Dumbbells and Barbells Vs. Machines

One of the most common questions in fitness is if you should perform your exercise routine with weight lifting machines or free weights. Weight training with exercise machines is much different than working out with free weights, such as barbells and dumbbells. Even though the movements may look the same, an exercise routine using machines compared to a dumbbell weight routine will produce different results.

Workout machines guide the movement for you, making it easier for you to lift the weight. This is good in a sense that it’s safer to use, however, because you’re being assisted to lift the weight during the exercise, this reduces the use of stabilizing muscles making the exercise less effective and efficient.

The major advantage of dumbbell training or any free weight exercise routine is that because your body has to stabilize the weight from moving in multiple directions, you’ll be recruiting more muscles while performing the exercise. You’ll end up with faster results with a regular free weight training routine compared to exercise machines.

Additionally, the strength you’ll gain from dumbbell and barbell exercises will transfer over to sports specific and function movements.