If you have been to a gym or fitness center lately, you have probably noticed that not only do exercise machines often outnumber the free weights, but that these machines target very specific muscle groups and exercises. If you are new to exercise machines, you'll be happy to learn you'll be able to work all areas of your body with exercise machines for a complete workout.
Arms
One of the most well-known exercises for the arms is the biceps curl. Weight machines can help you exercise these muscles in a standing or sitting position, either with cables or bars you pull up and release down. You can do biceps with your palms facing forward, lifting your hands toward your shoulder, or you can perform cross-body curls by raising your hands toward your chest. One of the keys to building these muscles is to make sure that you manually lower the weight using your muscles, not gravity. To prevent yourself from letting the weight drop, stop your downwards motion prior to full extension of your arm, so you'll have to slow down manually.
Chest
Chest presses build the pectoral muscles, and can be done lying down or sitting. With the lying bench press, you'll push the handles of the machine straight up, holding for one or two seconds, then lowering with your muscles, not gravity. Adding more weight helps you build muscle; lighter weights let you do more repetitions in order to build muscular endurance. During a sitting, inclined chest press, you'll push the bar straight forward, away from you, then bring it back toward you. During both of these exercises, keep your back flat along the bench or seat; as you fatigue, you may begin twisting your back to help you, which can cause back problems.
Back
To work the latissimus dorsi, or lat muscles in the center of the back, use a lat pulldown. Lat pulldowns are done sitting down, facing the machine, starting with the hands above the head to grasp the bar. Pull the bar down slowly, in front of your head, to the chest. Keep your torso straight while slightly leaning back, and use your arms to lower and raise the bar to prevent lower back injury. According to the website Sports Injury Bulletin, the best hand position for this exercise is with your hands place wider than shoulder width on the bar, palms facing away from you.
Legs
To increase leg strength, try leg presses. Leg presses have you seated on the machine, with your legs bent, knees up toward your chest. The object is to push yourself away from your feet, then bring yourself back. As with the other exercises, you'll want to keep your back straight and firm against the seat, using your abdominal muscles to keep your torso straight. To maximize your benefit, stop pushing before your knees are straight to keep tension in your muscles throughout the exercise.
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