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T3
T3
Technology
Bryony Firth-Bernard

Machines vs free weights: is one better for muscle growth? A new study confirms

A woman doing dumbbell incline press and a man doing a machine chest press exercise.

Are machines better for building muscle, or are free weights, like dumbbells, superior? It’s a debate that’s as old as the gym itself. There are benefits for both and cons, and now a new (albeit small) study has revealed which comes out on top. Although – spoiler alert – neither is specifically better than the other, so you can chill, gains can be made whichever you have access to.

The study

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