Using machines or free weights for strength training leads to about the same amount of muscle growth — neither one gives you a clear edge over the other.

33

Pro

0

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

33

Community contributions welcome

33

Machines and free weight exercises: a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing changes in muscle size, strength, and power.

Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis

Human

2022 Aug

The study found that using machines or free weights leads to the same amount of muscle growth, just like the claim says.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Machines and free weight exercises: a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing changes in muscle size, strength, and power.

Score: 33

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.21.12929-9

Similar Assertions

If you lift weights the same amount and with the same effort, whether you use free weights or machines, you’ll grow your muscles just as much—neither one is better than the other for building muscle size.

52

0

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Lifting free weights and using weight machines both help you build muscle in about the same way—neither one is clearly better than the other.

33

0

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If you lift weights with machines or with free weights and do the same amount of work at the same effort level, you’ll build muscle just as well with either one — even if you’re already fit.

57

0

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Using machines or free weights for strength training works about the same when it comes to building power — one isn’t really better than the other.

33

0

76%

When people lift weights regularly, their muscles usually get about 5% bigger on average, no matter what kind of weight routine they follow.

59

41

74%