Don’t Let Machines Do the Work for You

If you're currently using machines at the gym…...

I would highly recommend you Stop Now…....

It’s time to stop using them if you’re trying to help your future you.

Training With Machines

Physical training machines are everywhere—from commercial gyms to rehab centers—and they absolutely have their place and purpose with the right intent. But relying too heavily on machines may actually hold you back, especially when it comes to building real-world strength and resilience.

These modern machines are perfect and should often be used when you have an injury to recover from or when time is because training should never stop, even when you're hurt.

They isolate specific muscles while locking your body into fixed positions, which is useful in recovery or time-crunched situations.But this comes at a cost it removes one crucial element of functional fitness: stability.

Training Machines

When you train with free weights, cables, or your own bodyweight, you're required to engage a web of different connections, multiple muscle groups to control movement, stabilize joints, and coordinate your entire body as one unit.

Here’s what I recommend if you’re just starting with free weights:

Start with asymmetrical loads—meaning, use only one weight on the opposite side of the working leg or arm.

This style of training:

• Exposes muscular imbalances

• Challenges your core and joint stability

• And helps you build a more balanced and functional body over time

  
  

Some great starting exercises:

• Single-arm overhead press

• Single-arm bench press

• Single-arm row

> Single leg deadlifts etc ........

It may feel awkward at first but that’s exactly why it works.Train the weak links, and the whole chain gets stronger.

This is true strength he kind that carries over into everyday activities, sports, and injury prevention.

Don’t get me wrong, machines serve a purpose. I use them myself when I need a quick, focused session or during periods of recovery. They’re especially valuable in rehab settings or for isolating weaker muscle groups.

But if your goal is long-term strength, balance, and functional movement that translates beyond the gym and helps your future 80-year-old self, then you need to challenge your body to work as a whole.

Stay strong, my friends.

Team A1