This week's article is a revisit of Man vs. Machine and one secret to losing body and belly fat.
So here it is: Machines don't work - they actually work against you.
I've spent over a decade working and consulting for fitness companies and I can tell you as an "insider" that machine circuits are the favorite selling tool to convince beginners to sign-up. They lead you to believe that they are easy to use and will get you results.
First off, most of the time you don't even know which way to get into one of those massive contraptions and second, they are at least 30% less effective than other forms of exercises.
Closed chain (feet on ground), compound exercises (multi-joint) are head and shoulders better than machine workouts. There's no comparison since machines don't allow you to move how your body was designed to. The great thing about these recommended non-machine workouts is that you can take them anywhere with minimal equipment. I usually just choose a dumbbell based workout or even body weight only exercises.
What about ab machines?
Don't even get me started on ab machines and the infomercials that promote them! Without going into it too much detail, you'd need to do about 25,000 crunches to equal 1lb of weight loss and you'll still never see your abs. To really see your abs you need to shed the fat that is covering them (not make them stronger, but they don't tell you that...).
The fitness models you see on TV have probably never used or heard of those products before being paid to promote them.
So, not only are they ineffective, but most ab machines put you at a high risk for injuring your lower back from too much forward bending without counter-balancing it with any back extension... and nobody with a bad back has good looking abs.
You already have everything you need to get your body in great shape. Skip the fancy equipment and stick with what works. Your body will look and feel healthier and be in better shape!
Committed to your success,
Stephen Cabral, CSCS, CPT, NS
Author of the Fatlossity weight loss system
http://www.fatlossity.com/
PS. To watch last week's and this week's fun, body weight training videos just go to:
http://www.stephencabral.com/body-weight-workout-video
(This is the one I chose to do last week when I was away on vacation!)
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Comments: 7
I've regularly used bands and they do work, they're great especially if you travel alot, but like anything, there's a right AND a wrong way to do it all. Personally I prefer free weights with some bands for upper body and machines (like leg extension, hamstring) for lower body (along with lunges and walking).
Machines do work, but for the wrong group of people that I'm writing to (not those looking for weight loss). Machines were originally built for bodybuilders and others looking to isolate particular muscle groups. The problem is that unless you're properly trained, everyone is far better off using free weights and working on movements not muscles.