For a newcomer, the gym is a rather intimidating place that puts aesthetics above all else at times. Dumbbells and barbells are crowded with muscular men and women, which can be demoralising at first. Machines are often a safe haven for newcomers as there is no reason for others to be around your space if you have already occupied the machine. While that is well and good, machines also have a lot of benefits to novices that can set them up for success. But how does the machine fare against the more renowned dumbbell and barbell workouts and how effective are machines overall at the gym? The Machine’s Purpose Machines normally serve a singular purpose which is to work for a specific muscle group. There are pros and cons to this. Because the range of movement is so limited, newcomers are conditioned to use the correct range of motion, as there’s little to no room for errors in your technique. The cons are that when novices start getting the proper form down for free weight exercises, the machine CAN start feeling restrictive. Read: TRX vs. Other Gym Equipments: A Detailed Comparison Machines are predominantly meant for isolated exercises and tackle many muscle groups and exercises those free weights fall short of. Leg curls, leg press. Weighted crunches and many more exercises are used by the machine because it is impossible to find an optimised replacement in the free weight category. The military press, bench press, and curls are examples of exercises that can be done with free weights, but are still viable if you choose to continue using the machine. Interestingly, because techniques aren’t your biggest concern when using the machine, it grants the opportunity to focus on building strength and is an easier way to track your weight progression without getting confused. Weight progression is a lot more minor per peg and it allows newer gymgoers a chance to take things slow. Unfortunately, this is a double-edged sword as many machines will start becoming incredibly light after a few good years of training. Read: Running vs. Swimming vs. Cycling: Which Is Best for Burning Fat? Even though machines offer both options of compound and isolated exercises, many have turned towards them for the latter as they progress up the fitness ladder. With deadlifts, squats and multi-grip bench press being options that machines cannot offer, it would make sense that barbells reign supreme in compound exercises. This is because the technique needed to master said compound exercises with the bar requires a lot of attention to smaller muscle groups on top of focusing on the primary, bigger, larger muscles. In terms of isolation, dumbbells may pose quite a threat to machines as both cater around higher repetitions with lower weights - where both workout platforms excel. Exercises like front raises, side raises, flies and skull crushers are not available for machines, but it goes the other way too. So, which one is better for the purpose of isolation? Before answering that, we need to talk about cables. Read Barbells vs. Dumbbells: Which is better for Workout, Strength, and Muscle Growth? The Role Of Cables Cables are a strange one! Although they technically fall under the category of “machines”, they are extremely adjustable in terms of height, handles, resistance, and of course, weights. The range of movement cables offered is impressive, given that they have a fixed pivot system that should not allow for much mobility. Because of cables, options like front raises, side raises, lat pulldowns, tricep extensions are made available. Although cables are an impressive compromise between machines and dumbbells, it is important to note that technique begins to play a part when using them, but not to the same extent as dumbbells. Utilising the wrong technique can present risks of injuries like free weights would. Read: Effectiveness of Compound Exercises for Muscle Definition When compared to other types of static machines, cables offer a very similar role. Both pay close attention to isolation exercises and complement low weight and high repetitions. If you are thinking of body building, both cables and machines will be your best friend as strength training doesn't benefit nearly as much from machines and cables. Since cables offer more flexibility in body posture and a fluid range of motion, there is a higher chance to sustain injuries as compared to the more linear machines. Are Machines Better? The short answer is not necessarily. While machines are phenomenal in providing a safe range of motion without exposing you to too much risk, it usually is not regarded as a staple or the core to many body parts. Arms and shoulders require more isolated exercises due to how many smaller muscles are in that category, but shoulders, back, chest and legs will undoubtedly require free weights to succeed on a fundamental level. After the compound exercises are done and your body has expelled most of its energy, isolation exercises are usually the ones to round up the workout. It is definitely possible to switch things around and engage isolated body parts exclusively, but it will take up much more of your time and will not be the best for muscle growth. Read: Best Health Clubs and Gyms in Dhaka in 2021 Isolation exercises to consider on machines and cables include preacher curls, flies, tricep extensions, leg curls, and rows. Although all of these exercises are doable on dumbbells, the nature of machines will make it so that your range of motion has a better chance of being correct and that you can minimise safety risks. Exercises to avoid include bench press, shoulder press, and bend over rows. While these exercises can work on machines, they are best suited for free weights as controlling your body properly as it executes the technique will work on far more muscle groups than one would notice. Overall, machines are great complementary exercises that excel in isolation routines, but should not ever be at the centre of your workouts if you are thinking of pumping iron for the long term.  Read Muscle Building Diet: Best Foods for Muscle Gains, Definition and Fat Reduction

When it comes to getting the ideal summer body, it can be a little difficult to know where to start if you have only been lifting casually or are new to exercising. There’s dieting, weights, cardio and so much more that are thrown into the mix before time can do the rest. In the process of workouts specifically, many tend to be either lost or misinformed about the role of compound exercises in muscle definition. The basics of weight training for toning are to increase your reps and decrease the weight so that the muscle begins to show. How important are compound exercises for muscle definition? Are isolated exercises the only thing needed? History Of Compound Exercises Compound exercises are known for covering multiple muscle groups at once, making it at least the most time-efficient and versatile out of both weight lifting options. Additionally, the intensity does add other benefits such as burning more calories, improving muscular coordination, and gaining muscle mass and strength. Compound exercises are essential for bodybuilding, powerlifting, and numerous sports like basketball, rugby, wrestling, and many more.  Read: Intermittent Fasting: Health Benefits and Risks Compound exercises, in essence, is the first method of weight lifting due to how little is needed to execute, and straightforward technique. While compound exercises have a higher risk of injury, having proper form is easily trainable; starting with lower weights while getting the technique right is critical in order to successfully mark your progress every session. Bodyweight exercises such as pull-ups and push-ups are some of the earliest concepts of compound exercises that can tackle the back, shoulders, arms, and chest all at the same time.  Why Are Isolation Exercises Important? As the name suggests, isolation exercises target a particular muscle group and it usually is usually used to complement compound routines that usually take a lot more practice to get the form right. Bodybuilding is the niche that is built on understanding isolation exercises perfectly in order to sculpt the body - which equates to muscle definition. Read Barbells vs. Dumbbells: Which is better for Workout, Strength, and Muscle Growth? Certain specific muscle groups require more attention as compound exercises will not have a direct effect on them due to it only being a secondary source of strength. Front, rear deltoids, treps, lats and so many muscle groups are essential to sculpt in order to alter the silhouette of your body for the most obvious sign of definition.  Isolation exercises are also good to build overall muscle size and it is common for many gym practitioners to rotate between machines and dumbbells to ensure that every muscle group is paid attention to. Though it is not wrong to do so, it is definitely backed up by compound exercises so that the same muscle group can truly be used to the point of exhaustion, leading to muscle hypertrophy. The reason why size is being mentioned is that definition is normally more pronounced when size is looked at first. Whether one is overweight or underweight, muscles need to be engaged first and experience hypertrophy before going through the definition phase. It is possible to go straight to definition if you have a low body fat count, but being too lean may not meet the universal standard of what is considered “cut”. There is nothing wrong with it if lean is the look you are going for.  Read Muscle Building Diet: Best Foods for Muscle Gains, Definition and Fat Reduction Can Compound Exercises Fit In?  Although isolation exercises are the key to attain muscle definition, they are commonly complemented by compound exercises. The latter’s ability to cover multiple groups at once makes it so that no muscle is left disengaged. Even though this does not correlate to definition immediately, having increased strength, an understanding of technique, and enhancing blood flow are all huge bonuses that are not to be overlooked.  For definition, isolation exercises should be the primary emphasis as it is more conducive to commit to high reps with lower weights. This is the basic makeup of most isolation exercises and is crucial for getting definitions. Because smaller muscle groups are primarily targeted, it takes a lot less weight to ensure that you properly exhaust your muscles as much as possible before hypertrophy. Emulating this with compound exercises will pose a challenge if you choose to adopt this tactic as reducing the weight of your exercises will only allow primary and secondary muscle groups to disperse a miserable, non-impactful amount of force. Not only will this waste your time, but it defeats the purpose of compound exercises, to begin with.  Read TRX vs. Other Gym Equipments: A Detailed Comparison Compound Exercises for Definition  Bench Press Out of all the major muscle groups, the chest has possibly the smallest selection of exercises out of the lot, but that just makes things easier for you. Incline press, decline press, and flies are basic isolation exercises that can be used to shape up the different parts of your chest, but the bench press activates most muscles in that area and is reliable for at least warming up before heading for the dumbbells and machines.  Read: Best Health Clubs and Gyms in Dhaka in 2021 Shoulder Press  The shoulder can be one of the most daunting major muscles to define as there are so many minor muscle groups that require different techniques for individual exercises. Shrugs bare very little similarities to front raises for example, and working on one does not translate to even remotely engaging the other. Shoulder or Military press is a good compromise that engages deltoids and traps simultaneously while forcing you to maintain the perfect technique required for the other exercises. Squats Legs literally occupy half of your body, which means that the very act of doing squats will save you a few exercises. Hamstrings, glutes, and calves are the big three that benefit from proper squats and are easy to follow up with after a few sets. Machines are more commonly used; leg press, calf raises, and leg curls are common follow-ups to squats and will certainly benefit from being engaged beforehand.  Read What is Protein Powder? Benefits of Taking Protein Supplements