Just like free weights, using weight machines (think: the leg curl and extension, leg press, chest press, shoulder press, biceps curl, triceps press, and lat pulldown machines) at your local fitness center can help you build strength and muscle. But the equipment also comes with a few unique benefits.
Yes, you could build muscle using machines only if you are progressively overloading. However it is still not optimal, and will not build any strength that could carry over to real life.
Weightlifting primarily centers around the act of lifting weights, usually in the form of dumbbells, barbells, or machines. The primary goal in weightlifting is often aesthetic improvement, such as muscle definition, size, or symmetry.
It's perfectly fine to use machines for any amount of your workout. Resistance is resistance, and that's what makes muscles grow.
Multiple studies have confirmed that machines and free weight grow muscle and strength at equal rates, so use what you like. Machines tend to be safer and more stable and are an excellent choice.
Weightlifting machines can be very helpful in reaching your strength-training goals, especially if you're a beginner, said Denise Chakoian, CPT, a trainer and founder of CORE Cycle Fitness Lagree.
Yes, it is Possible! Building muscles without weights might sound counterintuitive to many, but it's entirely possible! Over the last few years, more individuals have opted for home workouts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, vacations, or limited gym access.
Rest between set durations should be based on sets/exercise (volume), and not load or training goal. General recommendations include moderate (2 min) rest between sets if performing 2 sets/exercise, long rest (3 min) if performing 3 sets/exercise, and very long rest (> 4 min) if performing 4 sets or more/exercise.
Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. Aim to do a single set of each exercise, using a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.
Around 80% of your one repetition maximum is often defined as “high intensity” or heavy lifting. Around 40% or less of your one repetition maximum is often defined as “low intensity”. In other words, lifting 80% of your one repetition maximum would allow you to do about eight reps.
Weight machines cause your muscles to work in a fixed, unnatural range of motion. This limits your ability to properly train your muscles. This fixed range of motion might not be right for all people, and in some cases it can cause overextension and injury to ligaments and tendons.
Strength in free-weight tests increased significantly more with free-weight training than with machines (SMD: -0.210, CI: -0.391, -0.029, p = 0.023), while strength in machine-based tests tended to increase more with machine training than with free-weights (SMD: 0.291, CI: -0.017, 0.600, p = 0.064).
Doing 100 push-ups a day can be an impactful element of your overall strength-building and -maintaining routine. And you don't need to be at a gym to do them. “It's a quick and efficient way to strengthen some upper body muscles,” Rad says. “It is a bodyweight move that can be done virtually anywhere.”
Scarfing down protein without working out might help you maintain some of your baseline muscle mass—but it won't help you build more. Without the stress of exercise, nothing's signaling to the body that it needs to build more robust muscles, Jones explains.
“You can lift lighter weights, and as long as you lift them with a high degree of effort, they're as good as heavier weights in making you bigger,” he says. Using a home gym machine or even just your own body weight, like with push-ups or lunges, works.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT): It is probably one of the fastest and most efficient ways to lose stomach fat and reduce the overall body fat percentage. HIIT is a high-intensity short period of exercise that usually doesn't exceed 30 minutes, with short breaks of recovery periods of 30-60 seconds.
Research suggests a slightly higher frequency of training for building strength training, with a minimum of three days a week required for strength gains but five days being optimal. A 2023 study concluded that three days a week of strength training was superior to two days a week when measuring bicep strength [2].
Downtime between workouts (whether you're lifting, doing cardio or training for a sport) is when our bodies have a chance to actually build muscle. Strenuous workouts cause muscle breakdown, while rest allows our bodies to build it back up.
There are several research-backed reasons why you might notice a slight weight gain after exercise. These include muscle gain, water retention, post-workout inflammation, supplement use, or even undigested food. In most cases, post-workout weight gain is temporary.