Always choose Free weights + cables over just machines at the gym.

[Dr. Mog]

Machines mostly teach you how to move that machine. Free weights and cables teach you how to move your body through space against resistance.

Real life isn’t a fixed track. You rarely lift something in the perfectly linear arc a machine provides. Cables let you set angles, change planes, rotate—closer to how you’d generate force in sports, fights, or even carrying your mum’s groceries. Your nervous system adapts more to the “coordination + balance + strength” package. That skill bleeds into athletics, manual work, or combat.

Stabilizers: With free weights/cables you don’t just push or pull the load—you’ve got to balance it, control it, resist wobble. Those little stabilizer muscles are the ones that stop you from collapsing when you pick up a heavy box or throw a punch. Machines usually lock that path for you, so stabilisers just take a nap.

Spoiler: Cons

Injury

Machines overall just keep you injury free due to the fixed plane of motion and controlled loading. Machines are great for introverts or people who go to gym alone and choose not to talk to anyone. It’s necessary to have a gym partner or atleast the trainer for breaking PRs in squats and bench press if you are doing free weights to prevent that bar falling on your neck.

If you are using only machines till now it’s great to shift to free weights and cables, but first befriend someone for spotting you or even take the help of the trainer to spot you for breaking PRs.

 

[lokit]

Em dash spotted, rape incoming

 

[afghanincel]

Machines mostly teach you how to move that machine. Free weights and cables teach you how to move your body through space against resistance.

Real life isn’t a fixed track. You rarely lift something in the perfectly linear arc a machine provides. Cables let you set angles, change planes, rotate—closer to how you’d generate force in sports, fights, or even carrying your mum’s groceries. Your nervous system adapts more to the “coordination + balance + strength” package. That skill bleeds into athletics, manual work, or combat.

Stabilizers: With free weights/cables you don’t just push or pull the load—you’ve got to balance it, control it, resist wobble. Those little stabilizer muscles are the ones that stop you from collapsing when you pick up a heavy box or throw a punch. Machines usually lock that path for you, so stabilisers just take a nap.

Spoiler: Cons

Injury

Machines overall just keep you injury free due to the fixed plane of motion and controlled loading. Machines are great for introverts or people who go to gym alone and choose not to talk to anyone. It’s necessary to have a gym partner or atleast the trainer for breaking PRs in squats and bench press if you are doing free weights to prevent that bar falling on your neck.

If you are using only machines till now it’s great to shift to free weights and cables, but first befriend someone for spotting you or even take the help of the trainer to spot you for breaking PRs.

first why should i even do prs when my goal is building muscles and when u have shitty stabilizers muscles bcs of using machines u can just train them with a machine what will give ur better stabilizers muscles also the idea that the muscle u will get from using machine are bad is just bullshit

 

[oadboueq1293]

Machines mostly teach you how to move that machine. Free weights and cables teach you how to move your body through space against resistance.

Real life isn’t a fixed track. You rarely lift something in the perfectly linear arc a machine provides. Cables let you set angles, change planes, rotate—closer to how you’d generate force in sports, fights, or even carrying your mum’s groceries. Your nervous system adapts more to the “coordination + balance + strength” package. That skill bleeds into athletics, manual work, or combat.

Stabilizers: With free weights/cables you don’t just push or pull the load—you’ve got to balance it, control it, resist wobble. Those little stabilizer muscles are the ones that stop you from collapsing when you pick up a heavy box or throw a punch. Machines usually lock that path for you, so stabilisers just take a nap.

Spoiler: Cons

Injury

Machines overall just keep you injury free due to the fixed plane of motion and controlled loading. Machines are great for introverts or people who go to gym alone and choose not to talk to anyone. It’s necessary to have a gym partner or atleast the trainer for breaking PRs in squats and bench press if you are doing free weights to prevent that bar falling on your neck.

If you are using only machines till now it’s great to shift to free weights and cables, but first befriend someone for spotting you or even take the help of the trainer to spot you for breaking PRs.

We don’t gaf about being functional, we us wanna look good and machines are optimal

 

[Dr. Mog]

first why should i even do prs when my goal is building muscles and when u have shitty stabilizers muscles bcs of using machines u can just train them with a machine what will give ur better stabilizers muscles also the idea that the muscle u will get from using machine are bad is just bullshit

I developed stage 3 dementia reading your Taliban English. Did you just tell me to train stabilizers using machines?

 

[afghanincel]

I developed stage 3 dementia reading your Taliban English. Did you just tell me to train stabilizers using machines?

Ye fk my english but yes if u want to stabilize urself just train ur stabilizer muscles

 

[kenalodaunt]

Stabilizers: With free weights/cables you don’t just push or pull the load—you’ve got to balance it, control it, resist wobble. Those little stabilizer muscles are the ones that stop you from collapsing when you pick up a heavy box or throw a punch. Machines usually lock that path for you, so stabilisers just take a nap.

it's 2025 you can easily find that stability matters for hypertrophy, functional muscle is complete bullshit, your muscles have fixed functions, isolate them and stop being an iqlet who uses gpt for shit like this

 

[whyw]

neanderthal spotted also make sure to go for a 30-70 rep range to tone the muscle and not build empty ones