3 Reasons Why You Would Choose Multi Gym Equipment Over Free Weights
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010The answer to the simple question as to which is the better option, and if you should rather choose multi gym equipment, depends on three factors: space, objectives of your exercise, and if there is anyone around as a ‘spotter’ whilst you are training.
Free weights, in my opinion, is the better option. When you train with free weights more than just the lifting muscles are employed to keep the weights in the right place. That means there are so many secondary benefits to throwing lumps of metal around over multi gym equipment, which moves in fixed planes.
Multi gym weights really only work the muscles they are designed to affect, although certain stabilizing muscles do come into play, but not as much as with free weights.
So this is sounding pretty negative huh? But there are some very significant reasons that you might WANT to choose home multi gym equipment.
If you have a garage then having everything self contained in one unit is a fantastic option. No loose weights to trip over, and nothing to put away at the end of a session. Look for the dimensions, and keep in mind that you will often need a few feet either way to move the machine in and around any extra bits that come included.
Secondly, what do you actually want to happen? Do you want to get bigger? Then multi-gyms are not for you (see end note). However, if you are wanting to get yourself up hills quicker, and increase your cardio system, then multi-gyms are really good. Using light weights (or 60% of your maximum lift) with a high to very high repetition, you will stimulate your body to make stronger tendon connections and increase the amount of ‘work’ – in terms of long term weight-pushing – that you can do.
Thirdly, and I speak from bitter experience, you don’t need a spotter. Last year I was bench pressing a particularly heavy weight at an angle, and my shoulder popped out, and was held in place only by the muscle which I had built up. I had to struggle the free-weight to my stomach and then role it off. I paid for that mistake and still occasionally struggle with a trapped nerve. At the time, I lost the feeling in my fingers for 3 months, and it was only physio which cured it.
If I had had a spotter, someone to watch, then that would never have happened.
With a multi gym, whilst you still have to be careful, if you follow the guidelines for such equipment which is generally that you are conditioning rather than body-building, then you are using less weight. And should it slip, it will drop down safely onto a stack of weights, and vulnerable mushy bits (your body) should stay safe.
Is there a downside? Well yes, you can only increase your lifting efforts up to the weight on the rack, and you can’t go over it. So when you are selecting and gazing over the small ads for some cheap multi gym equipment keep in the back of your mind your goals. If you are wanting to get big, then multi-gyms are not the way to go. However, this site is dedicated to cycling, and for that reason ‘getting big’ is not our target. Rather sinewy strength that will get us up hills.
That requires a different training regime: higher reps (number of times you life a weight) and lower weights. So, something in the region of 20 reps, and the last 2 or 3 being a bit of a struggle, but still being able to do it with good form. That means you will not need to get a multi-gym which has a weight limit more than 60 kilos.
Do I give mulit-gym equipment the thumbs up?
If you want to make your muscles bigger, no. Look elsewhere. If you want to continue to condition your body for cycling, then it makes an ideal partner activity in terms of cross-training.
Shortlink: http://icyclelite.com/multi-gym-equipment/
Multi-Gyms or Free Weights? | Hard Sweat says:
June 3rd, 2010
4:46 pm
[...] look well muscled and obviously work out on a regular basis, they just didn’t get that way using multi-gym equipment. The main problem with multi-gyms is that you can’t add any weight to them other than the weights [...]
Cycling Distance Monitor 28th May 2010 | iCyclelite.com says:
June 8th, 2010
10:32 pm
[...] has really surprised me, because being a chap who has thrown around a few free weights and multi-gym equipment in his time I know what causes stiffness and aching. It’s heavy stretching things, [...]
Tunturi exercise bike research | iCyclelite.com says:
June 15th, 2010
8:31 pm
[...] be a great combination, though you have to watch interference effect. So if you have room for multi gym equipment, or free weights then it’s worth a thought. Actually if you have both the room and the budget [...]