Strength training using machines

[Anonymous]

I have strength training for about a year using dumbbells (I have a set that goes up to 25 lbs but I top out at 15lbs—I’m a lot stronger than when I started but have a long way to go) and the peloton app. I newly have access to weight machines in a fitness center. Which ones would be good for supplementing my training with dumbbells? For example, lat pull downs seem like a new movement but leg presses seem like they are similar to crunches. Any advice?

[Anonymous]

What are you doing now? It might be best to consult a training on form and to set a program. Leg press works your hamstrings and quad. Crunches work your abs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are you doing now? It might be best to consult a training on form and to set a program. Leg press works your hamstrings and quad. Crunches work your abs.

I currently do weighted squats, Romanian deadlifts, lunges, chest presses, shoulder raises, rows, tricep kickbacks, front raises, bicep curls, and push-ups (on a chair). You’re right, I should probably consult a trainer but finding one seems overwheming!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are you doing now? It might be best to consult a training on form and to set a program. Leg press works your hamstrings and quad. Crunches work your abs.

I currently do weighted squats, Romanian deadlifts, lunges, chest presses, shoulder raises, rows, tricep kickbacks, front raises, bicep curls, and push-ups (on a chair). You’re right, I should probably consult a trainer but finding one seems overwhelming!

Squats, RDLs, and lunges take car of your legs just fine. You can add like glute bridges that don't even need a machine.
For back, the main exercises are Rows and Pulldowns/Pull Ups so you have rows covered and as you mentioned you added lat pulldowns. One more exercise that you can do now that you have a machine is face pulls. Look it up on YouTube. But you pretty much have back covered.
Chest...You have presses and flies covered so good there.
Shoulders: You are good there with your DBs with presses, lateral raises, and front raises.
Arms: You are good there with curls and tricep extensions...but you can do the popular tricep pushdowns with a machine but not really needed since you do DB tricep extensions.

So it seems like all you need the machine for is Lat Pulldowns and Face Pulls. You may want to add some calf raises to your workout as well. No machine needed for them. Looks like you have everything covered. Good work.

You are good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are you doing now? It might be best to consult a training on form and to set a program. Leg press works your hamstrings and quad. Crunches work your abs.

I currently do weighted squats, Romanian deadlifts, lunges, chest presses, shoulder raises, rows, tricep kickbacks, front raises, bicep curls, and push-ups (on a chair). You’re right, I should probably consult a trainer but finding one seems overwhelming!

Squats, RDLs, and lunges take car of your legs just fine. You can add like glute bridges that don't even need a machine.
For back, the main exercises are Rows and Pulldowns/Pull Ups so you have rows covered and as you mentioned you added lat pulldowns. One more exercise that you can do now that you have a machine is face pulls. Look it up on YouTube. But you pretty much have back covered.
Chest...You have presses and flies covered so good there.
Shoulders: You are good there with your DBs with presses, lateral raises, and front raises.
Arms: You are good there with curls and tricep extensions...but you can do the popular tricep pushdowns with a machine but not really needed since you do DB tricep extensions.

So it seems like all you need the machine for is Lat Pulldowns and Face Pulls. You may want to add some calf raises to your workout as well. No machine needed for them. Looks like you have everything covered. Good work.

You are good.

Dear internet stranger,

A million thank yous!

-OP

[Anonymous]

Here a few more ideas.

For chest, you might want to try cable flies instead of DB flies sometimes. Personally, I prefer cable flies over DB flies. I'm not sure what kind of chest presses you do at home, but, maybe at the gym, you can change the angle of your chest presses and do incline chest presses if you are only able to to flat at home. There is also another exercise for chest that uses cables called a cable crossover. Nice exercise for you to try if available at the gym. You can look it up on YouTube as well.

For back, I'm not sure how long you will have access to the machines so, for your home, you may want to add a pull up bar that just locks into a door frame. I have one and it works great. It was like $25. I'm 6 foot, 205lbs and shows no signs of wear and tear. I also have two sons that use it. They are lighter than me but it gets a lot of use.
For rows, I normally do bent over rows or kneel on a bench and do DB rows but since you have access to a machine, you might want to try a 1/2 kneeling cable row. I like this exercise very much. Works your core too because you need to stabilize yourself as well. Look it up on YouTube. But kneel on one knee. Cable at chest height. and with the arm that corresponds to the knee on the ground, do your one-arm row with a nice big stretch and pull.

For shoulders, I sometimes like lateral raises using cables more than DBs. Just a different feel. But DBs cover everything.

For triceps, you can do overhead tricep extensions (back to machine, hold rope above head, dip your head a bit, and straighten arms out in front of you). Tricep pushdowns. Seated skull crushers.

Biceps: You can do all sorts of curls with the cables as well.

Core: Look up pallof press on you tube. Nice core exercise using cables.

Good luck.