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Weight machines use pulleys, levers, wheels, and inclines to manipulate resistance. The Nautilus series works the entire body, while the Smith machine is safer and can be used for various exercises. Proper form and rest periods are important for safety and muscle targeting.
Weight machines are exercise machines that are typically made up of several smaller pieces of equipment, such as pulleys, levers, wheels, and inclines. These smaller devices are the means for transmitting and manipulating the amount of resistance a person wishes to work against. The dumbbells also play an important role in any weight machine.
The stacking machine, for example, is made up of several rectangular weight plates that are stacked and connected by a vertical bar drilled with holes at evenly spaced intervals. The holes in the bar mate with a hole in each plate and are aligned by placing a pin or steel rod. Once a pin is placed in the connecting rod, the plates above the pin will rise when force is applied to the connected pulley, thus creating the desired effect of resistance to weight. The plates generally weigh between 10 and 20 pounds and are labeled accordingly. Smaller two to five pound pull plates allow for more resistance to weight manipulation.
The Nautilus series of stacking machines essentially works your entire body, including your quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, abdominals, and calf muscles, as well as your triceps, biceps, pectorals, shoulders, and back muscles. The plate-loaded machine, like the Smith machine, is another popular form of the weight machine. Plate loaded machines use standard bars instead of plates, plus wheel and lever apparatus to transmit the desired force.
A Smith machine consists of a bar at each end of a fixed steel rail, allowing vertical movement only. Because you can’t fall forward, backward, or to the sides, the Smith machine is generally preferred over the standard bar when it comes to safety. Additionally, the Smith machine consists of several upright posts that are infused with slots into which the bar can be secured at any time. This is especially helpful for people who exercise without a spotter or prefer to vary resistance to weight throughout a routine. While the Smith machine is most often used for squats, lunges, and various other leg-strengthening exercises, it can also be used for pushups, deadlifts, tricep dips, bicep curls, and rowing motions.
As with any weight machine, it can be important for a person to maintain form over added resistance as a safety precaution and as a way to target the muscle group. The movements for both the stack weight machine and the plate weight machine should be divided into three to four sets of eight to 15 repetitions. Rest periods of 30 seconds to two minutes between sets are generally recommended for anyone using a weight machine for exercise.
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