuse to not train pull-ups. Get your pull-ups up to par, then worry about variety.
Honorable mentions:
Leg press/belt squat - good for adding lots of leg volume without taxing your back. No ones cares how much you leg press; take some weight off and use a full range of motion please.
Glute/ham raise - not really a “machine,” but great as an accessory movement to strengthen your hamstrings.
High/low Cable Crossover - thousands of exercises, good for bodybuilding or general isolation work. Shouldn’t be the center of your workout.
There are dozens and dozens of other machines, and they’re mostly fine. But if you have athletic and health goals other than bodybuilding, stick with barbells, kettlebells, bodyweight, and dumbbells for the majority of your workout. Fill in the gaps with machine work.
If you’re looking for a fitness trainer in the Mt Juliet/Hermitage/Nashville TN area, online fitness training, or just need some advice to get your fitness program started, contact me