I actually have a wierd habit after I train at a recent gym. Considered one of the primary things I do is go searching at how much space is occupied by worthless equipment. It’s my way of “grading” the place. You see, not all gym machines are created equal. There may be a continuum from best to worst. And if lame equipment fills every corner, there is not any room for the great things.
The issue is, what’s the great things? In fact, there are the bodybuilding staples everyone knows and loves, but other machines are underrated or falsely villainized for no reason.
In this text, I dissect the gym machine landscape, unveiling the highest five winners who excel at muscle growth alongside the underside five who only take up space. Whether you are a gym vet or simply starting, this guide will assist you to navigate the flooded gym floor, maximizing your muscle gains and time.
Table of contents:
- The 5 Best Machines on the Gym for Muscle Growth
- The 5 Worst Machines on the Gym for Muscle Growth
- Pros and Cons of Machine Training
- Tricks to Get the Most Out of Machine Training
The 5 Best Machines on the Gym for Muscle Growth
Let’s start on a positive note. Listed below are five of the perfect gym machines for muscle growth. Just a few may surprise you.
1: The Smith Machine
The Smith machine is on almost every list. Nevertheless, it is generally within the worst category, which is not right.
Dumping on the Smith machine is nothing recent. Trainers have been doing it for years. I probably did, too, sooner or later. In that case, I’m sorry because I used to be flawed.
The Smith machine is among the best muscle-building machines on the gym. There, I said it. And essentially the most significant profit is definitely what people use to discredit its ability to construct muscle—stability.
It’s no secret that the Smith machine is more stable than a barbell. In a sports or functional context, that is an obstacle because you ought to train all the little stabilizing muscles. Nevertheless, getting jacked isn’t as clear. Many individuals find that a Smith machine allows them to get a greater mind-muscle connection on the goal muscle. For instance, not balancing the bar on a shoulder press allows them to focus more on pressing with their shoulders.
Take into accout that I’m not comparing a barbell to a Smith machine. Data suggests that barbells are still king in terms of muscle activation.¹ 
Nevertheless, by way of machines, the Smith machine is tough to beat as a solid variation. I mean, you possibly can train your entire body on it.
My favorite Smith machine exercises include incline bench presses, seated shoulder presses, single-arm shrugs, rows, standing calf raises, hip thrusts, and Bulgarian split squats. Throwing one in all these exercises into your routine will provide a pleasant variation to maintain things interesting.
2: Cable Machine
The cable machine needs to be on the list. Just like the Smith machine, it’s one piece of apparatus that may train all the body. Furthermore, the cable’s design ensures that resistance stays consistent throughout the range of motion, making a continuous tension that maximizes muscle engagement. Constant tension is arguably essentially the most significant advantage of cable machines. In lots of free-weight movements, just like the dumbbell lateral raise, gravity causes the strain to be higher at different points within the lift. That is not the case for cable lateral raises.
It might be a placebo effect or a product of the constant tension, but I all the time get nasty pumps on cable machines. I prefer to end most upper-body sessions with one or two cable exercises.
Cables are great for arm and shoulder work, but as I said, you possibly can train your entire body with a cable machine. When you need assistance with ideas, listed below are the 18 best cable machine exercises.
3: Hack Squat
The hack squat may be one of the vital underrated pieces of apparatus within the gym. Yes, it’s less versatile than the primary two machines on the list, however it’s excellent at what it does. The hack squat is one in all the quintessential muscle-building leg machines within the gym. It means that you can load up substantial weight in a hard and fast motion, targeting the quads while engaging the glutes and hamstrings in a way that is typically safer and more controlled than free-weight squats. This safety feature is very true for those with lower back issues.
My favorite aspect of a hack squat is it allows lifters to coach near failure without the balance concerns inherent in traditional squats. Since we all know training near failure is significant for muscle constructing, it’s hard to argue the worth of the hack squat.
4: Chest Supported Row
I’ll just like the chest-supported row greater than most. It’s one in all my favorite machines since it hits the upper back hard while minimizing strain on the lumbar region. After deadlifting, the very last thing I need to do is barbell rows. That could be a recipe for lower back pain.
Except for safety, one other good thing about the chest-supported row is that it’s hard to cheat. Many back exercises, particularly rows, are commonly butchered. People cut their range of motion, use every muscle but their back, after which wonder why they cannot construct muscle. Sound familiar?
Stabilizing the chest against the pad allows for a full range of motion without sacrificing form. Keeping your chest against the pad makes using momentum to maneuver the burden almost not possible. This targeted approach ensures that the upper back muscles, including the lats, traps, and rhomboids, are maximally engaged throughout each rep.
With the abundance of back machines in most gyms, this machine is straightforward to overlook. Don’t make that mistake.
5: Pullover Machine
You might have never used a pullover machine. It is a shame, but old-school pullovers are rare as of late. I have never seen one in a gym in years. Nevertheless, if I walk right into a gym with one, I need to use it. Even when I’m training legs, I’ll throw in a few sets at the tip. When you see one out within the wild, follow my lead and use it.
A favourite of six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, the pullover machine is a singular back exercise that isolates the lats while minimizing biceps involvement. Give it some thought: what’s the weak link in most back exercises? It is the biceps. Often, your arms fatigue before your lats do.
We want to begin a movement to bring back pullover machines. It’s easily a top-five muscle-building machine, despite the fact that most gyms do not have one. Few back exercises train the lats on this range of motion. It’s excellent for back and chest development, the serratus, and shoulder mobility.
The 5 Worst Machines on the Gym for Muscle Growth
Okay, now let’s get to the fun part. Listed below are five machines you will not catch me dead on. I’m joking but in addition kind of great.
1: Vertical Leg Press
The leg press. Oh boy, where can we begin? Do you ought to know what’s worse than an everyday leg press? A vertical leg press.
Look, I actually have a love-hate relationship with these machines. I would not say I like most leg presses, but a couple of are serviceable. The vertical leg press isn’t one in all them. It’s easily the worst.
While seemingly appealing for its uniqueness and ease of use, the vertical leg press machine lacks traditional leg press machines’ biomechanical benefits and safety features. Its upright position places excessive strain on the lower back and spine, increasing the chance of injury, particularly for people with preexisting back issues. Moreover, the limited range of motion and lack of proper support diminish its effectiveness in targeting the lower body muscles, ultimately making it a suboptimal selection for leg strength and muscle constructing.
What to do as an alternative:
2: Seated Ab Rotation
When you are unfamiliar with the seated ab rotation machine, it is the one where you sit down and twist side to side against resistance. It isn’t a terrible exercise, however it falls under what I consider a waste of space. There are too many higher exercises that do the identical thing.
If you ought to train your obliques, pick one in all the exercises below.
What to do as an alternative:
3: Reverse Hyper
A reverse hyper is a specialized machine designed to focus on the posterior chain. It’s unique since it allows the legs to maneuver in a controlled arc behind the body while the torso is supported on a padded platform. Powerlifting legend Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell created it.
There was a time when saying anything bad concerning the reverse hyper would have kicked me out of the fitness industry. Luckily, I believe that point has passed. RIP, Louie Simmons, however the reverse hyper is one of the vital overrated machines within the gym. Joe Rogan played an element on this. Years ago, he used to sing the praises of the reverse hyper on his podcast, saying it cured his back pain.
While it might strengthen the lower back and glutes to some extent, it lacks the muscle activation capability of other exercises like back extensions, leg curls, or hip thrusts, that are simpler for overall muscle development.
In a 2019 study comparing a back extension with a reverse hyper, muscle activity was significantly greater in back extensions for the glutes and hamstrings.²
In case your gym happens to have a reverse hyper, the excellent news is that it makes a superb standing desk on your training notebook and shaker bottle.
What to do as an alternative:
4: Ab Coaster
This one might make a couple of people mad. The ab coaster has a dedicated fan base. When you know how you can use it accurately, it could actually be effective. The issue is that 90% of individuals do it flawed. Most individuals swing backwards and forwards, letting momentum take over. Doing it this manner is entirely ineffective on your abs. At this point, it’s little greater than an amusement park ride.
Using it accurately involves contracting your abs to lift yourself from the starting position, lowering yourself under control, and stopping. Don’t let momentum keep you moving. For each repetition, begin at a dead stop. Even then, an inexpensive $10 ab wheel is best.
What to do as an alternative:
5: 4-Way Neck Machine
I once trained at a gym with limited floor space, but that they had an enormous Hammer Strength 4-way neck machine. The machine literally took up as much space as a small squat rack. I trained at this place for 3 years and never saw anyone use the neck machine – not one person.
Look, this isn’t me bashing neck training. A thicker neck might be a formidable feature of your physique. And in the event you are involved in grappling sports, a robust neck is a must. That said, I can not consider a much bigger waste of gym space than a neck machine.
A well-rounded neck program should include neck curls and weighted neck extensions with a harness. That is it. No machines are essential.
What to do as an alternative:
Bonus: Your Cell Phone
Okay, I do know a mobile phone isn’t a bit of gym equipment, but hear me out. We must prevent our phones from ruining our workouts.
I’m not old, but nobody took their mobile phone out on the gym floor after I began training. We kept it within the locker room. Before you applaud, leaving a Nokia Track phone in your locker doesn’t take much self-discipline. As you possibly can imagine, the smartphone has modified the whole lot.
Scrolling wastes time and is distracting. The excellent news is that there may be a simple fix to this problem. And, no, you needn’t leave your phone within the locker room.
I need you to begin timing your workouts. The truth is, you need to use your phone to do that. As soon as you begin training, begin the clock. If you finish the last set, hit stop and record the time. Just being mindful that you simply are timing the workout helps limit phone use.
It isn’t a race, but most workouts should only take 60-90 minutes. When you take considerably longer than this, you spend an excessive amount of time on Instagram and TikTok. Please stop it. Your workouts will probably be simpler in the event you do.
What to do as an alternative: During a workout, only use your phone for music and as a timer. Track your workouts the old-school way in a composition notebook. Trust me, that text can wait.
Pros and Cons of Machine Training
A 2023 study showed no differences between free weights and machines by way of muscle-building potential.³ The researchers concluded that it comes right down to personal preferences. That said, machine training does have benefits and downsides. Listed below are a couple of to take into accout.
Pros
- Safety: I actually have a rule. If I’ll get hurt in the burden room, it could actually’t be on an assistance movement. In fact, you never wish to get injured. But, in the event you are going for a recent max on a squat, bench press, or deadlift, at the least you bought hurt going for something big. On the flip side, it isn’t value it in the event you get banged up doing a skull crusher (how do you’re thinking that it got that name?) or a barbell row. There are too many good machine exercises you would have done as an alternative.
- Ease of Use: Machine exercises are easy to learn. Even a beginner can jump on a machine and do it right on the primary or second try. As an intermediate or advanced lifter, since machines are easy to make use of, your form is less more likely to break down once you get fatigued. This feature is useful toward the tip of a tough workout.
Cons
- Does Not Fit Your Body Properly: I’m a comparatively short guy. For many things in the burden room, this is a bonus. Nevertheless, some machines don’t fit me well. I’m sure tall people have the identical problem in the opposite direction. That said, in the event you spend time adjusting the machine, you possibly can mitigate much of the issue.
- Limited Amount of Weight: When you are freakishly strong, you possibly can run out of weight on some machine and cable exercises. It isn’t an issue many individuals face, however it’s an issue all of us should strive for.
Tricks to Get the Most Out of Machine Training
Listed below are my three favorite ways to utilize machine training.
1. Train Close To Failure
As mentioned, machines are relatively protected. So, make the most of their safety and train near failure. For instance, pushing a set of hack squats near failure is far safer than doing that with back squats.
2. Use Drop Sets
With machine training, quickly changing weights is straightforward. Reap the benefits of it and incorporate drop sets. I like to scale back the burden by 50% and double the reps. So, if my set were 100 kilos for 10 reps, I’d cut the burden to 50 kilos on the drop set and aim to do 20 reps.
3. Use Supersets
Just like drop sets, machine training makes it easy to do supersets. The bottom line is picking two machine exercises next to one another. Considered one of my favorite supersets is a cable curl with a cable triceps press down. These two exercises are complementary, so if you are doing curls, your triceps get rest, and if you end up doing press downs, your biceps get rest.
Wrap Up
Well, there you may have it – the perfect and worst exercise machines for constructing muscle. Understanding the nuances of gym machinery is paramount in crafting an efficient muscle-building program. While some, just like the Smith and cable machine, stand out for his or her versatility and effectiveness, others, just like the vertical leg press and seated ab rotation, fall short. When you prioritize the perfect machines and limit the worst, you will probably be well in your approach to a greater physique.
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