Training guide
Free weights and machines build strength about equally: across 13 studies of more than 1,000 adults, there was no difference when they were compared head to head. Muscle growth points the same way, though fewer and smaller studies have measured it.
The real difference is specificity: you get strongest on the kit you train with. So choose by your goal, your space and what you'll keep doing.
This guide covers what the trials show for strength, muscle, jumping and bone, what's known about safety, what suits beginners and older adults, and how to swap any exercise between free weights, machines, cables and bands, with a 3D demo of each.
Across 13 studies of 1,016 adults, strength gains didn't differ when free weights and machines were compared head to head. The 2026 overview of reviews by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) also found the type of equipment didn't change strength gains, and a later trial in 38 trained men agrees.
Only 5 small studies in the meta-analysis measured muscle growth, some with crude methods, and two trials using ultrasound scans found equal growth. The ACSM overview found too little evidence to judge.
Free-weight training raised free-weight strength more, and machine training tended to raise machine strength more. Match the kit to what you want to be strong at.
Most weight-training injuries seen in US emergency departments involved free weights, and the most common cause was a weight dropping on someone, but nobody counted how many people used each kind. Both are considered safe with good technique.
Machines need less technique and let you push close to failure without a spotter; free weights are versatile, need little space at home and are closer to everyday and sport movements. Most of our plans use both.
Source 6
Barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells move freely, so you steady the load and control its path. They need more technique, and sometimes a spotter.
Weight-stack and plate-loaded machines, and the Smith machine (a barbell on rails), guide the path of the lift. Most allow only one movement pattern, and some may not fit every body.
A fixed pulley with free handles: the pulley sets the line of pull, but your hands move freely, so cables sit between the two (our description).
Elastic bands built strength about as well as machines and dumbbells across 8 studies. Body weight is the other load you always have with you.
Source 7
A 2023 meta-analysis pooled 13 studies of 1,016 adults (789 men and 219 women, aged 18 to 60) who trained for 6 to 12 weeks. Compared head to head, free weights and machines raised strength by the same amount, whether it was tested by lifting or by pushing against something that doesn't move.
The ACSM 2026 overview found that machine or free-weight training didn't change strength gains. In a later trial, 38 trained men did the full squat, bench press, prone bench pull and shoulder press on barbells or machines for 8 weeks, and their strength changes were within 1.8% of each other.
Only 5 small studies in the meta-analysis measured growth, with mixed methods, and they found no difference. Two trials that measured muscle with ultrasound scans agree: in 46 young adults (26 of them women) over 8 weeks, the biceps and quadriceps grew equally, and in the 38 trained men, changes in muscle size were within 2% of each other. The ACSM overview found too little evidence to judge, so treat this as likely rather than settled.
Free-weight training raised strength on free-weight tests more than machine training did. Machine training tended to raise strength on machine tests more, though that finding fell just short of statistical significance. In one trial, machine bench-press strength rose 13.9% with machines and 8.6% with free weights, while free-weight bench press and squat strength rose 11 to 19% in both groups.
In a trial of 120 men, 8 weeks of squats improved jump height where leg presses didn't. But pooled across 5 studies, including that one, the difference in jumping wasn't significant, and in 34 trained men, barbells and machines improved vertical jump about equally. The free-weight group got better at changing direction and on 2 of 6 balance tests; the machine group gained more upper-body power.
In 6 people, average muscle activity across 7 muscles was 43% higher in a free squat than a Smith-machine squat, most in the calves, hamstrings and inner front thigh. In a bench press, dumbbells worked the biceps more and the triceps less, with chest and front-shoulder activity unchanged. More activity in a single session didn't translate into more growth in the training trials.
In 12 trained men, the dumbbell bench-press maximum was 14% below the Smith machine and 17% below the barbell, and the barbell was about 3% above the Smith machine. In 32 men and women, Smith-machine squats were heavier than free squats (clearly so in the women) and free bench presses heavier than Smith presses. Conversion formulas exist but are rough, so find your weight afresh on each.
From a review of time-efficient training:
Source 6
From the same review:
Source 6
Cables suit isolation moves such as flys, raises and pushdowns (our suggestion). Bands are cheap and portable, and built strength as well as machines and dumbbells in pooled trials.
Source 7
No trial has compared injury rates. Among 25,335 weight-training injuries seen in US emergency departments from 1990 to 2007, 90% involved free weights, and the most common cause, in 66% of all injuries, was a weight dropping on the person; free weights also caused a larger share of fractures and dislocations. But the study couldn't count how many people used each kind, so it can't give injury rates. People aged 55 and over had about twice the share of their injuries on machines (18% against 9%).
A review of time-efficient training judged both safe with proper technique, noting that most free-weight injuries come from weights falling on people rather than the lifting itself.
In 38 trained men who trained for 8 weeks, joint discomfort, scored on standard questionnaires, didn't increase with barbells or with machines.
Source 3
Our editorial checklist:
Source 5
From our move guides for the chest press, leg extension, leg curl, chest fly and leg press machines, and our plans' starting-weight method (editorial).
Loading the 3D figure…
The movement on the figure: Chest press machine
Either works. Machines need less technique, feel less daunting to many people and let you push sets hard without a spotter, which may especially help new lifters. Free weights can be learnt a few at a time: goblet squats, dumbbell presses and one-arm rows are good first moves (our suggestion).
Source 6
In 32 fit adults aged 60 to 86 who trained for 26 weeks, both kinds raised strength. Free weights gave bigger gains in leg strength (113% against 44%) and triceps strength (89% against 28%), and people rated them more fun and motivating, though they needed more attention to safety; the authors didn't find free weights better overall.
In 29 adults over 65, 12 weeks of standing cable or seated machine training improved everyday function equally; chair stands and carrying favoured the cables, and chest-press strength favoured the machines.
UK osteoporosis advice is progressive strength training "using exercise bands, weights or body weight", with no preferred equipment. The trials that raised spine bone density used supervised heavy lifting plus impact: twice-weekly sessions of 5 sets of 5 at over 85% of maximum for 8 months raised it 2.9% in 101 women with low bone mass, while it fell 1.2% in a home exercise group, with one minor back spasm reported.
In 93 men, free-weight lifting plus impact raised spine density more than a machine-based method (4.1% against 2.0%), but that method used static pushes, so the trial can't separate the equipment from the load and impact.
Bands matched machines and dumbbells for strength gains across 8 studies, and free weights are the versatile choice for a home gym. Dumbbells and bands cover every main movement.
Free weights first, then machine or cable, then band or body weight. Keep the same sets, reps and reps in reserve on any version, and find the weight afresh when you switch:
Set each one up as in the steps above, and use the same sets and reps as the free-weight version.
3D demoLeg pressBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoSmith machine squatIntermediate · Strength machine
3D demoMachine hack squatBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoCable pull-throughBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoChest press machineBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoSeated cable chest pressBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoMachine shoulder pressBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoSeated cable rowBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoMachine rowBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoLat pulldownBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoAssisted pull-up (machine)Beginner · Strength machine
3D demoMachine leg curlBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoLeg extensionBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoBiceps curl machineBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoTriceps pushdownBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoCable lateral raiseBeginner · A cable machineLearn two or three of these at a time with light weights, starting with the goblet squat, dumbbell bench press and one-arm row (our suggestion).
3D demoDumbbell goblet squatIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoBarbell back squatAdvanced · A barbell
3D demoDumbbell Romanian deadliftIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoBarbell Romanian deadliftIntermediate · A barbell
3D demoBarbell deadliftAdvanced · A barbell
3D demoDumbbell bench pressIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoBarbell bench pressIntermediate · A barbell + A bench or box
3D demoStanding overhead pressIntermediate · A barbell + A dumbbell
3D demoSeated dumbbell shoulder pressIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoSupported single-arm dumbbell rowIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoChest-supported dumbbell rowBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoBent-over barbell rowAdvanced · A barbell
3D demoDumbbell lateral raiseBeginner · A dumbbell
3D demoDumbbell biceps curlBeginner · A dumbbell
3D demoDumbbell skull crusher (lying triceps extension)Intermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoFarmer's carryBeginner · A dumbbell + A kettlebellFor home or travel: count your reps, and move to a stronger band or a harder version when your sets get easy.
3D demoBodyweight squatBeginner · No equipment
3D demoSplit squatIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoGlute bridgeBeginner · No equipment
3D demoHip-hinge practiceBeginner · No equipment
3D demoPush-upIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoPike push-upIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoShoulder press with a bandBeginner · A band
3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoInverted rowIntermediate · Pull-up bar
3D demoSlider hamstring curlIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoBand lateral raiseBeginner · A band
3D demoClose-grip push-up (close triceps position)Intermediate · No equipmentThe machine workout is the light day of our intermediate full-body plan; the dumbbell, barbell and band workouts cover the same movements with other kit.
A 45-minute full-body gym workout on machines: leg press, chest press, machine row, leg curl, shoulder press and arms, with sets, reps and rest.
45 minBeginner14 movesCardio machine, A bandA 35-minute full-body strength workout with dumbbells: goblet squats, presses, rows, Romanian deadlifts and carries.
35 minIntermediate9 movesA band, A dumbbellBarbell strength workout A: back squats and bench presses in sets of five, plus rows. Workout B (squat, overhead press, deadlift) is a separate session.
40 minBeginner6 movesA band, A barbellA beginner full-body gym workout: goblet squats, dumbbell bench press, lat pulldowns, Romanian deadlifts and dead bugs, with sets, reps and rest.
45 minBeginner12 movesCardio machine, A bandA full-body resistance band workout: squats, presses, pull-aparts, band walks, good mornings and flyes.
25 minBeginner7 movesA band, An anchor pointThe full-body plan mixes machines and free weights; the dumbbell and home plans need only dumbbells or body weight.
For after about 8 weeks of a beginner plan: three full-body sessions a week, one heavy, one moderate and one light, in a gym or at home, for 12 weeks.
3 training days50 minIntermediate4 days a weekA 4-day dumbbell-only plan for home or gym: two upper and two lower days, every set, rep and rest, and how to keep progressing when the dumbbells max out.
4 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekA beginner gym plan: three full-body sessions a week, alternating workouts A and B, with sets, reps, rest and an 8-week progression.
3 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekThree full-body home workouts a week with dumbbells or no equipment at all, plus walks and an 8-week plan to keep progressing.
3 training days35 minBeginnerStraining and holding your breath under a heavy lift can make you light-headed. Breathe out on the effort, rack the weight and sit down if you feel dizzy, and see a GP if you faint.
Stop and call 999 (don't drive yourself to A&E) for:
Stop straight away if you feel pain or become unwell, and contact NHS 111 if a symptom worries you or doesn't go away. A joint pain that is sharp, gets worse during a set, lingers into the next day or changes how you move is a reason to use the move's easier option, and to see a GP or physiotherapist if it keeps happening (the rule in our plans). Muscle soreness for a day or two after something new is normal.
Source 27
Strength gains didn't differ head to head across 13 studies, the ACSM 2026 overview agrees, and a later trial in trained men found the same. You do get best at the kit you train on.
They do make more muscles work: 43% more activity in a free squat than a Smith-machine squat. But muscle growth matched in the trials that measured it, although there are few of them.
No trial has compared injury rates. In US emergency departments, most weight-training injuries came from weights dropping on people, and people aged 55 and over had a larger share of their injuries on machines.
The opposite was found when muscle activity was measured: the free squat was 43% higher on average across 7 muscles.
Source 10
Training the movement you need does carry over: squats improved jump height more than leg presses in one trial. But in adults over 65, standing cables and seated machines improved everyday function equally, and in trained men athletic gains were about the same.
Bands matched machines and dumbbells for strength gains across 8 studies. Body weight and a pair of dumbbells go a long way.
Source 7
For building strength, yes: in 13 studies of 1,016 adults there was no difference head to head, and a later trial in trained men agrees. For muscle, the fewer studies that measured it found no difference either. You get best at whichever you train on, so match the kit to your goal.
Yes. Machine and free-weight training built similar muscle in the trials that measured it, though there are only a few. What matters is hard sets, enough of them each week, and adding weight or reps over time.
Either works. Machines need less technique, can feel less daunting and let you push hard without a spotter; free weights are versatile and need little space at home. Many beginners start with machines and learn a few free-weight basics as they go.
No trial has compared injury rates. In US emergency departments, most weight-training injuries came from weights dropping on people, and people aged 55 and over had a larger share of their injuries on machines. Use safety pins and collars, and set machines up to fit you.
On free-weight lifts, yes, and machine training tends to win on machine tests. Overall strength gains were the same in pooled trials and in the ACSM's 2026 overview.
A machine or a barbell steadies the load, so less effort goes into balance: in a bench press, people lifted about 14 to 17% less with dumbbells than with a barbell or Smith machine. Machine weights also vary with pulleys and levers. Numbers don't transfer, so find your weight afresh on each piece of kit.
It builds leg strength, but a free squat produced about 43% more muscle activity on average across the legs and trunk, and a squat maximum on one doesn't convert exactly to the other. Use whichever lets you train hard and safely, and practise the free squat if that's the lift you want.
Both build the thighs; in a 12-week trial the leg press also grew the glutes and inner thighs. Squats improved jump height more in one trial. Neither grows the rectus femoris much, so add leg extensions if that matters to you.
Both work. In people aged 60 to 86, free weights gave bigger gains in leg and triceps strength and were enjoyed more, and cable and seated machine training improved everyday function equally. Start with whichever feels safest and build up.
UK osteoporosis advice is progressive strength training with bands, weights or body weight. The trials that raised bone density used heavy, supervised lifting plus impact, so the load and impact seem to matter more than the tool. Our osteoporosis guide has the detail.
For strength gains, bands matched machines and dumbbells in 8 studies. Progress is harder to measure with bands, so count your reps and move to a stronger band when your sets get easy.
Cables sit between the two: the pulley guides the line of pull, but your hands move freely. They make good isolation moves such as flys, raises and pushdowns, and cable and dumbbell lateral raises grew the shoulders equally in a trial.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. Check with a GP before starting hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
