Are Free Weights Better Than Machines for Strength Training?

Cable machines and free weights are popular strength training tools. When you walk into the gym, you may feel overwhelmed with the sheer amount of options you have to include in your workout. But between the two pieces of equipment, is one better than the other?

First, a quick refresher on what they actually are. Cable machines feature a weight stack that's connected by cables to cams and pulleys and only move in one direction.

Meanwhile, free weights are a category of fitness equipment that includes dumbbells, barbells, weight plates, sandbags, medicine balls and kettlebells. The reason they're called free weights is because they aren't attached to any cables, pulleys or weight stacks — you can pick them up and move them on your own.

Cable Machine Benefits

1. There's Constant Tension

"Cable machines are designed to force your muscles to contract throughout the full range of motion [during an exercise]," Matt Tanneberg, DC, CSCS, owner of Body Check Chiropractic & Sports Rehabilitation, tells LIVESTRONG.com. So long as you don't let the weight stack drop, your muscles are working; it doesn't matter if you're shortening the muscle, lengthening it or pausing in between reps.

Dumbbells and barbells, on the other hand, rely on gravity to provide resistance. This means that you inevitably reach a "resting point," or a point where your muscles no longer have to contract. Think: The bottom position of a biceps curl when your arm is fully extended.

The constant tension provided by cable machines can help you strengthen more muscle fibers, Dr. Tanneberg says. This also makes cable machines an effective tool for muscle growth — especially if you want to target lagging muscles, Lefkowith says.

2. They're More Versatile

Cable machines have many different attachments and weight increments, making it a cinch to switch up your exercises and resistance level. And if the weight isn't heavy (or light) enough, you can bump it up (or down) in a matter of seconds — all you have to do is move the pin in the stack.

3. They're Beginner-Friendly

Machines generally require less skill to use, because the weights follow a fixed path. This makes them a good option for beginners.

"I prefer that beginners start with cable machines versus free weights because they'll be in more control of the exercise," Dr. Tanneberg says. You can really focus on nailing your technique. And once you've gotten the hang of the movement, you'll have an easier time once you try free weights.

4. They're Safer to Use

Cable machines are much safer than free weights. Because free weights are, well… ‌free‌, there's nothing to stop them from slamming into the floor — or worse, you — should the load be too heavy for you to finish a rep.

Cable machines, on the other hand, are typically bolted into the floor, and have the weight stack going in only one direction, Sullivan says. If you fail mid-rep, the pulley will pull the cable away from you and the weight stack will land on itself. It may make a loud noise, but at least the danger is minimal.

5. They Offer More Exercise Options

Thanks to the cable pulley system, you can do exercises with the cable machine that wouldn't be possible with free weights.

For instance, a cable machine enables you to hit your pectorals (chest muscles) with a standing, kneeling or seated chest press, whereas dumbbells restrict you to incline and flat bench chest presses.

Plus, standing and pressing out from your chest wouldn't work your chest muscles in the same way that a cable would, Lefkowith says. Instead, it would be super shoulder intensive, which isn't the goal of many chest-focused exercises.

Free Weight Benefits

1. They Build Your Stabilizer Muscles

With free weights, you don't have a cable pulley system to help you control the weight against the force of gravity. This means more of your muscles have to kick in to help. Namely, your stabilizer muscles.

Stabilizer muscles support joints and larger muscle groups during exercises, Sullivan says. For example, while the dumbbell bench press exercise primarily works your chest and triceps, your rear deltoids (the muscles in the backs of your shoulders) have to help stabilize your shoulder joint while you resist gravity.

2. They Have More Weight Options

You can score free weights in practically any weight imaginable — from 1-pound dumbbells to 300-pound barbell sets. More options means you're better able to modify exercises to make continued progress, no matter your goal.

3. They're More Accessible

If you want to use a cable machine, you must go to a gym with one or invest in an at-home machine. But dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls and other free weights tend to be affordable and easier to find.

The Bottom Line: Cable Machines vs. Free Weights

Cable machines and free weights each offer unique benefits. While cable machines tend to be safer, better for beginners and more versatile, free weights are more accessible and work smaller stabilizer muscles.

Both tools have drawbacks, too. Cable machines can be tougher to access, recruit fewer muscle groups and offer fewer weight options. Meanwhile, free weights require more technique, are less safe and can be inconvenient in a busy gym.

At the end of the day, incorporating both cable machines and free weight exercises into your workout routine ensures you get the best of both worlds.

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