TIP#2.5 - The 7 Best Machines For Muscle Growth
Exercise choice is an art form and makes all the difference when in pursuit of your dream physique. Free weights will always have their place in fitness, and they should still make up a portion of your program, however for a lot of people they leave too much margin for error. Bad form and poor weight selection lead to stagnated gains and possible injury.
There are some incredible machines that ignite muscle growth and because of their mechanics, make it much easier to perform correctly and effectively. Other than the common staple ones, here are the 7 best machines to employ into your workout:
Common Staples:
Lat Pulldown (wide+narrow grip)
Seated Row
Chest Press
Chest Fly + Reverse Fly
Quad Extension
Seated Hamstring Curl
Pulley Cable Machine
Shoulder Press
7 Best Machines:
1. Linear Leg Press (45 degree angle)
The angle you perform this exercise at is just the most effective at contracting the target muscles of the quads and hamstrings. (Depending on the exact angle, there is also some glute activation too). Most important though is the form you choose to perform the exercise. The back-rest should always be at the lowest point - mechanically this allows deeper range of motion. Feet should be shoulder width apart, toes pointed slightly out. The knees should never drop in towards eachother or flare out to the sides, but remain stable pointing the same direction of your ankles and feet. You should lower the weight past 90 degress at the knee (relative to thigh and calf), and never lock out at the top but keep a constant slow tempo throughout. 12-15 reps, 4 sets. 60-90 secs rest.
2. Hack Squat
No other exercise will isolate your quads as much as the hack squat. Much the same as the linear leg press, your knees and feet should point in the same direction and never move in or out during the exercise. This exercise is a great opportunity to increase depth of range for your legs, as it is a relatively safe machine. Never lock out and always control the weight, lowering slowly to take advantage of the negative reps. Don't rest at the top or bottom but keep an even tempo throughout the set, this will increase tension on your quads and make the most out of the exercise. Going past 90 degrees at the knee is the goal, but if you can you must go even deeper, but remember the teaching points! 8-12 reps, 4 sets. 60-90 secs rest.
3. Lying Hamstring Curl
Most gyms will have a seated hamstring curl, but few a lying hamstring curl. This machine allows much greater contraction of the target muscles and better range of motion. There should never be resting at the bottom of the movement, and the range should be taken as far back as possible with a hold of a half second 'squeeze' to intensify the tension. Lowering should be slow and controlled on every single rep pivoting only at the knee without yanking the weight back up. The set should be ended once only a partial rep can be performed (approx. 50% full range). 8-12 reps, 4 sets. 60-90 secs rest.
4. Incline Chest Press
Free weights offer too much margin for error at times. Like I said in my article highlighting my 5 Top Tips For Building the Chest, we have to make sure we hit each muscle from multiple angles. Incline chest press is great at isolating the upper chest, and thickening out the top end of your frame. Like with most chest exercises, the elbows need to be as close to 90 degrees to your body as possible (think 'high elbows' during the set), in order to fully activate chest muscles. Never lock out at the top and always lower the weight slowly. 8-12 reps, 4 sets. 30-45 secs rest.
5. Decline Chest Press
This exercise is often neglected, and mostly due to poor equipment choice in most gyms. To find one of these is fairly lucky and if you've never included it in your training then you are missing out. This angle will activate your chest like no other exercise, and spark new growth right in the place you need is most, the lower pectoral major. Make sure you keep your shoulders back and depressed, with your chest puffed up as much as possible. Again, don't lock out but you can squeeze your chest for half a second at the top of the movement for added tension. Lower slowly as always and concentrate on form throughout as it is easy to shove and squirm around on this machine. 8-12 reps, 4 sets. 30-45 secs rest.
6. T-Bar Row Machine
Rowing movements are going to add thickness to your back. Although the seated machine row is good, the t-bar row is a way more stressful exercise. This is because the free moving bar adds a free weight element to the movement, forcing you to balance, and also the weight is always hanging, putting constant tension on the muscles holding it. Being in this supported machine allows you to focus more on contracting the target muscles, compared to using free weights. Grip should be what ever you feel most comfortable doing the exercise with. While keeping your chest elevated and head up, pull the weight as far back as possible every rep and hold the squeeze at the top for a second. Then lower the weight slowly, never just dropping it down. 8-12 reps, 4 sets. 30-45 secs rest.
7. Cable Row
This is still a relatively rare machine, yet it is such a good exercise for the back. This one is all about getting your elbows as far back as you can while pinching your shoulder blades together hard. When starting the exercise, make sure your legs are slightly bent and allow for a smooth free passage for the cable. start bent forward at the hip with your arms stretched forward. Then slowly straighten up keeping your arms straight, and only bending them once your torso has become upright with your back arched, shoulders back and chest out. Bring your arms as far back as you can with a big squeeze at the end, then repeat the entire process every rep. 8-12 reps, 4 sets. 30-45 secs rest. (Use a slightly wider handle grip than the one depicted in this photo if you can, as this will increase the depth of range).
If you've hit a plateaux with your current routine amongst your current machines, then it might be time to find somewhere a little bit more advanced. If you have to travel further to find the right equipment then it will always be worth it. Good brands of machines are Hammerstrength, Lifefitness and Gym80 - stay away from anything that says 'Techno Gym' on it!
Thanks so much for reading!
Matt The Trainer
Personal Trainer London
