|
|
|
Acupuncture Weight Loss with 5 Step Plan
I remember back in my senior year of high school - my best friend since 5th grade was living in France. He wrote that they didn't like Americans much. "They think we're all fat," he said. With his own skinny frame, of course, he confounded their...
Approaches to Knee Pain Relief
You use your knees every time you walk, run, or move your lower body at all. Knee pain, therefore, dramatically affects the daily life of sufferers, who must use their knees throughout the day. Knee pain is the second only to back pain among...
Nutrition Is Not Common Sense
I'd like to explain an important concept that most online trainers (even the "gurus") don't "get"...
Have you ever heard that 'nutrition is common sense?'
Have you ever thought about why the United States has an epidemic of overweight...
R Factors For Fitness and Health @ Body Perfect Fitness
Building a: Perfect Body for Body Perfect Fitness and Health Is just Four Factors Away!!! The R Factors!!!! What are they? Rev up You must incorporate an on-going Aerobic (with oxygen) exercise program in each of your weekly...
Ten Tips for Building Dynamite Relationships
Relationships hold a high place for most of us, especially women. We want great relationships with clear communication, empathy, understanding, mutual trust and friendship and fantastic sex - we want DYNAMITE RELATIONSHIPS. But what do we get much...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Which Is Better For Building Muscle: Machines Or Free Weights?
Want to know the Million Dollar question I get asked probably
more than any other?
Which is better for building muscle: Machines or Free Weights?
Well, first of all, overloading the muscle with heavy weight --
whatever the type of equipment you use -- is what promotes
muscle growth. Any exercise that limits overload is not a good
choice.
However, in most cases, it's much more effective, and more
efficient, to overload the muscle with dumbbells and barbells.
Most machines are very inefficient and not nearly as effective
at muscle stimulation as free weight compound exercises. That's
because they limit the amount of overload you can achieve. Less
overload... less muscle fiber recruitment and less muscle growth
as a result.
Sticking with basic free weight exercises enables you to handle
maximum overload and use natural biomechanics as you perform the
movements. Machines restrict your natural movements, again,
making them less effective for building muscle.
Now, if I had to use a machine for resistance training, it'd
probably be Hammer Strength machines. Hammer Strength is a
company that recognizes that humans do not lift weights in a
perfectly straight line. The range of
motion of Hammer Strength
equipment generally follows the natural arc of our own force
curve.
And the thing is, you can probably lift more weight on Hammer
Strength equipment than a free weight barbell. And it makes
sense why. The machines help you out by balancing and
stabilizing the majority of the weight for you. This makes it
easier to lift more weight. But it's not an advantage. Muscle
fiber recruitment will always be less than if a free weight were
used.
Even though the absolute poundage is greater on a machine, the
actual overload on the muscle is greater with free weights
because you're responsible for balancing and stabilizing all the
weight yourself. This, along with an increased range of motion,
is why free weights are better for more muscle fiber recruitment
and maximum stimulation.
Bottom line, good old-fashioned free weights are the number one
selection for building muscle!
About the author:
Shawn Lebrun is an online personal trainer and natural
bodybuilder. If you're looking to pack on more muscle mass and
get a lean, tight physique, check out my "Simple
Steps To Get Huge And Shredded" program
|
|
|
|
|
|