I just bought about $300 worth of weights, and benches. I realized that I didn't like using weights without a spotter, and since I don't use the gym anymore, I have to settle with no spotter. I looked around, and found a pretty sweet machine, that can do almost every workout, work every muscle, and it's only $500.

I'm thinking this is WAY better, because now I can lift to failure, and use higher weights, and not have to worry about dropping the weight.

I've heard some negative things about using machines, whats so bad about them? I realize your stabalizer muscles aren't used as much, but is that the only negative thing?

err, machines isolate and they suck, really.. going from free weights to machines is a huge step back. What you need is exersices that mimmics real life things you do, deadlifts, squats, etc, all essential body function movements.

i never use a spotter and i use free weights, going to faliure too much isent useful anyways. are you training for strenght or to get big? if you are training for strenght you should always have one rep left in you at the end of the last set.

It has deadlifts, it has squats. It has nearly every workout. It's a great machine, if I can find it on a site, I'll show you guys it.

I'm not training for strength, I'm posting this in the body building forum because I am trying to gain mass. Lifting until failure is a good way to train, just some people over do it and overtrain.

I never used to either, untill one time I couldn't lift it back up, while doing bench press, and ended up having a 120 pound bar pressing against my chest.

Does the machine work stabilizer muscles? Few machines I have ever seen do this.

you can get a good power cage and a FID bench for around $500. Then you dont need a spotter at all. It's got spotter bars so if you drop it, you are safe.

http://www.newyorkbarbells.tv/powerracks.html

those are just some examples, but shop around and look for a place that offers free shipping, or check out stores in your area.

quoted for truth. no $500 'all in one' machine is gonna give you the same workout as free weights. nor will it give you the same free range of motion.

In addition to what these guys already said, especially it being a huge step back, lifting to failure is not a good way to train. You are pretty much torching your CNS every time you do so. It's also harder for your body to recover from it, every few weeks or month is ok, but not every workout.

There are a ton of studies discussing this, I'll find them sometime, but of course not the same thing works for everyone. If you wanna try it out for yourself go ahead, but you should also try the opposite for an extended period of time for yourself as well to do your own analysis. If you have a study explaining otherwise I definitely want to read it.

what machine are you tryying to buy? It sounds like a Smith.

Well to give u an example, take a look at this.

I always benchpress freeweight with a bar. But the other day it was taken so i didn't wanna wait so i used a Smith to benchpress. I did THIRTY POUNDS more than i usually did. I felt lesser burn in my chest and felt more like my triceps were being worked.

That shows u what machines are useful for.

wow... The weights don't carry over to a smith machine, the sliding and resistance are not the same as free weights. You can do more weight with every exercise on a smith machine.

ive been stuck under a bench bar, i rolled it off, once i just tipped it to the side so the plates slid off. and you would be better off going to non faliure free weights than failiure on a machine, unless its a miracle machinie, which a doubt it is.

For that $800 you spent, you could have gotten a Powertec cage with cable system.

I always liked this one and wish I would have waited and saved for it rather than get the multi-press rack i have now:

http://www.powertecfitness.com/power_rack_system.htm

Thats the one im lookin to buy when i get enough money/room for it. savin for a house at the same time, so its hard to budget money for other stuff.

click on this link about halfway down click on the jones smith machine video
thats about the best smith machine i have seen.

http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/default.asp?

Wow thats mad. Looks kinda awkward. Free weights are more fun anyway.

to me smith machines just arent natural. power rack's are cheaper and provide all the safety of a smith machine, but also allow for complete range of motion

while that "jones" machine is a step in the right direction over a standard smith, it still restricts movement on a 3rd axis, (the "twist" axis, if you will).