Levers/Machines or barbells
Moderators: Ironman, Jungledoc, parth, stuward, jethrof
Levers/Machines or barbells
Hi guys,
I prefer to use levers over a barbell for things like an incline/decline bench press, but more than a few people have told me that it's better to do do it with a standard barbell. Is this true? If so why? Some others say anything will do.
I prefer to use levers because this way I can lift more weight without any help. Since I work out alone 99% of the time, it makes sense. If I do use the barbells I end up doing much lesser. What do you guys think?
- Sid
I prefer to use levers over a barbell for things like an incline/decline bench press, but more than a few people have told me that it's better to do do it with a standard barbell. Is this true? If so why? Some others say anything will do.
I prefer to use levers because this way I can lift more weight without any help. Since I work out alone 99% of the time, it makes sense. If I do use the barbells I end up doing much lesser. What do you guys think?
- Sid
I prefer free weight, because they bring into account the stabilizing musulature that you wouldn't using levers. However, it personal preerence. If you have safety issues, then by all means use them. Free weight, machines, levers, cables, rocks, bags, etc all just means of providing resistance for exercise.
Tim
Tim
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Just lift, bro. That's more than most fat-assed Americans are doing. Did you know that our children are expected to have shorter lives than we? Historically, that's the first time this has been predicted. Think about it...with our modern medicines and scientific advancements, how can this be true? Answers: childhood obesity, McDonalds, Nintendo, divorce rate, microwaves. My dad passed away yesterday, at the age of 90. He was a lifter since his teens and never stopped. Dad always had a garden and prepared fresh food to eat. He worked out at the Y in Pittsburgh with Bruno Sanmartino. That's old school, old country. I've been to Italy and France in recent years and can't remember seeing hogs like we have, swaying down the aisles of every Walmart in this country. We are killing ourselves off, man. Gotta go..my buddy just called from the gym. Every rep of every set will be in my dad's honor, today. I'm not going down without a fight.
Keith, first off, let me say this, condolensces for your father. I'm around your age (57) and my Dad is 81, so I know what you're going through. Lost my Mom 20 years ago. Just hang tough. And you are right about todays children. I won't get up on a soap box, but I will make a few comments. When I grew up, there was no real fast food. Sure, you could go to the local pharmacy and they had a soda jerk and a small grill, but mostly it was Mom going out back, picking out the garden, then adding some meat she got at the market. When we left school, we rode our bikes (or walked) out to the nearest field, and did the sport of the season, went home around 5, ate dinner with the family, then did homework.
Now back to the original post. IMO free weights have more going for them, but like Keith says, just lift it. If it's weight, then fine.
Tim
Now back to the original post. IMO free weights have more going for them, but like Keith says, just lift it. If it's weight, then fine.
Tim
Yea machines are better then nothing. Sorry to hear about your father, Keith. It's really a shame when you see those kids that look like they are made of marshmallows. Kids as young as 7 have gotten type 2 diabetes. It's all the eating junk food and being sedentary. People are told to do low fat and cardio. It's not very effective, so they get discouraged. The diet makes them hungry and the cardio gets them bored, so they give up and gain more weight. Then companies sell them worthless gadgets and pills and starvation diets, just to rip them off. Then there are the incompetent personal trainers. It's really sad.
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Thanks for your kind words, TimD and Ironman. I didn't mean to go off on a tirade, but you made some clear points about they way we grew up, compared to now. In our town, every other basement had a set of weights in it. A kid I lifted with had made dumbells using coffee cans and cement. We had a lat machine in my basement that consisted of a pully anchored to a floor joist, some rope, and a 150 lb. cleat from a coal barge. On numerous occasions, my mother had to come down to the basement to help me push the bar off my chest when I benched.
Hi Keith. It was the same the way I grew up. The coffee can thing really got me going. I can remember filling them with water, LOL, drilling hoes in them, etc. Although I really didn't consider it "weight training",in 69 when I was in
Viet Nam, We were constantly filling and throwing sandbags.Would have been a great thing to train for the WSM things. Hang tough Keith, and keep the best memories.
Tim
Viet Nam, We were constantly filling and throwing sandbags.Would have been a great thing to train for the WSM things. Hang tough Keith, and keep the best memories.
Tim
- Stephen Johnson
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Cardio is okay but I think Ironman was referring to aerobic stuff. This is actually a stressor on the body and in some people can make them more apt to store fat via the release of cortisol.
Cardio from lifting weights at a fast pace is better because it will boost your metabolism by adding muscle, as is faster paced anaerobic stuff like sprinting.
Cardio from lifting weights at a fast pace is better because it will boost your metabolism by adding muscle, as is faster paced anaerobic stuff like sprinting.