Why you should add cable machine like bowflex into your workout?
Most gym provides two kinds of weights for you to use. The first is free weight like dumbbell and barbell. The second kind is cable machine. Some higher end gym provides Smith machine, which combine the best feature of free weight and machine. However, we are going to concentrate on the different between free weight and cable machine right now.
Free weight is good for building size and mass. Unlike machine, free weight doesn’t constrain users to specific, fixed movement. Beside the muscle you are working on, other stabilizing muscles will be used to balance yourself. However, it is harder to target a single muscle using free weight for the same reason. Usually you can lift more using barbell than dumbbell because barbell provides a more stabilized position. Another advantage is that it is easier to swing (using body motion to help getting the weight up) when you lift heavier weight.
Generally you can lift more weight when you use machine. It is good if you want more definition for your muscle because you have to fight with a slow and steady continuous force. Machine is good for beginner because it has a fixed position and you can’t cheat with swinging. Also, it is easier to do drop set on machine because you can change the weight faster.
If you are new to weight lifting, I suggest you to start with machine and move to free weight after you developed good lifting form. There are different kinds of work station machine out there and one of them is bowflex. A used bowflex might cost less than a few month of gym fee and you can find a lot of used bowflex for sale on ebay. You can certainly work every single group of muscle with used bowflex equipment without going out at all
Posted: September 17th, 2007 under Daily Health Tips.
Comments: 7
Comments
Comment from Zach
Time: October 22, 2007, 6:24 pm
The bowflex certainly can be used as part of a great exercise program. Although it can be a bit spendy for the new. I never thought of buying them used. They are a great tool if you can manage to get one. Although you can also just use your own body and dumbbells to start.
Comment from Diana the Scale Junkie
Time: November 6, 2007, 9:35 am
I’ve been lusting after a bow flex for a while now, I just have to make room for one…do I really need that sofa? I’ve seen them on Craigslist, yard sales and used sports equipment shops, there are so many models, I suppose I’ll need to do a bit of research to figure out just which bow flex would work best for me. Thanks for this post!
Comment from Sonja Bakker
Time: November 7, 2007, 9:09 am
I always like to use both free weights and machines and I don’t just focus on one or the other. This gives me variety in exercises and makes working out more fun. As for the bowflex machine, I initially thought it was a strange machine and it looked like a torture device, but it really is fun to use.
Comment from Fitness Social Networking
Time: December 10, 2007, 11:46 am
Personally, i’ve owned a bow flex and it didn’t work all that well. I say stick to the pulley equipment they have in the gym. Unless bowflex improved their equipment.
Comment from Gert Hough
Time: December 11, 2007, 10:58 am
Finding a used bowflex for sale offline could be difficult but online it should be much easier.
I personally believe in exercising using heavy weights and stretching exercises. Using a used bowflex could not only save you money but also give you exercise that your muscles need.
Ultimately you have to spend energy - if you like using the bowflex I would suggest you get yourself one for christmas - to help with the new years’ resolutions…
For now I’ll enjoy the holidays and will myself look into loosing some weight in 2008.
Comment from nicholascole.org
Time: December 25, 2007, 4:10 pm
the key is in the diet. weight loss doesn’t depend so much on the exercises
Comment from Strip That Fat Review
Time: September 18, 2008, 4:22 pm
I’ve recently switched from mostly machines to mostly free weights at this point, and I have to tell you that although both are useful, I definitely agree with the people who will tell you that NOTHING builds muscle mass like squats and deadlifts, oh my god do they! Machines won’t come close, they just won’t. I don’t even know why exactly (something about the free weights working more muscle groups at once), so if anyone can give a better explanation I’d love to hear it.
Cheers,
Andrew
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