Everyone has their ‘starting place’ in the gym – that mat, bench or machine you always head to to kick off your session. From there, you might have a few different variations, but chances are you stick to the same kind of thing most days. After all, most of us barely have time to fit in a gym session, let alone come up with an elaborate new routine every time we turn up. Sticking to what you know often feels like the best option.

But if you’re looking to build strength, failing to make use of all the equipment on offer might be costing you. Sticking to resistance machines over free weights – or vice versa – may seem like the best way to track your progress, but both approaches to training can offer different benefits depending on what you’re trying to achieve and how experienced you are.

So, to give you a closer look at what both styles can offer, we asked Sofia Zolobova, a strength and mobility trainer at Gymbox, to talk us through everything.  

Resistance machines provide targeted workouts for specific muscles while supporting the body, making them ideal for those who are relatively new to strength training or people looking to focus on strengthening an isolated area.

“If you have never exercised in your life or are looking to build general hypertrophy [muscle growth] and muscle size, resistance machines are a great way of working on an isolated muscle and for improving your base strength,” Zolobova explains.

Because resistance machines have a predetermined range of motion, meaning you can only lift and lower the attached weights in a certain way, it’s also great for ensuring you’re using the correct form (which is vital for preventing injury). 

There are a lot of strength-based benefits to be gained from using free weights, especially if you’ve already built up a base level of strength using resistance machines.

“Using free weights is a fantastic way to build strength and work your full body,” Zolobova says. “Although each exercise does target a specific muscle area, the benefit of using free weights is that they require strong form. This means you must engage the muscles in your core and other areas of your body to get a full-body workout.”

As well as building muscle strength, training with free weights can also improve balance, posture and co-ordination. You can incorporate them into a range of different workout styles, including pilates, HIIT and hi-rep, low-weight sessions, as well as compound exercises such as deadlifts, squats and military presses. 

Both resistance machines and free weights can offer benefits for those looking to build strength, depending on what stage of you’re journey you’re at.

While free weights might help you build full-body strength faster because more of your muscles will be working, that won’t be the case if you injure yourself in the process.

“Free weights are incredible for helping build full body strength, but there is a certain amount of skill required and you need to know what you’re doing,” Zolobova says.

“If you have poor form or are using the wrong weights, it can very easily lead to injuries and muscle strains. If you’re a beginner, I would recommend asking for help from a more experienced gym member or even booking a PT session to start with.”

However, that doesn’t mean resistance machines are only suitable for beginners. While free weights may be the most efficient way to build full-body strength, Zolobova says resistance machines can have a place in even the most experienced strength trainer’s workout.

“Resistance machines are great, and a lot of bodybuilders use them in their routines,” she adds. “I would recommend using the machines as part of a warm-up before moving on to free weights.” 

Images: Getty