By Alyssa Ages
The first time I approached the weight room at my local gym, over a decade ago, I froze with fear in the doorway. The maze of complicated-looking equipment — and the crowd of people who already knew what they were doing — were immediately intimidating.
After mustering the confidence to ask one of the in-house trainers for a tour, I learned that most weight rooms consist of two main sections: the free weights (dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells) and the machines. You can build a well-rounded routine using one section or a combination of the two.
Even one strength session a week can have a positive impact on your health. “Overall the biggest benefit comes from doing nothing to doing something,” said Lauren Colenso-Semple, a muscle physiologist. Strength training has been shown to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality, decrease symptoms of depression and minimize fall risks, among other benefits.
Using both machines and free weights can also make it easier to perform daily tasks, by improving your joint mobility and range of motion. “Being a stronger and more muscular person makes you a more functional person,” Colenso-Semple said.
Weight machines
Weight machines are a great introduction to strength training because they are relatively safe and easier to master than free weights, said Kelvin Gary, a New York City-based personal trainer and gym owner. And, according to several recent studies, machines are just as good as free weights for improving muscle mass and strength.
Weight machines typically fall into two categories. Fixed-path machines, like the leg press, keep your body moving in a specific range of motion and usually isolate a single muscle group. Cable machines use a pulley system and allow you to perform an exercise at different angles to target multiple muscle groups. Some fixed-path machines include a stack of weighted plates that you can set by inserting a pin, while others have metal bars for adding standard barbell plates.
Both fixed-path and cable machines are designed so that the weight won’t fall on you if you can’t complete the movement.
Learning proper form and building a base of strength on a machine can help you transition to free weights, which are more challenging because they require greater stability and control, said Sarah Ann Kelly, a trainer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
How to get started
Most fixed-path machines will have an illustrated guide on how to adjust it for your body. Some gyms also arrange the machines in a numbered training circuit meant to provide a balanced full-body workout.
Cable machines (like the seated row and lat pull-down) are less likely to be labeled with instructions for how to perform a specific movement, as each machine can be used for several exercises. Kelly suggested asking a professional for an orientation: Most gyms offer a free training session with your membership, and a trainer can show you which machines to use and how to use them. While it might be tempting to copy the exercises an experienced gym-goer is doing, your goals are probably different from theirs, Kelly added.
As you become more comfortable with the machines, consider performing more repetitions or increasing the weight to build muscle mass and strength. You can also make these movements more challenging by moving more slowly or taking shorter rests between sets. Machines make it easy to progress by allowing you to add more resistance without compromising your form, Colenso-Semple said.
Free weights
Any equipment where the weight is not attached to a structure or anchor is considered a free weight. These include dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells and weight plates. Dumbbells and kettlebells are typically found on a rack near a row of fixed or adjustable benches.
Free weights give you the freedom of greater range of motion than weight machines. They rely on multiple joints and work more than one muscle group with a single lift, Colenso-Semple said. “You get more bang for your buck doing these exercises,” she added.
How to get started
Kettlebells and dumbbells are a good place to begin, since you can start with very light weights and work up from there. (A barbell, by comparison, is typically either 35 or 45 pounds before you add weight plates.) You can perform many of the same movements with a kettlebell or dumbbell as you would with a barbell.
Ensuring that you’re moving with proper form is important to avoid injury, especially as you add weight. A trainer can provide immediate form cues, but you can also ask a friend to offer feedback. If you’re working out on your own, use your phone to film your lifts and watch them in between sets.
“Strength training is all about learning how your body moves,” said Jessica Lacoursiere, a personal trainer based in Edmonton, Alberta. “You should know what you look like when you lift.”
If you’re interested in transitioning to barbells, most experts suggest working with a trainer because of the weight, degree of difficulty and complexity.
How to build your workout
For a well-rounded workout that works most of your major muscle groups, choose exercises based on the movements that help you perform most of your daily tasks. Include push and pull movements for your upper body; hip hinge, squat and lunge movements for your lower body; and a movement that challenges your core, Colenso-Semple said.
Begin with the lightest weight and add more until you hit a number that feels manageable but challenging for eight repetitions, or what Gary describes as a 7 out of 10 in terms of perceived difficulty.
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