Strength Training – ONLY With Free Weights!

I need to clear something up. You should only be strength training with free weights… and I’ll tell you why in this short article.

I rarely will recommend any machines to you and if I do it’ll be some sort of special purpose machine that works to rehabilitate a certain area of your body or something like that. You’ll almost never hear me talk about machines being a good idea.

And by the way, the smith machine (or any and all variations of this machine) do NOT count as free weights. Barbells, Dumbbells, kettlebells and other assorted pieces of heavy “stuff” that you pick up off the ground are free weights.

Here’s why you should only use free weights for strength training:

Reason #1 Why Machines Suck:
It’s NOT Safer To Use Machines!

Many people are under the mistaken assumption that it’s somehow “safer” to start working out with machines… or that it’s safer to workout with the smith machine when you have no workout partners.

This is pure B.S. and you shouldn’t believe it. For reasons I’ll get into in a moment — you’ll get injured MORE in the long run if you use machines… and free weights are just as safe in the beginning, here’s why:

• Light weights - you won’t be lifting anything heavy in the beginning (or you’re an egotistical idiot who deserves to get hurt) so chances of you getting hurt are slim…
• Form is #1 – you should focus on getting your form right with the free weights and that will be the focus of your first month lifting weights, so you shouldn’t get hurt…
• Drop it - If something goes wrong you can always drop the weight if it’s in your hands, or on your shoulders
• Avoid Failure – I always recommend avoiding failure anyways, so if you’re stopping a rep (or two) before failure, there’s no reason you’d ever even need a spotter really (except for when you start adding more weight)…
• Power Racks - squat racks that have safety cages around them with safety pins are there for a reason — in case something goes wrong.

Basically, you don’t even need a spotter if you don’t have one. In fact, I used to work out in my basement all the time and I would just never put the clamps down on the ends of the barbell, that way if something went wrong during a bench press or something like that I’d just let the weights slide off the ends if I was trapped under the bar (you gotta be ready for this because it’s going to whiplash back in the other direction — towards the still weighted end of the bar — but as long as you’re prepared to “go with the motion” you’ll be fine). It’s loud but it’s safe.

Reason #2 Why Machines Suck:
Your Body Is Forced To Follow a Set Movement Pattern

When you step into a smith machine for example to do a squat movement, the bar is fixed along a vertical line. No matter your body type, height, weight or flexibility issues — you’re forced to squat along this straight line.

Here’s the thing: these machines are designed for the “average” person and as top strength coach Pavel says, “I’ve yet to meet one!” So you’re forced to squat (or whatever movement you’re doing) along a line of movement which is not natural to your body and will probably lead to muscle imbalances… which will lead to injuries in the future.

What’s more…

Reason #3 Why Machines Suck:
Your Stabilizer Muscles Don’t Get Worked

When you put a free weight on your shoulders, above your head or lift it off the ground your entire body is forced to stabilize itself. In the overhead press your entire torso must stabilize to act as a solid “base” for your arms to press out of…

And the little stabilizing muscles in your arms, shoulders, chest and other pressing muscles must work extra hard to keep the bar steady and following along the straight path you have set for it in your mind. So you’re getting more muscle recruitment, more mental involvment, more “mind to muscle” connection, and basically more results every time you do a free weight exercise.

When your bar is already set to go up and down a single path, like with the smith machine, then the majority of this stabilizing muscle work is taken away from you and you are left weaker and with more potential for future injury should you ever need to repeat a similar movement in life… which bring us to…

Reason #4 Machines Suck:
Strength Built With Machines Doesn’t Carry-Over Well

Following our example of overhead pressing, if you are doing this movement in a smith machine where the weight is set to move only along a specific path and your stabilizer muscles are not worked, you can cheat on your form and press from a non-solid base… you’re not building “functional” or “real world” strength.

“Functional training” is the new buzzword but basically it means you’re doing stuff in the gym that’s going to build strength that carries over into your every day life.

If you have to pick up a heavy box and press it overhead to set at the top of your closet, or on a shelf, there is no friggin smith machine to help keep it in a “safe” straight line of motion. You gotta be able to stabilize your torso and core to get it up off the ground, clean it to your shoulder or high-chest and press it overhead from a stable base — something you learn from lifting free weights and not playing around in some stupid smith machine.

I should of just titled this article “Why I hate smith machines” but I figure you’ll get some good, important info out of why you should only do strength training with free weights anyways