Walk into just about any gym and you’ll find two main ways to strength train: free weights and machines. But if your goal is to get stronger, build muscle, and make the most of your time in the gym, which one should you choose?
The free weights vs machines debate has been around for years, and you’ll find plenty of people who swear by one or the other. The good news? You don’t necessarily have to pick a side.
Research suggests that both free weights and strength machines can be effective for increasing strength and building muscle. The better choice ultimately depends on your experience, goals, preferences, and the exercises you’re performing.
At ALIVE by Raintree in Fort Collins, you have access to both, so you can build a strength routine that works for you.
What Are Free Weights?
Free weights are pieces of strength equipment that aren’t attached to a fixed machine or movement path. Some of the most common examples include:
- Dumbbells
- Barbells
- Weight plates
- Kettlebells
Because you control the weight throughout the movement, free-weight exercises often require more stabilization and coordination.
Think of exercises like barbell squats, deadlifts, dumbbell bench presses, shoulder presses, lunges, and rows.
ALIVE’s memberships include a large weight room and free-weight area, Olympic lifting platforms, plate-loaded equipment, and strength training machines, giving you plenty of ways to incorporate resistance training into your workouts.
Benefits of Free Weights
1. They Challenge More Than Just the Target Muscle
When you’re controlling a dumbbell or barbell, your body also has to stabilize the weight. That means muscles beyond the primary muscle you’re training may be involved in keeping your body positioned correctly throughout the movement.
A dumbbell shoulder press, for example, doesn’t simply require you to push the dumbbells overhead. You also have to control their position and stabilize your body as you move.
2. They Allow for a Huge Variety of Exercises
One of the biggest advantages of free weights is versatility.
A pair of dumbbells can be used for squats, lunges, presses, rows, curls, carries, Romanian deadlifts, and dozens of other movements. You can also modify your stance, grip, range of motion, and positioning depending on the exercise and your goals.
3. They’re Great for Training Compound Movements
Free weights work especially well for compound exercises, or exercises that involve multiple joints and muscle groups.
Examples include:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Bench presses
- Overhead presses
- Rows
- Lunges
Compound exercises can be an efficient way to train multiple muscle groups within the same workout.
4. They Can Help You Develop Specific Free-Weight Strength
Here’s where the free weights vs machines conversation gets interesting.
A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis found that people generally became better at the type of strength training they practiced. In other words, people who trained with free weights tended to improve more when their strength was later tested using free weights, while machine training produced greater improvements on machine-specific tests.
However, researchers found no significant overall difference in muscle growth between free-weight and machine-based training.
What Are Strength Training Machines?
Strength machines guide you through a predetermined movement pattern and typically use a weight stack, plates, cables, or another form of resistance.
Common examples include:
- Leg press
- Leg extension
- Hamstring curl
- Chest press
- Shoulder press
- Lat pulldown
- Seated row
Machines can be useful for beginners, experienced lifters, and everyone in between.
Benefits of Strength Machines
1. Machines Can Be Beginner-Friendly
If you’re new to strength training, walking into a weight room filled with barbells, racks, plates, and dumbbells can feel like a lot.
Machines can provide a more approachable starting point because the equipment helps guide the movement. Many machines also include diagrams showing how to adjust the equipment and perform the exercise.
Once you become more comfortable with resistance training, you can gradually incorporate other exercises and equipment into your routine.
2. You Can Focus on Specific Muscle Groups
Machines are great when you want to target a particular muscle without worrying as much about balancing or stabilizing a free weight.
For example, you might use a leg extension to focus on your quadriceps or a hamstring curl to target your hamstrings.
This makes machines particularly useful when adding accessory exercises after your larger compound movements.
3. They’re Convenient for Quick Workouts
Trying to squeeze in a workout before work or between everything else on your schedule?
Machines can make it easy to move from exercise to exercise. Adjust the seat, select your resistance, and get to work.
And because ALIVE is open and staffed 24/7, you can fit that strength workout into your schedule whether you’re an early riser, lunch-break lifter, or night owl.
4. Machines Can Build Serious Strength, Too
Don’t make the mistake of assuming machines are only for beginners.
Research comparing the two training styles has found that both machine and free-weight training can improve strength and muscle size. Another systematic review concluded that when general strength was assessed independently of the exercises used during training, the two approaches produced similar improvements.
So, no, using the leg press instead of barbell squatting doesn’t mean your workout “doesn’t count.”
Free Weights vs Machines: Which Builds More Muscle?
If muscle growth is your primary goal, here’s some good news: you can build muscle with both.
Research has repeatedly found similar muscle-growth outcomes between free-weight and machine-based resistance training when the programs are appropriately designed.
Instead of obsessing over which piece of equipment is theoretically “best,” focus on the bigger factors that make strength training effective:
- Training consistently
- Gradually increasing the challenge over time
- Using appropriate resistance
- Performing enough quality training
- Allowing your body to recover
- Using good technique
The American College of Sports Medicine’s current resistance-training guidance also emphasizes that complicated programming isn’t necessarily better. For the average healthy adult, consistently training your major muscle groups and choosing a routine that fits your goals, comfort level, and schedule matters more than whether every exercise is performed with a machine or free weight. Learn more from the American College of Sports Medicine.
So…Which One Should You Use?
Why choose?
For many people, an effective strength-training program can include both free weights and machines.
For example, a lower-body workout might look something like:
Barbell Squat
↓
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
↓
Leg Press
↓
Hamstring Curl
↓
Leg Extension
Your free-weight exercises can provide challenging compound movements, while machines can help you add targeted work to specific muscle groups.
Your ideal combination will depend on your goals.
If you’re brand new to lifting: Machines may help you get comfortable with resistance training before adding more free-weight movements.
If your goal is general strength and muscle: A combination of free weights and machines can work extremely well.
If you want to improve your barbell lifts: Prioritize practicing those specific free-weight movements.
If you’re focused on bodybuilding or muscle growth: Both machines and free weights can play a valuable role in your program.
If you simply prefer one over the other: That’s okay, too. A training program you enjoy and consistently follow is much more useful than the “perfect” program you never want to do.
Not Sure Where to Start?
If you walk into the gym and aren’t sure whether you should grab a pair of dumbbells, head to a machine, or do a little bit of both, you don’t have to figure it all out alone.
ALIVE’s certified personal trainers can create a personalized workout plan based on your goals, experience, fitness level, and needs. Whether you’re learning how to lift for the first time or trying to take your strength to the next level, having a plan can make your time in the gym much more productive.
Build Strength at ALIVE by Raintree
Ultimately, the winner of free weights vs machines isn’t one piece of equipment.
It’s the one that helps you train safely, progressively, and consistently.
At ALIVE by Raintree, you don’t have to choose between the two. Our Fort Collins gym features a large free-weight area, strength training machines, plate-loaded strength equipment, Olympic lifting platforms, turf space, cardio equipment, recovery amenities, and more.
Whether you’re chasing a new squat PR, building your first strength routine, or simply trying to feel stronger in everyday life, there’s a place for you here.
Explore ALIVE membership options and start building your strength today!