Rise of the Machines
Many of today’s strength machines were developed by the late and great Jack Lalanne. Jack Lalanne was an extraordinary fitness pioneer. Besides strength machines, he did a lot to help the fitness industry grow to where it is today. But I’ll have to talk more about Jack in a later article. Today I want to focus on his strength machines, and the strength machines that have been created since. Although I don’t particularly like strength machines, I do think that they went a long way in helping the fitness industry grow.
In recent years, there has been quite a bash against strength machines, yet they still get used quite often. Unfortunately many people integrate machine work into their workouts the wrong way. The most prevalent tendency that I have noticed is that people will use machines for most of their leg workouts. Sometimes they only use machines, and this is a big problem. Machines lock the body in one position, and don’t allow the stabilizing muscles to work like they should. This results in people not being as functional in real life movements like jumping, sprinting, and lifting.
Real World Application
I don’t mean to completely thrash and demolish strength machines. They do have their benefits. For example, some machines are just more fun to use then free weights. People get excited to use a machine, and if that makes them workout then I think that's awesome. I just don’t want their workouts to become more of a hindrance then a help. Improper use of strength machines in a workout can often result in injury that usually occurs when someone is trying to do something physical outside of their workouts such as moving furniture.
I personally don’t think that machines are at all necessary for a complete and athletic physique. Having said that, I think that different people like different things. And there have been many athletes that have properly integrated strength machines into their workouts. However, I think it’s safe to say that they always include free weight and/or body weight exercises as their primary exercises. The benefits of proper free weight and body weight exercises are just too numerous. Flexibility, and stability are fitness components that are too valuable to be ignored.
Not a Complete Waste of Time
In closing this article, I just have to say that there is one strength machine that I like very much. That is the Pull-up and Dip Assist Machine. These machines can be found at most gyms, and they are great for those who can’t yet do pull-ups or dips with their body weight. You can also use it in order to achieve very high repetitions for those two exercises. Haven’t you ever wanted to do 100 pull-ups in a row? If you have a chance to integrate this wonderful machine into your routine then you should definitely consider doing so.
