Jump from machines to free weights - Shocked, I tell you!

[whiskeysticks]

I've been working a beginners program for around 20 weeks. Today was the start of a new cycle so I decided to get off the smith machine for bench and the Cybex Eagle overhead press machine. A shoulder injury and not doing anything for years is what made me decide to start with those. The start of a new cycle, more weights... After warmup sets, it was on the full weight. The free weights lifted much easier, too easy in fact. I ended up adding more weight as a result. It was a bit of a confidence booster knowing I could put more up than what I was doing on the machines.



Isn't it usually suppose to work the other way around - easier to lift more on a machine than with free weights?

[Tommy W.]

You can't compare them. The machines will always be different due to their mechanical differences of angles, leverage, etc.

[Rasputin4]

It also depends on who manufactures the machines. I remember one time my gym replaced all their machines and I could do about half the weight on the new chest press as on the old one. The old one I could chest press way more than I could bench, the the new one less.

[repsandsets]

More stabilizing muscles are involved in free weights, so in that sense they're more work.

But... in the full range of motion, the resistance will vary more with free weights - because for part of the move the weight is moving across gravity more than against it. Whereas machines like the smith machine and cable machine maintain consistent resistance through a move, and therefore may be harder.

Have you checked your form in the mirror to make sure you're getting the moves right, and going the full range of motion?

[Concat]

But... in the full range of motion, the resistance will vary more with free weights - because for part of the move the weight is moving across gravity more than against it. Whereas machines like the smith machine and cable machine maintain consistent resistance through a move, and therefore may be harder.

That only applies to lifts that have appreciable horizontal displacement like flys, or lateral raises, not bench press or OHP.

[sameaha]

I usually workout in local gym in town but now have to do my workouts in a different gym due to work relocation and shift scedule. So last week I did my leg extension exercise and the weight was 65 kg so I tried to do the exercise using the same weights in the other gym and I was SHOCKED! I could have injured my knee hadn't I stopped at the right time. Luckily it was a vein rupture or something else. No pain
So i dropped the weight to 50 kg

I guess machines are totally different

[Omfgorzzz]

You can't compare them. The machines will always be different due to their mechanical differences of angles, leverage, etc.

This.

[iamdetermined]

Some machines are just different. At the calf raise machine at my gym i usually do 300(inb4 chicken legs), but when i used the one at school i could on do 120. Thats why its better to just do free weights, no matter where you go the weight will always be the same.