Machines can be used as a learning ground, a smart device to teach you the proper execution of a particular exercise. The only disadvantage is that the rest of the body just sites there and waits for you to finish and move on to the next body part. You will make gains depending on how well rounded your workout is and how rapidly you move from one machine to the next, as well as the weight load you are using.
By using free weights, you enlist most of the body to assist you in the lifting and lowering of weight with most exercise. You have to recruit other muscles to help you lift the load for a single muscle group. Open and closed-chain exercises are what we are talking about here.
Open-chain exercise is just that, an open link of a chain, singular and unattached to the rest of the link system. This is what weight machines will offer. You sit on the machine and extend your legs against the weight affecting the quadriceps only, or you site on another machine and press against the bar that will exhaust only the shoulders. The key here is "only." These muscles are working alone.
Closed -chain exercise closes that link and promotes the chain to work as a unit, with each link working collectively to carry the load. Therefore, the same muscles that were described above using free weights would require doing a squat. The squat involves holding the weight and stabilizing the body by contracting the middle of the body; as you perform the squat, the entire lower body (butt, hamstrings, abs, lower back, and the quads) benefits, not just the quads. You are getting more work done in less time.
It's important to remember the mind body connection. If you're weightlifting using proper form yet you're not feeling the tension in the correct muscle groups, stop, take a breath, and refocus.
Don't worry about the weight you're trying to move, but rather focus on the movement itself. This is where lifting gloves like ProGrips can be important. The less you worry about holding or gripping the weight, the more you can connect your body and mind.
Give your body and your brain something to do together. You body will always look for the easiest way to perform (execute) an exercise. Your brain will help the body obtain the maximum benefits by developing your sense of postural balance and building stronger muscles.
With over 25 years of combined Health and Fitness experience, the ProGrips fitness team is comprised of several professionals from all facets of the Health and Fitness industry.
With http://buyprogrips.com/ we want to encourage and motivate you to commit to your workouts and exercise routines. With the ProGrips Fitness team at http://buyprogrips.com/blog/ we want to show you how!
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