In Defense of Machines

Just as a chain saw is more efficient than an ax, some exercises performed with cables and cams have clear advantages over their barbell or dumbbell equivalents. Before you grab your pitchfork and cry, “Heresy!” rest assured that we’re not denigrating free weights. However, you need to understand how some machines fight gravity to stress your muscles through a fuller range of motion than ’bells ever could. What follows are seven examples of machine exercises that have di