How can I get a basic equivalent between free weight and machine “weight”, i.e. stack pin?

Asked by: Matthew Wilson

How much weight am I lifting on a machine?

A machine-assisted exercise requires that you subtract the weight selected on the machine from your body weight. For example, if you’re performing a machine-assisted pull-up, select a weight of 50 pounds, and you weigh 150 pounds, your true resistance is 100 pounds.

How much do the plates on gym machines weight?

Generally, you will find the weight plates are labeled in pounds, especially if you live in the United States. Typically, each plate weighs 10 pounds, but you can find other, slightly heavier plates that weigh 20 pounds each. The number of plates on each stack varies, but are usually total at least 200 pounds.

Should beginners use free weights or machines?

Machines are generally safer and easier to use, an advantage for beginners learning a specific movement. Some machines are more efficient than free weights at isolating a specific muscle or muscle group. This is important when you’re strengthening a specific body part or rehabilitating an injury.

Are weights on machines accurate?

Let’s start with the weight stacks used in many of the machines. Most weight stacks are fairly accurate. Some have been discovered to be slightly lighter than advertised, but this is not the main way you will be fooled. Any variances of this type are not that significant enough to worry the prospective gym member.

Are machine weights heavier?

Ultimately, it’s mostly related to the construction of the machines in question. When it comes to free weights, we can be generally sure that they always weigh about the same. A 45lb plate in your gym probably weighs about the same amount as any other 45lb plate.

How much weight should I lift as a beginner?

You want to start with a weight that you can lift 10 to 15 times with proper form. Begin with 1 or 2 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions, and slowly progress to 3 sets or more. Gradually increase the weight. When you can easily do the recommended number of sets and reps, increase the weight by 5 to 10 percent.

Is machine weight same as free weights?

Unlike free weights, weight machines do not recruit stabilizer muscles. They generally work fewer muscles than free weights. Because they isolate one muscle or a concentrated group of muscles, you’ll have to use other weight machines to work other muscles that you’re wanting to strengthen.

How can I add weight to my weight stack?

You don't have a standard weight pin simply use a bolt that's a similar size as as the weight pin and I just needed a 25 or 45 or 25 or 45-pound plate.

Why are machines easier than free weights?

In general, free weights activate more muscles than machines and therefore are better for building muscle in the long-run. However, towards the end of your session when your muscles are tired and your form is starting to suffer, machines are safer and can help you to continue training safely.

Is free weights better than machines?

For the average person, free weights offer many of the same benefits as machines, plus some. While you can typically lift more weight in the same exercise on a machine due to their fixed nature, free weights give you more bang for your buck in terms of muscles worked.

Why are weight machines not good?

Weight machines cause your muscles to work in a fixed, unnatural range of motion. This limits your ability to properly train your muscles. This fixed range of motion might not be right for all people, and in some cases it can cause overextension and injury to ligaments and tendons.

Can you build muscle just using machines?

You can still build muscle with machines, and at a similar speed to if you were using free weights. (Note that we generally recommend against using resistance bands unless that’s all you have access to, given that their strength curve isn’t very good.)

Which is better smith machine or free weights?

A study in 2019 concluded that free weights were over 40% more effective at activating muscles in a squat compared to a smith machine. Other studies have reported how free weights are better at improving your strength too.

Are weight machines good for beginners?

“Weight machines are great for beginners,” says PT Dylan Jones of Twenty Two Training. Free weights demand not only strength in the major muscle group you’re working, but also tax the host of muscles, tendons and ligaments that ensure your dumbbell fly follows a proper arc rather than wobbling about dangerously.

How many reps should I do on weight machines?

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 4 to 6 repetitions with heavier weight for hypertrophy (increased muscle size), 8 to 12 repetitions for muscular strength and 10 to 15 reps for muscular endurance.

How do you calculate reps and sets?

A “rep,” short for “repetition,” is a single execution of an exercise. One pushup is one rep, and 10 pushups are 10 reps. A “set” is a collection of reps. If your goal is to complete 20 pushups, you might break your workout up into two sets of 10 reps.

Is it better to do more reps or more weight?

Generally, exercises with higher reps are used to improve muscular endurance, while higher weights with fewer reps are used to increase muscle size and strength.

How many sets should I do per machine?

For this particular meta-analysis, the number of sets ranged from 1 to 12, with the mean number of repetitions ranging from 3 to 18. This study on the effective number of sets determined that multiple sets are associated with better results for strength increases, with 2 to 3 sets per exercise being better than 1 set.

How many times a week should I workout to gain muscle?

You need to be hitting the weights at least three days per week. The research says that at the very least, training a minimum of two days per week is needed to maximize muscle growth.

How many reps is considered high volume?

How many reps is considered high volume? Often high volume is defined as more than 10 reps. Based on the exercise and weight you might do 12 or 15 reps.

How many reps is too many?

Anything greater than 20 reps in a set is probably far too many. Performing this many reps in a set will have diminishing returns. If you can easily do more than 20 reps, then the weight you are using is probably too light or too easy to elicit any significant growth.

What should you not do in a weight room?

The Top 10 Mistakes Athletes Make in the Weight Room

• Skipping the Warm-Up. …
• Performing Too Many Isolation Exercises. …
• Never Deloading. …
• Training to Failure Too Often. …
• Wearing Improper Footwear. …
• Sacrificing Form for Weight on the Bar. …
• Doing Too Much Cardio. …
• Not Doing Enough Cardio.

How do you know if you’re doing enough reps?

Do you bounce back quite quickly between workout sessions or do you need to rest for days before you start feeling well again? If you are feeling quite tired upon leaving the gym and your recovery seems to be quite a lengthy progress, this is a good sign you may be doing too many reps, likely overall.

How long should you rest between sets?

To increase strength and power, the best rest period is 2-5 minutes between sets. To increase hypertrophy (muscle growth), the best rest period is 30-90 seconds between sets. To increase muscular endurance, the best rest period is 30 seconds or less between sets.

Does your muscle grow when you rest?

Rest allows your muscles to rebuild and grow. And when you have more muscle, you’ll burn more calories at rest. That’s because muscle burns more energy than fat. Additionally, when you feel refreshed, you’ll be more likely to stick to your exercise routine.

Can I workout arms everyday?

No body part grows by trashing it every day—you need to rest to let your arms recover. In the hours after a workout, your muscles lose strength and power as they heal; after 36–48 hours, the muscle actually gets stronger, a process called “supercompensation.” Bottom line: You need to give yourself rest.