Machine exercises

How to train with machines

A machine holds the weight on a fixed path. You do not need to balance the load, so you can learn an exercise in one session and take a set close to failure without a spotter. A meta-analysis found that machines and free weights build muscle about equally well, so machines are a full alternative, not a lesser one.

Some muscles are hard to train well without a machine. The leg curl is the main way to train the hamstrings at the knee, the leg extension trains the quads alone, and the standing calf raise loads the calves heavily. The leg press and the hack squat train the legs hard without loading your back much, which is why Muscla gives beginners the leg press and uses the hack squat as the second squat variation.

Set up each machine for your body: the seat height and the pads decide where the joint sits and whether the movement feels smooth. Most machines show a pivot point; line it up with the joint that moves.

Stacks rise in fixed steps; Muscla rounds every increase to the steps of your machine.