NO muscle... OK to start off on machines before moving on to free weights?

[omnomnomnom]

Hi,

A couple years ago I lost fat the wrong way by not eating and I lost fat the wrong way. I want to regain my strength back and put on some muscle and I was wondering if it was OK to start off with machines so I can gain a bit of strength before I do actual bench press + dead lifts.

Would doing machines help me gain strength for moving on to free weights?

Thanks.

[Deonne]

they would but machines arnt as effective, why not just start off on a lower weight on the free-weights to build up?

[omnomnomnom]

Yeah you're right... I just don't have a spotter and don't wanna look like a douche benching a horseshoe on each side

[scootzilla]

Well i say go free but if you dont think you can do them without hurting yourself or doing them wrong i wouls say go machine.Machine might not be the best but you also dont want to hurt yourself and do them wrong cause you could be in bad shape if it goes wrong.

[Edge118]

Why do you want to gain strength before using free weights? There's nothing wrong with machines, but you don't want to plan your entire workout around them since you'll see the best gains with free weights. As Deonne said, start with low weight (with good form) and move up from there.

[Edge118]

Yeah you're right... I just don't have a spotter and don't wanna look like a douche benching a horseshoe on each side

Don't worry about the amount of weight you're lifting. If anyone makes fun of you for it, tell them to *** off

If you're worried about not having a spotter stick to a higher rep range (8-12) since you'll have a better idea of when you're approaching failure.

[Deonne]

Dont worry about how you look, every big guy in that gym started off somewhere.

I dont think anyone will confront you about lifting light, if they though do dont sweat it, one day youll be able to kick their ass.

[omnomnomnom]

Thanks, off to go lift some free weights

[Ya Boy Dave]

Definitely start out on free weights. Machines don't have too much carryover anyway. You might as well start as you intend to go on. Learn the proper form and gradually increase the weight/reps from 1 workout to the next. We all had to start somewhere.

[bluedot]

Machines get **** on but they've certainly got their place. My advice would be that, if you plan on doing free weights (and most decent programs will use them pretty extensively) you may as well start with them now. If you really are weak the extra work that you get from stabilizing a free weight will be beneficial. This is just my naive opinion, but it seems to me that the more experienced lifter can make better use of machines and less experienced lifters are better off with free weights -- seems to run contrary to a lot of opinion but I'm yet to be convinced otherwise.

[entropy1]

umm, the OP is a rabbit, i dont think free weights would be good fro a rabbit

[Farley1324]

Don't worry about it.

Nobody who makes fun of you for lifting light weight has an opinion that matters.

When I first started lifting I weighed 135 pounds and coujldn't do 10 pushups. It took me what seemed like a year to max on bench at 135 pounds. We all have to start somewhere.

[GetBig87]

Mix it up. Do what you can safely with free=weights and what you cant with machines. Dont forget bodyweight pull-ups. If you dont start now you'll regret it.

[Panacea.]

free weights ONLY.

only acceptable machines are the rear delt machines t-bar row and lat pulldown.

[coomo]

free weights ONLY.

only acceptable machines are the rear delt machines t-bar row and lat pulldown.

Ive never witnessed such a deluded illogical bias as this before.A muscle contracts against a resistance.Whether that resistance is from a weight machine, or bags of potatoes, is irelavant.What makes one machine acceptable and another not?.Ill admit that some machines are not bio mechanically advantageous.However some are superior to free weights in many respects.Nautilus, hammer & medex, being the state of the art here. These All represent advantages over free weights.The 30 lbs ive gained in the last 10 months, without using ANY free weights bears witness, to these adavantages.This is just another "traditionalist" belief that has been perpetrated by the bodybuilding press, and had now been accepted in much the same way as the need to eat copius amounts of protein powder daily.Total bollocks.

[zephed56]

Yeah you're right... I just don't have a spotter and don't wanna look like a douche benching a horseshoe on each side

who ****ing cares what the other dumb****s at the gym think of you? Most of them have no ****ing clue what they're doing anyway. If you consistently add weight to the bar each workout, in no time you will be lifting respectable weights. It's very easy to progress at your stage. Just get in there and do it correct from the start, instead of pussing out and getting stuck on machines.

[zephed56]

A muscle contracts against a resistance.Whether that resistance is from a weight machine, or bags of potatoes, is irelavant.What makes one machine acceptable and another not?

1) doing ANYTHING is much better than nothing. All your experience shows is that training will improve fitness, not the superiority of one method over the other.

2) Exercise selection with machines mostly sucks. You can't squat or deadlift with a machine, and those two are the meat and "bags of potatoes" of any good strength (and mass) program. That's enough to say free weights, in particular barbells, are superior to machines.

I had a few other reasons typed out, but this should suffice.

[coomo]

1) doing ANYTHING is much better than nothing. All your experience shows is that training will improve fitness, not the superiority of one method over the other.

2) Exercise selection with machines mostly sucks. You can't squat or deadlift with a machine, and those two are the meat and "bags of potatoes" of any good strength (and mass) program. That's enough to say free weights, in particular barbells, are superior to machines.

I had a few other reasons typed out, but this should suffice.

Cant squat with machines? how about nautlius duo squat,southern xercise tru-squat,universal squat, hammer deadlift station, deads on nautilus omni.Need i go on?

[Farley1324]

Cant squat with machines? how about nautlius duo squat,southern xercise tru-squat,universal squat, hammer deadlift station, deads on nautilus omni.Need i go on?

No, you cannot squat on a machine. You can do a motion that attempts to replicate a squat's movement, but it's NOT a squat.

Nautilus deadlift station equal to a free weight BB deadlift? ahahaha


I see why you are so far in the red.

[tonester]

Has anyone mentioned stabilizing the OP's joints/soft tissue using bodyweight first? Machines use one plane of motion, the body doesn't need to stabilize the load in that environment. Here's an example of the full range (upper body stability and strength) that should be mastered, which machines can't develop.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZe3j8CiWNQ

Can't do pushups or pullups, then use light weights and cable units. Of particular importance is form and stability in the bw squat/deadlift and single leg work.

[tblake87]

Yeah you're right... I just don't have a spotter and don't wanna look like a douche benching a horseshoe on each side

Don't even worry about it. Just ask someone near you to spot you for a 3 or 4 minutes. If they are a somewhat decent person, they will. Just make sure you are willing to spot other people around you if they ask. I never go to the gym for a said "spotter" but someone always is willing to help.

[Panacea.]

Ive never witnessed such a deluded illogical bias as this before.A muscle contracts against a resistance.Whether that resistance is from a weight machine, or bags of potatoes, is irelavant.What makes one machine acceptable and another not?.Ill admit that some machines are not bio mechanically advantageous.However some are superior to free weights in many respects.Nautilus, hammer & medex, being the state of the art here. These All represent advantages over free weights.The 30 lbs ive gained in the last 10 months, without using ANY free weights bears witness, to these adavantages.This is just another "traditionalist" belief that has been perpetrated by the bodybuilding press, and had now been accepted in much the same way as the need to eat copius amounts of protein powder daily.Total bollocks.

you did not state your reasoning, argument or even hint at WHY you think machines are advantageous. all you did was type out a bunch random incoherent thoughts.

try again.

[notorius1]

Machines are something like supplemental to free weights. Start with free weights and practice good form.

[Vermonta]

Free weights first, machines second.

[kevolution]

Resistance is resistance regardless of free-weight or machine, but you are underestimating the growth of stabilizers and the development of the CNS. Machines will build up neither.

[jgood]

There isn't much carryover from machines because the lack of stabilizers use but many older people use machines for similar reasons I'd assume. Honestly your probably just better off starting with free weights and getting the form down instead of jumping in after so long.

[Zee Deveel]

Yeah you're right... I just don't have a spotter and don't wanna look like a douche benching a horseshoe on each side

**** what people think.

[jgood]

**** what people think.

For real ... there are plenty of people out there not doing anything .... its about respecting yourself and if you are in there working your butt off you should feel good about it regardless of what others think.

[coomo]

No, you cannot squat on a machine. You can do a motion that attempts to replicate a squat's movement, but it's NOT a squat.

Nautilus deadlift station equal to a free weight BB deadlift? ahahaha


I see why you are so far in the red.

i il tell you why im in the red.Because i respond to posts from stupid halfwits with no rational thought like yourself.
Obviously you have never attempted a deadlift on a nautilus omni.re your first remark. you are in fact correct.A nautilus duo squat exceeds the potential of barbell squats whilst removing the dangers.

[coomo]

you did not state your reasoning, argument or even hint at WHY you think machines are advantageous. all you did was type out a bunch random incoherent thoughts.

try again.

Some machines are capable of working muscles more thoroughly than free weights.You can research the bio mechanical advantages of nautilus, medx, hammer and some david machines, if you so desire.I have neither the time or inclination to waste my valuable time doing so for your benefit.If you find the post incoherent, may i suggest a course in english at your local educational establishment?We have given the world a great language,if you are going to attempt to use it, it may prove advantageous to learn hows its structured.