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Which builds more muscle: free weights or machines? New study weighs in

Should you pick up those dumbbells or head to the machines? Which is the king for muscle growth?

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man doing bench press barbell weightlifting
Frame Kings / Pexels

While I enjoy using both free weights and exercise machines like the leg press, I have to say I often prefer the simplicity of free weights and the variety of exercises you can do, even at home with a set of dumbbells. If you have adjustable dumbbells or a nice set of kettlebells of varying weights, you can incorporate progressive overload and work your way up to using heavier weights over time.

One of the ever-raging debates heard in most gyms and lifting competitions is whether using weights or machines is more effective for bulking up those muscles. Researchers put this to the test in an interesting study that shows it doesn’t really matter what you choose, and you’ll still make gains by staying committed to your resistance training.

The study

black and white image of woman wearing t shirt and shorts in gym performing leg press on machine
Marcus Chan / Pexels

In a study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, researchers wanted to understand whether weights or machines are more effective for muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth). The study involved eight young, healthy women who trained each of their legs with either free weights or machines. The women hadn’t done a lot of strength training before.

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The participants performed exercises that targeted the knee extensor muscles and trained for three days a week for a total of nine weeks. For the free weights exercise, they performed lunges, and for the machine exercise, they performed the incline leg press. The researchers assessed muscle hypertrophy before and after the intervention using ultrasound. They measured muscle thickness at two different points of two thigh muscles: the rectus femoris and vastus lasteralis.

The results

man doing a lunge
Kuldeep Singhania / Pexels

These are the results:

  • Both free weights and machines increased muscle mass by 9% to 27%, depending on the muscle and the exact measurement site. Both methods yielded similar results when it comes to muscle growth.
  • There was no notable difference between the legs trained with machines and those trained with free weights, and both worked well for muscle building in beginners.

The takeaway

man holding dumbbells working out weightlifting
Mehedi Hasan / Pexels

For those who are new to resistance training, while this is a small study, it shows that you can effectively build muscle either using free weights or machines. If you’re not sure which you’d like to go with, you can try both and see what feels best and what works best for your situation. If going to the gym isn’t for you or there isn’t one nearby, or if you’d much rather work out in the privacy and comfort of home, you could just get a couple of dumbbells and get started.

When you’re ready to switch it up, you could explore local gyms and try the machines. Many people find value in the assistance of a personal trainer and the benefits of using machines at the gym. Whether you’re lifting dumbbells or using a leg press machine, you’ll pump up those muscles when you show up and put in the work.

Steph Green
Steph Green
Steph Green (Steph Zee) is a singer-songwriter and professional writer with over 12 years of experience in healthcare and… Read Full Bio
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