Free Weight Exercises vs Body Weight Exercises vs Machines. In the most basic and obvious sense, weight training exercises can fall into 3 different groups based on how they are preformed and what type of equipment is used. They are: Free Weight Exercises. Body Weight Exercises. Machines. Despite what anyone else tells you, each type of exercise can serve a useful purpose in literally every workout routine regardless of what your goal is.
Best free exercises for weight loss to do at. Free Weight Exercises vs Body Weight Exercises vs. Body Weight Exercises. Weight Workouts To Lose Fat. This workout uses mostly free weights because machines are designed to target individual muscle groups. However, certain types of exercises are definitely more ideal for certain people based on factors like experience level, training preferences, body type/genetics, and of course, your specific fitness goal. So, let’s go through free weight exercises, body weight exercises and machines and look at some examples of each, find out what their pros and cons are, and see how they compare with each other. You’ll then be able to easily determine which is best (and worst) for you. Free Weight Exercises. A free weight exercise is any exercise where the resistance is provided by a barbell, dumbbells, or any other free moving object. Some common examples include any type of barbell or dumbbell press, row, curl, extension, or deadlift. Basically, if you’re moving some sort of weight (like a barbell or dumbbell) from point A to point B, and that weight isn’t supported by or attached to anything other than you, it’s most likely a free weight exercise. PROSCompletely natural movement. Allows you to move through a range of motion that is completely natural for your specific body. Nothing is restricted or put into any sort of fixed position that may not be perfect for you body. Uses additional muscles. Since you are in full control of the weight and stabilizing the entire movement itself, you are therefore recruiting the use of various stabilizer muscles that tend to go unused with machines. Extremely functional. Free weight exercises allow you to mimic actual movements that you actually do in real life, and in the exact manner you’d actually do them. Ideal for home use. If you happen to do your weight training at home, a barbell (or dumbbells), some weight and a bench is all you need to be able to perform dozens of different exercises in your house. CONSUsually harder to learn at first. Especially when compared to machines (and to a lesser extent, body weight exercises), it’s usually a little harder to learn proper technique as a beginner. Higher potential risk of injury. There is a risk of injury with EVERY type of exercise, but the potential may be a little bit higher with free weights than others. Body Weight Exercises. A body weight exercise is any exercise where the resistance is provided by your own body weight. Instead of moving a barbell or dumbbell from point A to point B like you would with a free weight exercise, a body weight exercise requires moving your own body from point A to point B. Some common examples include push- ups, pull- ups, chin- ups, and dips. PROSCompletely natural movement. Allows you to move through a range of motion that is completely natural for your specific body. Nothing is restricted or put into any sort of fixed position that may not be perfect for you body. Uses additional muscles. Since you are in full control of of the weight (which is your body) and stabilizing the entire movement itself, you are therefore recruiting the use of various stabilizer muscles that tend to go unused with machines. Extremely functional. Body weight exercises allow you to mimic actual movements that you actually do in real life, and in the exact manner you’d actually do them. CONSSometimes too hard/impossible. For certain people (especially beginners and people who are overweight), body weight exercises like pull- ups and dips are extremely hard and in some cases just impossible to do. With free weights or machines, if it’s too heavy, you can just use less weight. With a body weight exercise, you’re kinda stuck with your own body weight. Using a machine is usually as simple as sit down, grab the handles and move them in the only direction they are capable of moving. Especially in the case of beginners, this is the easiest form of exercise to learn. Can sometimes be safer. While you can definitely still get injured using a machine, there is usually less risk of injury when compared to free weight or body weight exercises. CONSUnnatural movement path. A fixed, unnatural movement path forces you into positions that in many cases are not right for many people. At best this can be uncomfortable and make it hard to progress and properly train the target muscle. At worst, it will eventually cause an injury. Least functional type of exercise. The carryover between machines and movements you actually do in real life is lesser than it is with either free weight or body weight exercises. Does part of the work for you. While you are definitely still working the target muscle and moving the weight (or in this case, the handles) from point A to point B, the entire movement is being stabilized by the machine itself and therefore preventing you from using various stabilizer muscles. Not ideal for home use. Machines are the most expensive (by far), take up the most space (by far), and are the least usable (one machine is typically only capable of one exercise, whereas a barbell or dumbbells can be used for dozens). So, Which Type Of Exercise Is Best For You AND Your Goal? In most cases, most of the time, this is how it breaks down based on your specific goal: Performance Related Goals. If your primary goal is performance related (increasing strength, improving performance, etc.), then the majority of your workout routine should be comprised of free weight and body weight exercises. Machines should usually be kept to a minimum, or possibly none whatsoever. Looks Related Goals. If your primary goal is looks related (building muscle, losing fat, getting “toned,” etc.), then really all 3 types of exercises can serve as suitable choices for your workout routine. In general however, free weight and body weight exercises are the ideal first choice, with certain machines being a perfectly fine secondary option. Silly Myths. Oh, and before ending this, I figure I should quickly mention the extremely idiotic myth that “free weights are for adding bulk” and “machines are for toning up.” That’s complete and utter bullshit. My post about muscle tone explains this in more detail, but the big point is that free weight exercises, body weight exercises and machines are all 1. There is no difference whatsoever. What’s Next? The next part of the exercise selection process is learning the difference between compound and isolation exercises and determining which is best for you and your goal. Check it out: The Ultimate Weight Training Workout Routine). Workout Routines Database: 1. Free Workout Plans. Selecting the right workout routine is crucial for reaching your goals. People who don't choose the right plan are setting themselves up for failure. Here are our top 8 tips for selecting a workout. Select a workout routine that's designed for your experience level. Many people who are just getting started lifting still choose workout plans that are designed for experienced lifters and pro bodybuilders. You will get much faster results from a plan that suits your experience. If you're just starting out, find a beginner workout. Be clear about your goals. When we polled our readers and asked their main goal the highest response was “build muscle and lose fat. Unless you're a beginner or taking steroids, this is extremely hard to achieve. Think about your goal before selecting a workout routine. Do you want to build muscle or lose fat first? Do you want to improve your sports performance? Do you want to increase endurance? The clearer you are about your goal the easier it is going to be to find the right plan and the better your results will be. Think about your lifestyle and select a workout that fits. Don't try and fit a 5- 6 day workout routine into your already busy lifestyle. You would have been better off with a workout plan that only requires 3 days in the gym. Think about how much time you can realistically put in working out. Choose a workout routine you know you'll be able to stick with for the full duration. Most workout plans are designed for a set period. You're not going to get the best results if you only follow the routine for 4- 5 weeks. This is something you should definitely look out for in periodization routines as the workload often increases as you progress through the workout. Know your body type before selecting a workout plan. Most new lifters don't understand how body types affect results. It's important you understand your own body type and what workout to use to maximize results. Have realistic expectations. You've seen the magazine covers and fitness models on Instagram. Don't expect these results in the first 3 months of training. If you set your expectations too high you're bound to lose motivation and give up. These people have often been working out for over 1. So set small goals for improving your physique and don't compare to others. Pick a plan you can do with a workout partner. Motivation is key to long term results in all aspects of fitness. Training with a partner is awesome. Workouts are more fun and you can keep each other motivated. Choose a workout partner that is slightly better than you. Meaning, if your goal is fat loss, they're slightly leaner. If your goal is muscle building then they're slightly bigger and stronger. This will bring out your competitive spirit as you try and match them when you're training. Read reviews/comments on workouts before trying them. Our workouts database has over 2. Often people will talk about the results they have got after using a plan. Read these comments and see if the comment author has similar goals to you. You can have the best plan in the world and if you don't back it up with the fuel you need for your goal you will not succeed. Use our BMR calculator to calculate your calories then check out our fitness nutrition section for diet plan, articles and recipes.
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