Wellness

[Suzeecat]

I like free weights. I have an aversion to machines; they make me feel like a hamster on a wheel. Also, I feel really cool and empowered when I'm pressing a barbell.

[HonnyBrown]

On 7/14/2014 MJ FAN 4 EVER said:

I see so many people in my neighborhood (especially older people) walking with free weights. It puts a lot of pressure on the knees. I even saw a woman walking in the park with ankle weights! Ankle weights are for leg lifts or hamstring lifts, not for walking in!! Walking alone is a weight bearing exercise, to add weights to the process only compounds the amount of weight the knees have to carry for you.

Everyone here is so smart about training and have done their research. I applaud all of you. However, some people do not do their homework and will suffer the consequences down the road, unfortunately.

The place where I go hiking, I see people carrying dumbbells. I just think "OWCH!" but maybe it works for them.

Speaking of no research. I jumped blindly into a yoga class on TV (OnDemand). It was an advanced class with moves I was not ready to do. This was in October and I'm still paying for it.

I hate that dog!

[HonnyBrown]

On 7/14/2014 suzeecat said:

I like free weights. I have an aversion to machines; they make me feel like a hamster on a wheel. Also, I feel really cool and empowered when I'm pressing a barbell.

I put the barbell down and returned to dumbbells when I realized I wasn't working my core the way I wanted to. I know what you mean, though, when I hear that "CLANK!"

[Hayfield]

I have a personal trainer and she mixes it up and I do different things every week, free weights, machines, bands, TRX, etc. It keeps me from getting bored and she says it's just good to "mix it up". I also do cardio too. The important thing is to do any kind of exercise. I do it for my physical and mental health. Whenever I have problems, stress, etc., exercising really helps me.

[HonnyBrown]

I agree, Hayfield, exercise is the anti stress! Strength training builds strong bones, and cardio builds a strong heart.

Exercise, in so many ways, is beneficial to our minds and bodies.

[terrier3]

Yesterday my trainer had me do something different. It involved a duffle bag filled with sand - 45 pounds worth of constantly shifting sand.

I had to deadlift it to my knees, "hug" it, hoist up to my shoulder and thrown it over my shoulder to the ground behind me. 10x each set, then 30 air squats. We did that 5 times in a row, no rest in between...one minute rest, then 5 more times.

Because of the constantly shifting sand, and because you have to balance it on your knees and then on your shoulder, it works a LOT of core muscles and leg muscles all at once.

[QueenDanceALot]

You get more "bang for your buck" with free weights, whether "traditional" ones like barbells and dumbbells or others, like sandbags, kettlebells, etc. And don't discount bodyweight exercises such as planks, pushups, etc. , etc., etc. (there is a large group of bodyweight exercises and variations thereon).

All of these, particularly those that involve more than one muscle group at a time (deadlifts, standing overhead presses, front squats, pull ups, lunges) are definitely your best bet.

Machines do not ask your body to stabilize itself (thereby recruiting the stabilizer muscles and attachments). They are a rather modern invention (60's) and they were not an improvement over the old style dumbbell/barbell/bodyweight training of old. They may help to make a body (or body PART) look good, but for function and strength they cannot compare to free weight and body weight work.

[QueenDanceALot]

On 7/13/2014 hckynut said:

On 7/13/2014 HonnyBrown said:

What's your preference and why?

I like using dumbbells because they strengthen stabilizer muscles that machines miss, and they also help with balance and core strength.

The exercises I don't do very well using dumbbells (lat pulldowns), I go to machines.

Hi HB,

I've got both free weight along with a Total Gym and a BowFlex. I prefer using the machines because they force you to use resistance in both directions, whereas with free weights a person is more inclined to contract the muscle and then let in fall back to the starting position.

It is much easier to resist after full contraction when you are returning to the exercise starting point with a machine than it is with free weights.

For balance and core strength I have always been one that prefers muscle specificity when doing an exercise. If I want to work at stabilizing my core I do exercises that are specifically for that area. There are a whole variety of exercises I use for core stability and balance and none of them require a machine or dumbbells to do them.

When I do Abductor exercises on my BowFlex I can assure you it works the stabilizing muscles/balance and strength and flexibility. You are standing on 1 leg and pushing out with one leg thus leaving the other leg to balance and stabilized your body. And just that happening works the core and the balancing sensors.

Also feel that my BowFlex or Total Gym 2000 is much safer than using either dumbbells or free weights when doing bench press types of exercises.

Hey, whatever you feel works best for you as everyone is different.

Pulley systems, like Bowflex and Total Gym aren't what I consider "machines", not in the gym sense. I see machines as being Nautilus and the like.

Pulley systems are very good. As are suspension systems (i.e. TRX). Fabulous to add to your arsenal.

[BeckiWV]

I use both. I like free weights for working biceps and triceps but I also really like certain machines, like the lat pull down. That's a good one for me.

I also like the leg machines because I have an issue with one of my knees that make traditional lunges and squats not fun.

I don't care for the machines that work the core. I would just rather do my own ab work and planks.

[LDOlvr]

I use both. My favorite class at the Y is a toning class using small hand weights, up to 5 lbs. Amazing what you can do with them. Really a good workout.

Between classes I sometimes use the weight machines, mostly on my legs and abdomen. I have very little upper body strength (at 58 years old) and even the lowest of the machine weight targeting upper body/arms is too much for me.