Are free weights better than machines?  Ask a group of

Dumbbells @ The DAC

muscle heads and I bet I know their answer.  But, the fact is, strength gains are the SAME (assuming the levels of intensity are equal with both modalities).  A 10-week study compared groups training three times per week with either free weights or machines.  All groups had significant increases in strength and lean body mass and a decrease in body fat.  There were no significant differences between the groups.

A muscle must experience an appropriate level of fatigue with a workload that is progressive from one workout to the next in order to increase in size

Machines @ The DAC

and strength.  Since muscles do not have a brain, or cognitive ability, they cannot possibly “know” the source of the workload.  So, it doesn’t matter whether the muscles are fatigued with a resistance that comes from a machine, a barbell, a cinder block, or a human being.  In short, there is no documented difference in relative strength gains using one form of resistance over another.  The sole factors in determining your response from strength training are your inherited characteristics and your level of intensity – not the equipment that is used.