Free Weights vs. Machines: Which Builds Strength Better?
Machines and free weight exercises: a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing changes in muscle size, strength, and power.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Machine training can outperform free weights in strength gains—when tested on machines.
Most fitness influencers claim free weights are superior for ‘real-world’ strength. But this study shows machines are better at building machine-specific strength, which is just as ‘real’ for many gym-goers.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re training for a specific sport or test (e.g., powerlifting, strongman, or rehab machine protocols), match your training modality to your goal.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Machine training can outperform free weights in strength gains—when tested on machines.
Most fitness influencers claim free weights are superior for ‘real-world’ strength. But this study shows machines are better at building machine-specific strength, which is just as ‘real’ for many gym-goers.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re training for a specific sport or test (e.g., powerlifting, strongman, or rehab machine protocols), match your training modality to your goal.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness
Year
2021
Authors
Kyle A Heidel, Z. Novak, S. Dankel
Related Content
Claims (6)
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.
If you train using weight machines and then test your strength on machines, you’ll get stronger than if you trained with free weights — but only because the test matches the training. It’s like practicing basketball shots from the free-throw line and then being tested there: you’ll do better than if you practiced elsewhere.
If you measure strength with a tool that doesn’t favor free weights or machines, both kinds of workouts—free weights and machines—help you get just as strong. The difference between them is so small it might just be due to chance.
Lifting free weights and using weight machines both help you get stronger just about the same amount—neither one is clearly better for boosting your explosive power.
If you want to get stronger at lifting weights like dumbbells or barbells, training with those same free weights will help you gain more strength than using machines — because your body gets better at the exact movements you practice.