Poliquin - Healthy. Lean. Strong.

Anyone who visits the Poliquin Strength Institute will see Olympic lifting platforms, Olympic bars with bumpers, thick bars, thick-handled dumbbells (lots of thick-handled dumbbells!) and strongman equipment. But they will also see an abundance of exercise machines, often a half dozen or more machines for one body part. There are many good reasons I equipped my facility this way.

It’s important to have exercise machines because these are often the primary tools that our trainers have to work with. Also, many of those attending my seminars either are gym owners or are trainers who have the ear of those involved in purchasing equipment for the gyms where they work. Because it’s not unusual for some machines to cost several thousand dollars (in fact, I’ve seen top-of-the-line pec decs that cost nearly $3,000!), it’s great for our trainers to be able to try out these machines and compare their features and functions. Plate loaded or selectorized? Fixed handles or adjustable handles? Chrome plating or chrome-look paint? There are a lot of features and functions to consider, and nothing beats actually pumping out a few reps on a machine to help you make the best decision.

One of the problems with many exercise machines is that the designers of the machines often do not have a background in biomechanics or fail to consult those who do have such credentials. For example, one way to cut the manufacturing costs of an exercise machine is to have fewer parts. A fixed backrest costs less than an adjustable backrest, and fixed handles cost less than handles that rotate. While cutting corners may be a smart financial decision, these compromises will affect the function of the machine. One reason I like Atlantis equipment is that they have carefully thought out the design of their machines as it relates to biomechanics (in fact, I’ve been one of their consultants) and are not willing to compromise function to save a few dollars.

Dr. Marc Rabinoff has been an expert witness on more than 400 litigations in this field of sports and fitness liability and has been a consultant for Eleiko. Rabinoff says one mistake gym owners make is to allow members to use equipment without ensuring that they know how to use it properly. He says if an individual who gets hurt using an exercise machine was never instructed on how to use the equipment by a member of the gym staff, from a legal standpoint the gym owner is at fault. Rabinoff says the manufacturer of a piece of exercise equipment cannot be blamed for an injury unless that machine was designed poorly – you can’t blame an inanimate object for an injury.
 

It’s also important to realize that a gym owner must ensure that the equipment in his or her facility is used in the manner recommended by the manufacturer. Standing on a leg press machine to add additional resistance may be impressive, but it’s a lawsuit waiting to happen if gym owners allow their equipment to be used in such a manner. Oh, and gym owners should not believe that obtaining waivers will prevent them from getting sued – at least in America, you can’t waive your right to sue.
 

Furthermore, don’t fall into the trap of believing that machines are always safer than free weights. Dr. Rabinoff once said that 95 percent of the lawsuits he has consulted on involving exercise equipment involved machines, not free weights. And we know from the lawsuits filed that many serious injuries have occurred from members not using the selectorized weight stacks in the proper manner (which is why many equipment manufacturers have provided shields covering the majority of their weight stacks). It may seem rather stupid not to figure out how to remove and insert pins, but often a member will try to adjust the unit by moving the lever arm and inserting it at a higher point.

Although it takes only a few seconds to master the basic lifting techniques of machine exercises, it’s necessary to follow some guidelines to get the most from your workout and to ensure maximum safety. Here are a few guidelines that apply to several popular abdominal and upper body exercise machines.

Abdominal Crunch and Torso Twist. These machines allow you to perform abdominal crunch exercises with resistance, either from a seated or a reclined position. Compared to free-weight crunches, these machines enable you to more easily perform this exercise with additional resistance. The major problem with crunch machines is that when the legs are anchored, as in most of these crunch machines, you increase the activation of the muscles that flex the hip and therefore you can hyperextend the spine. To minimize the involvement of the hip flexors, always perform these exercises slowly and avoid gripping with the heels, calves and thighs. Also, you should avoid swinging forward from the hip and you should perform these exercises with a slow tempo. As for the torso twist machines, this type of exercise places extreme shearing forces on the disks and does little to work the obliques, as these muscle fibers are primarily aligned longitudinally.

Biceps Curl and Triceps Extension. One problem with these machines is that often in an attempt to cut corners, the manufacturer skimps on the machines’ ability to adjust to different body types. The seats should be adjustable on all these units, and it’s best if there are some adjustments on the handles to fit different arm lengths. If a specific machine causes pain in the wrist or elbow, and you have no indications of soft-tissue damage, you should stick with handles that are attached to a cable, as they often provide the most comfortable feel for the most people.

 

Lateral Raise. When performing lateral raises with dumbbells, the user feels significant resistance only at the end range (due to gravity); therefore, many variations have to be performed with the body in several different positions to work all areas of the strength curve. With a lateral raise machine, especially machines that use a pulley system, the resistance is felt more throughout the entire movement. The precaution is that because these units usually do not have handles that allow the hand to rotate, you need to stop the movement when the handles are about parallel to the ground. Not doing so can result in potentially harmful impingement of the shoulder.

Pec Dec. The problem with pec dec machines is that you start from a weak position, so you have to be careful not to jerk the weight when you start the exercise. It’s worse when the shoulder is rotated externally, but there are some units that allow the hand to be positioned in a biomechanically advantageous position.

Pullover. This machine was the brainchild of the late Arthur Jones, founder of Nautilus and Medx. The problem is that the range of motion of these machines often exceeds that of those who use it; so if you allow the weight to go too far, it can cause injury to the shoulder and also harmful hyperextension of the lower back.

Pull-up/Dip Trainer. Most of these units are designed with a pad so that you perform the exercise with bent knees while kneeling on a knee pad. Units that require you to perform the exercises with the legs straight pose a higher risk of injury, because if your foot slips while you are getting on or off the unit, the lever arm may travel several feet and snap back at you. The key to safety is to be very careful while entering and exiting the units, and not to let go of the chin or dip handles until your feet are clear. You should also avoid the temptation to change exercises while the footplate/knee pad is still exerting upward pressure: You must first remove all the pressure from the football/knee pad before changing your grip.

Seated Military Press. First, consider that seated pressing exercises place significantly higher compressive forces on the spine than standing presses because they do not allow the lower body muscles to redistribute the load. As such, those who are currently experiencing lower back pain may wish to avoid these machines. Also, because you have greater stability when using a bar on a guided path, the seated press may also encourage hyperextension of the spine, especially when it is performed while facing away from the machine. This is actually one case where a weightlifting belt may be appropriate, as the belt provides feedback to the trainee on the posture of the lower back and can also offer some support that prevents excessive hyperextension.

Seated Cable Row. The type of seated row machine with handles attached to a cable is the type that often causes problems. The issue is getting into the start position and returning the handles to their proper resting position when a set is completed. What usually happens is that rather than bending their knees as they grab the handles, the user will round their lower back. This is one case where a training partner can help, especially when you are using heavy weights – provided, of course, the partner uses good biomechanics in helping you grasp the handles and returning them to their resting position.

In the second part of this series, I’ll discuss lower body and lower back machines. Until then, follow these simple guidelines to keep your workouts safe and effective.