MACHINES MAKE MUSCLE
Not only large dumbbells and one-handed arms can help you get a perfect figure and big muscles. But there are also machines that you should try if you are serious about building muscle. In today's article, we will introduce you to eight exercises on machines that you should try. If you do not have one of the machines in the gym, do not despair, there is always a variant of the exercise with a barbell or one-handed arms. However, if there are these machines in your gym, definitely do not hesitate and include them in your training.
Bodybuilders constantly discuss the benefits of training and dumbbells versus on machines. Years ago, it may have seemed that this problem would be solved, but when modern machines and technologies came on the scene, we were where we were. The structure and construction of today's fitness machines will allow you to take advantage of a number of benefits, in addition to maintaining safety. If you do not have a training partner, you can safely use a variety of intensity-enhancing techniques that will allow you to train your muscles until you are exhausted. Most bodybuilders crave mass, now realizing that there is no need to turn their backs on machines at all costs. It's more about when and how you include these exercises in your training. While the basic dumbbells and one-handed arms of modern technology cannot improve in any way, the machines have come a long way in recent years. The first strengthening devices saw the light of day in the 1950s. It was a very simple and imperfect machine. Today, we find fully electrified systems that perfectly simulate dumbbell exercises. It often loads an even better quality muscle in a given, individual force curve. New, modern machines are safer, more efficient and allow smoother movement than their predecessors. In this article, we focus on machines that allow you to perform basic volume exercises. Of course, you will be based on how equipped the gym is, where you go to work out. If you are still hesitant to include machines in your training, you may be convinced by the fact that many professional athletes regularly include exercises on machines. These exercises are definitely suitable for the end of training, when you no longer have so much energy. You start training with dumbbells and at the end you switch to machines - you are already tired and thanks to the machines you will not have to worry so much about maintaining balance. The devices allow you to maintain tension in the muscles and better isolate the area. You can go to the stop without a training partner and you may find that you spend more of yourself than when exercising with dumbbells.
WHEN MACHINES ARE BETTER…
It is not possible to draw clear conclusions about whether machines are better than dumbbells or vice versa. The fact remains that machines have the upper hand only in precisely defined circumstances. Bodybuilders train on machines for many reasons, and here are some examples of the benefits machines can offer you.
1. they are safer when you train alone If you have ever held a really heavy barbell over your chest and tried to handle the last repetition of the bench press, then you know how important it is to have a training partner with you. Even lifting the barbell from the stand or placing it there can be a problem. And if you don't have a training partner, the devices allow you to train your muscles to exhaustion without risking injury unnecessarily.
2. quick load adjustment Many devices are easy to adjust. You select the load only by inserting the pin into the correct place in the stand. So if you are in a hurry, then just exercising on machines will help you manage your training in minimal time and at the same time you will reach the required intensity.
3. Proper biomechanics When exercising with dumbbells, you need to deal with maintaining balance and carefully control the path of the dumbbells. This can be difficult especially for beginners who are just learning to perform the exercises. For machines, the biomechanics of movement is predetermined - along with it mostly the position of the body, so from many points of view it is better to practice first performing exercises on devices and only then go to the dumbbells.
4. Allow experienced athletes to handle higher loads While most bodybuilders trained with dumbbells early in their careers, many later switched to equipment (especially at the end of training) because the stabilizing muscles are easily depleted and you can lose control of them. Even then, it is possible to use a high load, but thanks to the machines you will only concentrate on lifting the weight - then problems with balance will be eliminated.
5. help with rehabilitation after injury When exercising with dumbbells, muscles and connective tissues work with more vigor. It is more difficult for them to stabilize a joint that has been injured in the past. Machines, on the other hand, significantly reduce the load on the joint, because movement is limited and in most cases you exercise safer on the machine and load the muscles in a targeted manner without an increased risk of excessive damage.
6. increase the intensity of training On the machines you can use a number of techniques that significantly increase the intensity, whether it is a drop series (reducing the load within one series), force repetitions (some devices for performing chest pressures have a special option to adjust assistance during concentric phase of movement, the load then partially pushes the legs to help tired muscles), repetitions in the partial range of motion (first you practice repetitions in the full range of motion, then you do several repetitions in a shorter range of motion) and negative repetitions (you put down a very high load, but under relatively safe conditions). You can also include the technique of rest pauses - you will exercise on the device until you are exhausted, then you will rest for 10 seconds, perform several repetitions with the same weight, again a 10 second pause. You will include a total of three rest breaks. But all this only during the last series. You would hardly achieve such intensity when exercising with dumbbells.
7. Maintaining a constant tension in the muscle When you reach the upper phase during some dumbbell exercises (arms, strokes on the Scott bench with EZ bar), the tension in the muscle decreases. When exercising on machines, however, this reduction does not occur, because the load is not affected by gravity. The muscle load is the same regardless of the phase of movement.
AND WHEN MACHINES ARE NOT BETTER…
Although you have many good reasons to exercise on machines, dumbbells also have their undeniable advantages in many ways.
1. Suit different body types
The machines are made for individuals of average dimensions. Of course, you can adjust them in various ways and adjust them to your needs with regard to height, length of limbs, etc. But it may happen that some machines will simply never suit you. If you cannot adjust the machine comfortably, you bring your joints and other parts of your body into vulnerable positions. It is not good if you have to adapt your path to the machine.
2. Concentrate on all aspects of the movement
On most machines, you push or pull the load in one direction, leading to incomplete muscle loading. When exercising with a barbell, you need to maintain balance, set direction, and engage helpful muscle structures. Simply put, the situation needs to be controlled more. Some newer machines are already quite accommodating to athletes, but you will never get as much freedom on them as when exercising with dumbbells.
3. increase of stabilizing activity
The machines dictate the direction of your movement and the result is that the body cannot work as if you are exercising with a barbell and you have to pay attention to the correct design, maintaining balance, etc. On machines, the involvement of auxiliary muscles (abdomen, lower back) is usually reduced. So there is less muscle stimulation overall and logically you burn less calories with such exercise.
4. Use in other sports and everyday activities
It is important to realize that if you do some movement in the gym on the device or in everyday life, the body is not involved in the same way. There is a risk of loss of balance during sports activities, the device cannot simulate something like this. You can fully rely on the device, but even that brings its positives and negatives. It is not good to rely on devices in all circumstances, they cannot replace the stimuli from everyday life.
5. Insufficient strengthening of connective tissues
The advantage of exercising on devices can be that it saves sore joints. But if you do not have problems with joints, then it is easy to find a situation where you want to strengthen connective tissues - tendons and ligaments. Dumbbells can help you do this much better. Connective tissues become significantly more involved when you exercise with a free load, and strong ligaments and tendons are absolutely necessary for building muscle mass.
6. practical for home gyms
If you exercise at home, you have a chance to get dumbbells much easier than machines. At least to the financial side. If you think of quality machines, you get into completely different financial dimensions. - which is usually a basic factor in setting up a home gym.
HOW TO USE THE MACHINES CORRECTLY?
Exercising on devices can be very beneficial for a bodybuilder. But it is necessary to know how to use the machines correctly and under what circumstances. If you decide to do some exercise on the machine, we have 3 basic tips for you to maximize its effectiveness.
1. Set up the device first
Many machines are differently adjustable with regard to body type, limb length, etc. The chances are that the person who trained before you looked like you is minimal. You will therefore first need to adjust the machine to your own parameters. Only then can you start exercising with a higher weight. So take your starting position at first and try the exercise with a light load to make sure everything is in order.
2. Do not put a load on one series
If you put a load on a series, the tension in the muscles will be reduced immediately, thus reducing the quality of the results achieved. Therefore, make sure that the device is set so that the muscles are under tension, especially during the stretching phase.
3. Do your best
When exercising on machines, it may seem easier to do the exercises, but that doesn't mean you should make less effort. Just because you don't have to take into account the balance with the barbell or dumbbells, don't rest on your laurels. Even when exercising on machines, you can effectively load the muscles. The truth remains that the most effective and efficient combination of training with dumbbells on machines seems to be the most effective and efficient. You should not exaggerate either variant. You will do much better if you find a suitable compromise and you will successfully use both offered training methods. To make it easier for you to include exercises on machines, we bring you a description from every single exercise on the machine in the game.
THIGH - LEG PRESS
Why is it so great? Because it allows you to exercise with a large load without having to deal with a high weight held on your back (squats). It does not even require increased attention to the correct position of the spine, which is often a problem during exercises with a heavy barbell. In addition, a lot of people squat back when squatting, which strains the lower part of the spine. By changing the position of the feet, you can engage different parts of the thighs. If you place the feet higher on the platform, engage the buttocks and hamstrings, the feet on which the platform will allow the load to be transferred to the thighs. When exercising on a machine, you can focus on the negative phase of the movement. Exercise slowly and often include repetitions in the partial (middle) range of motion, which will greatly maintain tension in the muscles. In addition to changing the position of your feet during each workout, you can also exercise each leg separately.
HAMSTRINGS - BORING IN A SEAT
Virtually everyone performs lying on hamstrings. However, this exercise is not so common, so it offers the muscles the much-needed change. When burying while sitting, you will engage a lot of internal hamstrings. If you want to focus even more on the work of the inner hamstrings, twist the tips together. The leg should be bent at a right angle in the ankle during exercise. You may tend to lift your hips from the bench while burying yourself - but such cheating is not possible with this version of the exercise. While sitting, you will better maintain tension in the muscles and you will also be able to concentrate more on practicing hamstrings. Stay at the moment of contraction for two seconds and moving down should take you four seconds. Another technique is popular among professionals - first to practice one leg, then the other and then a series on both legs at the same time. The training will gain in variety and you can train your muscles really hard.
TRICEPSY - EVERYTHING CRANKS
Virtually all triceps exercises require the movement of one joint - only the elbow. This basic exercise is no exception, but you will involve more muscle fibers and allow you to achieve stronger contractions (bench press with a narrow grip and handles on the benches are two more exercises, but they are not performed on the machine, so they do not fit into today's article). When making the cranks while sitting, you can handle a relatively large load, which is a big difference compared to pulling the pulley or French pressure. As with the bars on the parallel bars, keep your elbows close to your body to maintain tension in your triceps - do not allow your elbows to move away from your torso. If you like pre-exhaustion, start by pulling the pulley with a rope to warm the triceps and make the muscle as blood as possible. Don't practice fast. In the upper phase, stop the movement and tightly tighten the muscles even in the lower position. You can also change the position of the palms, sometimes bring them closer, sometimes further away from the body to stimulate the muscles in various ways.
SHOULDERS - SHOULDER PRESSURES
Pressures are undoubtedly the best exercise for building shoulder volume. However, the version with a barbell also has its downsides. When exercising with one-armed arms, you must pay attention to balance and even to the moment when the muscles are exhausted - after all, you hold the barbell directly over your head. When exercising with a large barbell, there is often a problem with removing the barbell from the stand and returning it again. From this point of view, the exercise on the machine seems to be ideal. You can change the backrest setting so that your arms are more in front of your body (this better insulates the front head of the deltoid muscle). Or, conversely, leave your arms slightly behind (to mimic the pressure version with a barbell behind your head). The latter exercise focuses more on the middle and back deltas and reduces the involvement of the pectoral muscles. In pre-exhausting training, you can place this exercise in second place after tightening. Then it reappears at the end of the exercise. To really exhaust the deltas, include a few series until exhaustion in the middle range of motion - do not stretch your arms completely - this will maintain tension in the muscles.
BICEPS - SCOTT BENCH LIFTS
There aren't many biceps exercises to choose from. But this one emphasizes the short head of the muscle, which is very important. By pumping this muscle, you build the top of the biceps. It is possible to practice each hand separately, independently, so that you can correct any imbalance in the development of strength and matter. It is also easier to concentrate on exercising individual arms. Keep your elbows in line with your shoulders and wrists - do not turn them out. First try to exercise with both hands at once and then do the exercise with each arm separately. With your free hand, you can help when muscle exhaustion is approaching. But you should only help yourself to handle one or two extra repetitions. Then rotate your hands.
CHEST - PRESSES HEAD DOWN
Down exercising with one arm or a large barbell lying upside down is very demanding and of course also dangerous. If you should perform any pressure exercise exclusively on the machine, then this one. And even multipressing is not ideal - if you have the opportunity, then definitely prefer the device. If you keep the handles as far away from the body as possible, you will exercise the outer part of the pectoral muscles. It is similar to the pressures with a large barbell with a wide grip, in which you also focus mainly on the outer part of the chest. If you take a narrower grip, the load will pass to the inner pectoral muscles and to the lower part, if you keep the handles as far away from the body as possible, you will exercise the outer part of the pectoral muscles. It is relatively difficult to insulate the lower part of the chest with dumbbells, but you can do much better on the machine. However, you must keep the deltoid muscles still and push your shoulders down. When exercising on the machine, you can easily change the grip - the position of the palms, which changes the angle of load on the muscles. You can also try the variant where you hold the handles with a lighter weight so that your thumbs are next to the other fingers and not against them - you may feel that your pectoral muscles are taking up more.
BACK - ATTACHMENTS
You can take advantage of high loads without putting too much strain on the lower back (which usually occurs when exercising with a large barbell - tilting in the forward bend, pulling with a T-axis). Most devices also allow you to take a neutral grip or overhang, which puts more strain on your muscles. Push the chest into the armrest and make sure that the arms rotate forward in the outstretched arms phase and in the opposite phase push the shoulders together. You can try many gripping methods. Keep a certain pace of training during training. Pull the load towards you for one second, stay in the moment of contraction for two seconds, and it should take you a full four seconds to move back. When exercising on a machine, you can't rely so much on helpful body movements, body position simply won't allow you to. The result is better muscle insulation and less strain on the lower back.
ABDOMEN - SHORTCUTS
Machines have one big advantage over exercises performed with their own body weight - they allow you to overload your muscles with a suitably chosen weight. You can train on them with a focus on strength (low number of repetitions) and endurance (higher number of repetitions). The device for performing shorteners, on which the feet are stabilized, is great for training the upper part of the abdomen, which creates the famous waltz. Exercise slowly! Gradually engage the abdominal area. This is not an exercise that involves speed - focus more on slow, controlled repetitions. If you are not trying to build the volume of your abdominal muscles, you can stimulate them with lighter weights and perform more repetitions. Exercise slowly, strictly and strongly clench your muscles. Always remain in the contraction phase for a while.
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