MACHINES VS. FREE WEIGHTS
When you walk into a “classic” style gym, the majority of the room is taken up with foreign looking resistance training machines like an ocean of plastic, iron, and someone else’s sweat as people rip through generic circuits day in and day out.
Jolt Fitness is different. We don’t believe that there is one answer for everyone, we don’t believe you fit a mould, we don’t believe that there is only one answer to health and fitness. That’s why at Jolt Fitness you will see limited machinery when it comes to our workout programs.
If you’re new to the gym, you’re probably thinking “nope, nope, nope”. We get it, free weights can be intimidating and it’s hard to know where to get started. Machines are simple and the instructions are easily listed, all you need to do is hop on. But your body does not deserve that, it deserves the best possible training delivered through exceptional education and coaches. Here’s why.
THE SHOWDOWN: MACHINES VS. FREE WEIGHTS
Free weights include dumbbells, barbells, kettle bells, and other functional equipment that is not anchored in place and pattern.
Machines on the other hand are anchored in place. You step inside and you move that machines prescripted pattern.
Here’s the problem, every body is different. Not everyone fits into a standard machine created for the masses. You could be too tall or too short, your height comes from your legs and not your torso, your hips are posteriorly tilted and your femurs connect in your hip sockets on a different angle then the person standing next to you. Your body is so complex and it deserves to move in ways that work for it, not in a way that works for a hunk of plastic.
When you use machines, it’s a limited pattern you run the risk of creating chronic pain through strengthening poor movement patterns.
When you use machines, you use less muscle because there is no need to stabilize or control. The machine does all that for you.
When you use machines, you may not be using your full range of motion, which can lead to chronic pain and mobility issues in the future.
When you use free weights, you can move freely and this allows you to perfect the best form for YOUR body. Not every squat looks the same, even the best squats out there. We can help you with that in out Learn to Lift program.
When you use free weights, you demand more from yourself. Your body needs to stabilize and control the movement. Therefore you use more muscle and can become stronger. Your body becomes a strong and powerful connected unit. You also use your full range of motion, the movement is not limited by the machine.
When you use free weights, you can perform a variety of exercises. Going into the gym day in and day out and doing the same ten machines is not going to get you very far. Our bodies are smart, they adapt and they get to use to that stimulus. Free weights allow us to change things up more frequently and provide more options beyond one simple prebuilt pattern.
WHAT ABOUT CABLE MACHINES?
Cable machines are a hybrid of free weights and machine. They are great for beginners and experienced gym go-ers. They allow beginners to practice movement patterns more freely than a machine, but with more security than free weights. This allows beginners to build confidence in the pattern first. Cable machines are also great for advanced lifters who may be looking to add extra volume or perform during fatigue. At Jolt Fitness we have a cable machine for these needs.
JOLT FITNESS
With great coaching and structured programming there is no need for fancy machines. At Jolt Fitness, we provide you all the tools you need to get started. We ensure that our programming is the most effective and sets you up to be the best version of you. We aren’t here to waste time, we are here to chase goals and build ourselves up. We have a fully equipped gym to do just that. We look after you to ensure you have proper form, understand your bodies movement patterns, and provide hands on coaching to ensure every body succeeds.
-Coach Siggy
