A Beginner’s Guide to Weight Machines

People who are all looking for strength-training workouts but are not experts at free weights can make use of weight machines during their workout session. The weight machine is nothing but an exercise machine mainly used for the weight training which works with levers, cables, and pulleys as the main sources of resistance.

Weight machines are often used by the fitness people either in the gym or it can be used in your home. While using the weight machines many people get injured because they don’t have proper knowledge to operate the machine. So, it is better to know about the working methods of weight machines before getting into the session.

Get ready for Weight Training with Weight Machines

Before getting into weight training you must adjust the position of the weight machine seat. Check whether the seat is in the right position for you. Otherwise, adjust the seat in such a way to have great comfort and obtain the workout benefits. It is recommended to have the high seat for a shorter person and low seat setting for the tall people. You can read the guide that is provided with the machine to adjust the settings.

Which machine you should use for weight training?

When you lift the weights you will need to use a number of machines to the target different groups of muscles within a single workout. So it's a good idea to familiarize the names of all the machines that you are going to use in your workout. You can do these workouts for 2 to 3 days per week as 3-4 sets of 12 repetitions on each machine.

How to Start Your Weight Training?

The best way to start your weight training on machines is by doing compound exercise. You can follow compound exercises like chest press, leg press, pull-up etc as they can activate your muscle groups easily and your body is already familiar with the motions. It is important to know your limits and increase the weight on the weight machine accordingly. When you add more weight over than your limit it just like any other weight training it can lead to injuries and quick burnout. So make sure that you have added only the weights that you can execute without breaking form and with a little strain on the last few reps.

Breathing and Weight Training

The right breathing technique can make all the difference in your training. If you don’t breathe properly while lifting the weights it may cause an increase in blood pressure and lead to lightheadedness or even fainting. So, don’t forget to inhale and exhale and never hold your breath. Take a deep breath in before you start your lift, then exhale out while you execute the lift, and inhale while you are going back to the original position.

While doing weight training avoid sitting ideal and taking rest for some time. This is because the one set of a muscle group is working while other is resting so you can pass on to the next exercise directly. Also, you should not swing your body from here and there to power up the movement. You must be stable in your exercise position.

Thus, this is an appropriate beginners guide to use the weight machines in the weight training.