When it comes to your workout, making smart choices will help you achieve your goal. The debate about the benefits of free weights vs. machines has been a continuous one at gyms.
Choosing to work out with free weights or resistance machines comes down to personal preference and objectives, but listed below are some of the benefits of both.

Benefits of Free Weights

Free weights rely on the user and their body for effectiveness. They include equipment such as dumbbells and barbells.
Benefits of these types of weights include:

• Mobility: Convenience is a big advantage of free weights. They can be used at the gym, at home or even on vacation.
• Variation: Hundreds of techniques can be executed with a single dumbbell. There is the freedom to move around in more natural ways so your body can be used to its full potential.
• Stability and Strength: Free weights have a stabilizing effect on the muscles in focus. They keep your joints healthy and your muscles stronger for optimal results.
• Prevent Injury: Working out with free weights corrects any muscle imbalances which helps to prevent everyday injuries. Free weights load each side of your body separately thereby reducing differences between similar muscles such as the biceps or hamstrings.
• Balance – Free weights work out your core while developing muscle groups so you have better balance.

Benefits of Machines

Machines anchor to a frame using cables, gears, springs or rubber bands. There are a number of different types of resistance machines.
Benefits of machines include:

• Easy to Manage: Machines do not typically require guidance since their purpose and use are usually self-explanatory. When properly adjusted, machines provide proper form and prevent injury.
• Focus on Muscle Groups: Machines provide the opportunity to isolate a specific group of muscles.
• Useful for Elderly or Rehabilitation: Fitness is for every age and every kind of person. Machines offer the same amount of benefits to individuals who struggle to lift heavy weights on their own, such as the elderly or injured persons.

Which Is the Better Choice?

Machines are more convenient for beginners who are just starting their journey into weight training. Bodybuilders and people undergoing rehabilitation or physical therapy should use machines as well. Free weights are suitable for anyone, from athletes to rehabilitation patients. When deciding the benefits of free weights vs. machines, the bottom line is consistency in working different muscle groups, the intensity of your program and variation of your workouts to obtain the best results from your weight training session.

Let Our Fitness Experts Help You

Whether you choose to use free weights, machines or even both to reach your workout goals, the right technique is always important to avoid injury. Our trainers at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club’s Fitness Center are experts who can guide and help you with the proper lifting technique using our world-class Italian equipment with the revolutionary Technogym®. Stop by our Fitness Center or call us at 352-402-4350 to learn more.