We assume that the muscle grows and changes its shape with a fairly heavy stimulus due to work with overloads.
So whether a movement is performed with a machine or with bodyweights (provided it is done as God commands), can safely trigger one of the key parameters to hypertrophic growth, i.e. the mechanical tension.
There are pros and cons to both approaches when viewed in their singularity.
Exercises with free weights have a higher degree of difficulty as they often involve more areas and allow you to recruit a greater number of muscle fibers, since they also activate the stabilizing muscles and are characterized by a freedom in the trajectory of movement that allows adaptation to individual biomechanics.
On the other hand they are certainly more taxing on the Central Nervous System (SNC) and consequently less recoverable than exercises performed on machines.
By switching to assisted training with machines, you will have a wide choice of exercises that you can also perform on the same district, under different angles of attack, allowing you to train all the muscle fibers.
Having a guided movement they allow greater control over execution and therefore lend themselves well to continuous tension training without stressing the joints too much.
In contrast with a forced movement trajectory, they oblige to maintain a certain structure that hardly marries with the joint physiology of each subject.
That said, for my experience, you can improve whether a workout consists only of exercises with free weights or machines, but excluding one or the other is not advisable in terms of improvement at 360°.
The ideal (especially for newbies) it would be to focus first on the fundamental movements to create the foundation of technique, balance and muscular synergy that will allow load progression in the future, as well as aesthetic improvements on the whole body since the first period, then adding in the programming some isolated work exercises on certain districts using the machines, so as to have a good balance without stressing too much CNS and joints.
This remains the right compromise to allow you to substantially develop the parameters that matter for muscle development in a progressive manner.
E’ equally true that not all people are always able to perform multi-joint movements with free weights in a way that is functional to the goal.
Therefore it is advisable to personalize the choice of exercises according to the peculiarities of each subject and to do so, an accurate anamnesis is necessary in order to understand how best to proceed from the beginning.
You can request your advice by writing an email to claudia.coach.xw@gmail.com
I am waiting for you,
Claudia Monteleone
FITNESS COACH
