Best Gym Machines

By Raphael Calzadilla, BA, CPT, ACE, RTS1
eDiets Chief Fitness Pro

Friday, May, 09, 2008


Q: What are the best machines to use at the gym for strengthening and toning the body? I've changed my routine to decrease the amount of exercises that I perform due to time constraints so I need to make the most efficient use of my time.

A:

In your case, if you're decreasing exercises, then I recommend mostly compound movements. Compound exercises work multiple muscle groups while isolation exercises focus on one muscle group. The compound exercises burn more calories and provide more overload on the muscles. For example, walking lunges are more effective for the butt than the Butt Blaster machine because the lunges burn more calories and also work the hips, quadriceps and hamstrings.

Here are the exercises I recommend:

Chest:
Dumbbell incline press
Dumbbell chest press
Machine chest press

Back:
Dumbbell rows
Barbell rows
Lat pull-down machine
Seated cable or machine row (use various grip handles)

Shoulders:
Seated or standing overhead dumbbell press
Standing dumbbell lateral raises
Bent over dumbbell rear raises

Biceps:
Dumbbell curls (with variation in seat setting)
Barbell curls
Machine curls

Triceps:
Lying EZ curl bar extensions
Decline dumbbell extensions (palms face the body)
Machine press down
Standing one arm dumbbell extensions (dumbbell lowered behind the head to upper back with elbow stationary and pointed toward ceiling)

Legs and Butt:
Barbell squats
Dumbbell squats
Plie squats with dumbbell or barbell (much better than the adductor machine)
Leg press with feet high (gets the glutes)
Stationary lunges
Walking lunges
Extension step ups on 12" step, lifting leg high
Semi stiff-legged dumbbell dead lift

Calves:
Seated calf raise
Standing calf raise

Abs:
Fitball crunch
Roman chair leg lifts
Bicycle maneuver