Beginner Q on Machine vs Free Weight

Steven York

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Jul 12, 2003, 2:55:19 AM7/12/03

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I am new to fitness and weight training and have a question. The other day I
used a universal machine and pull up with a bar from the floor with 150 lbs.
Then today I went over to some free weights and had 125 lbs on a barbell.
The 125 lbs seemed a ton heavier than the universal's 150 lbs. Do machines
to ease the weight so that it's not really the actual weight that you
choose?

Please, no crude or condescending remarks...I truly am a beginner!

Thanks!
--S.Y.

p.s. To John HUDSON: You are wrong my friend; my other message was not spam.
It was a legitimate question to get feedback on some equipment. So, whatever
"FOAD" means...back at ya, pal! :-)

John HUDSON

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Jul 12, 2003, 3:56:43 AM7/12/03

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On Sat, 12 Jul 2003 06:55:19 GMT, "Steven York" <fsn...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>I am new to fitness and weight training and have a question. The other day I
>used a universal machine and pull up with a bar from the floor with 150 lbs.
>Then today I went over to some free weights and had 125 lbs on a barbell.
>The 125 lbs seemed a ton heavier than the universal's 150 lbs. Do machines
>to ease the weight so that it's not really the actual weight that you
>choose?

Machines do reduce much of the 'workload' due to the 'gearing' and
'ratios' of the particular machine. Depending on the ratios the
workload is reduced by as much as a third in many cases, and can be as
high as a full 50%.

This is to do with the 'mechanical advantage', much as that in the use
of blocks and tackle in a seamanship environment.

See: http://www.btinternet.com/~fourthgill.seascouts/tackle.htm if you
would like some simple definitions of how this works.

>
>Please, no crude or condescending remarks...I truly am a beginner!

>
>Thanks!
>--S.Y.
>
>
>p.s. To John HUDSON: You are wrong my friend; my other message was not spam.
>It was a legitimate question to get feedback on some equipment. So, whatever
>"FOAD" means...back at ya, pal! :-)

If I was in error please accept my apologies - it's my week for making
cock-ups! I hope the above advice will make amends! ;o)

>

Steven York

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Jul 12, 2003, 2:09:20 PM7/12/03

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>>If I was in error please accept my apologies - it's my
>>week for making cock-ups! I hope the above
>>advice will make amends! ;o)

It' cool. Thanks for the info!

--S.Y.

"John HUDSON" <j...@linear.com> wrote in message
news:fbfvgvoahsd4jg9t1...@4ax.com...

John Hanson

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Jul 12, 2003, 2:15:15 PM7/12/03

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On Sat, 12 Jul 2003 06:55:19 GMT, "Steven York" <fsn...@hotmail.com>

wrote in misc.fitness.weights:

>I am new to fitness and weight training and have a question. The other day I
>used a universal machine and pull up with a bar from the floor with 150 lbs.
>Then today I went over to some free weights and had 125 lbs on a barbell.
>The 125 lbs seemed a ton heavier than the universal's 150 lbs. Do machines
>to ease the weight so that it's not really the actual weight that you
>choose?

I suppose some do but I think the biggest reason a free weight would
feel heavier is that it requires far more muscles to lift than a
machine weight. What I mean by that is free weights require
stabilizer muscles to control the weight while a machine has a fixed
travel and no stabilization is required.

>
>Please, no crude or condescending remarks...I truly am a beginner!
>
>Thanks!
>--S.Y.
>
>
>p.s. To John HUDSON: You are wrong my friend; my other message was not spam.
>It was a legitimate question to get feedback on some equipment. So, whatever
>"FOAD" means...back at ya, pal! :-)
>

It means "fuck off and die".