Time Well Spent and avoid these 4 machines
The gym can be a bit overwhelming. With so many new machines it’s hard to know which one’s are actually worth your time and which ones are better spent passed up. At the beginner to intermediate level we tend to have a biased to machines we’ve done before or have seen done by others.
But popular doesn’t always mean the best, in fact it probably works in the contrary direction. We’ve comprised the top 4 machines that although effective, can easily be substituted for a lot more gain for you pain.
The seated leg Press
Whether you recognize it or not, you’re legs are Diesel. They have been assigned the task of lugging around your lard butt all day. Not only do they lift you, but they support you in dynamic movements such as running, walking, and dare I say jumping. So when you sit down and load up the weights, you have to load at least more than your body weight to even feel the burn. Not to mention it doesn’t do much for stabilizers such as your hips, glutes, shoulders, and lower back.
Try this instead: Goblet Squat
1) Pick up a Kettlebell or Dumbbell in the front loaded position and keep feet flat.
2) Core braced and tight with chest up.
3) Sit back and squat between your legs pushing knees out with elbows while facing forward.
4) Repeat.
The Goblet squat is awesome for many reasons. The first is that it’s great for beginners because front loading of the weight promotes perfect form. Second is that it promotes mobility and activation of the glutes, hips, shoulders, and core, while taking the stress off of your lower back. Thirdly, it promotes high volume training as well as getting your form ready for the heavier weights with the traditional barbell squat.
The Machine Seated Chest Press
Besides being at a less than ideal seated position, the bigger problem with this machine is that it can bring about asymmetry in the pecs. One arm is usually stronger than the other and will end up picking up the slack for the weaker side. The result is lopsided muscle.
Try this instead: Pushups
Sometimes you’ve just got to go back to the basics. The pushup equally engages both sides of the body as well as activating your core for balance. if you want to add weight try decline or handstand pushups.
The Machine: Hip Abductor/Adductor
If it looks ridiculous, it probably is. Just look at all the gym fail compilations on youtube for confirmation. But besides the exterior factors this machine really isn’t giving you that much bang for your buck. It works out very few muscles and pulls, strains your back, and pulls your IT band muscles so tight it pulls your knee caps out of place. No thanks.
Try this instead: Single leg squat
Single leg exercises — like the single-leg bodyweight squat — require those muscles to brace your body and keep you upright, all while putting your quads, glutes, and hamstrings to good use. This exercise uses your inner and outer thighs largely for what they were meant to do in nature, stabilize.
Look, we’re not trying to rehash the machines vs. free weights argument again. We get it, they both have their place. We do have to admit that their are some machines that are best to pass up other than for sentimental reasons. Try substituting these 3 exercises for your previous machine exercises and let us know if they maximize your strength, conditioning, and overall gains.
