Rage against the machine

[ewallace]

First I'll state that I prefer free weights. However, the apartment complex that I'm moving to has none, and the fitness center is literally 100ft away from my aparment. I've got a couple dumbells and a curlbar w/plates. I'd like to get a bench but it's about 10 items down on the 'stuff I need to buy soon' list.

My question is this, for you free weight folks, if all you had to work with were machines (I'm not talking for cardio here either), would you use them at all or no?

[Arhat of Fury]

Most Definately. IMO some is better than none and after all machines can still give you any kind fo workout you are looking for(Heavy or light) It just limits your range of motion and probably recruits different muscles being that they put you in different positions for executions. I might not stick with the machines forever though, maybe just use it to get by until you can get a gym membership.

Peace

AOF

[ewallace]

Funny you mention that. I've got one at Balley's that runs out at the end of the year. I go there occasionally but between a 2 year old(almost) and Balley's hours I just can't seem to make it as much as I'd like. As soon as it does run out I'm looking at a place that is 24/7 with no contracts and reasonable monthly fees. But until then...

The last time I had a good F/C I went twice a day. I like to do weights in the mornings before work (8-5) and then do my cardio after I get home from work and the little one goes to sleep.

[Arhat of Fury]

What do you mean your 2 yr old is more important than working out:D

I do like the split routine myself, although making 2 trips to the gym for me is hard(motivation). Just to say the obvious and anyone who knows better, please interject, but cardio after working out may be more efficient due to your muscles are alreaday warmed up and ready to start shedding fat where as starting cardio from warm up can take your body longer to get into the fat burning stage.

Just my opinion, what do you think?


Peace

AOF

[ewallace]

Oh I agree. The problem is the time factor, and the fact that I am one sweaty bas.tard. Even with a butt-cold shower, I will still sweat for like an hour and a half (not profusely) and I find it really annoying. If I just do weights in the morning it's not as bad. Plus I always thought it was good to do cardio a little while before I go to bed to burn off all the calories I took in during the day. Don't ask where I got that from, I just always thought it made sense. Maybe I'm wrong?

[SevenStar]

depends on the person. I would use them, in conjuction with plyos and other calesthenics. Ironfist on the other hand, would not.

[Arhat of Fury]

I can capitulate on that philosophy. I di that for a while and it semed to lean me out, although if I did cardio to close to bed time I wasnt able to go to sleep.

AOF

[TaoBoy]

Some resistance training is better than none. If you have same weights at home - then use them too.

[IronFist]

Yeah, SevenStar knows what I think :) I think this quesiton was asked before and I answered "I would find another gym." Hehe.

Am I to assume that the fitness center that is close to your house has only machines? That's the impression I got from your post.

Now, if I asked that question and someone replied with "I would find another gym," I'd get ****ed off because obviously that answer isn't what I would expect.

Sooooo...

I dunno. Just don't place too much faith in machines. If you were to use machines exclusively for like 6 months, say, and you got really strong on the bench machine, your actual bench may not be very much higher than it was before you started using the machines.

But, I really don't know what I would do if there were no other gyms or anything that were available.

I'd probably just bust out a routine of pullups, one arm pushups and one legged squats (this seems to work for most people, so I recommend it. For some reason, however, if I do only one legged squats it makes both my deadlift and my squat go down. But it works for most people so go for it :) ). Do you have access to a pullup bar?

IronFist

[ewallace]

No the FC does not have any free weights. I am going to try to talk the manager into it. Actually, one complex we looked at actually had a ****in smith machine in it, a whole gang of dumbells and plates. Dam.n apartment was too small though.

The fitness center is about 100 feet from my apartment. It's got good machines for cardio. I think I remember it having a universal machine. It might actually have something I can use like a pullup bar. Plus it's free to use and it's 24/7.

Like I said I have some free weights which I will continue to use. The big thing is the bench and squat. I don't have anything for that.