{"id":164915,"date":"2022-09-09T12:41:15","date_gmt":"2022-09-09T17:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/?p=164915"},"modified":"2023-10-13T14:29:11","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T19:29:11","slug":"worst-exercise-machines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/worst-exercise-machines\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 Worst Exercise Machines, and 5 Machine Problems to Watch Out For"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well-designed gym machines enhance the effectiveness of your strength and hypertrophy training. They can minimize instability, allowing you to target and overload specific muscles. They can apply variable resistance and resistance to patterns of motion that free weights simply cannot. Good machines can also enhance safety when working with heavy loads or training to failure.<\/p>\n

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Credit: Prostock-studio \/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The problem is that not all machines in the gym are good, useful, or worthwhile. To preface, this review isn’t the biased opinion of a fragile physio or some two-bit trainer who labels random machines as \u201cinjurious\u201d or \u201cnon-functional.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is an objective, biomechanics-based, physiologically-informed discussion from a strength coach and physical therapist who uses certain machines just as often as free weights. With that said, not all machines are created equal. Here are five machines to avoid and five machine problems to avoid. <\/p>\n

The Five Worst Exercise Machines<\/h3>\n