Choosing the best bodybuilding exercises to use in your weight training routine can be tough. The gym is literally packed with machines, ranging from those utilizing the cold, heavy iron of free weights, to the machines which still require strength but not control, on down to cables, where you can pump away for hours. But which movement should be used when and where in the workout? Should the lifter just walk into the gym and slam away on whatever machine looks interesting, is open, and is within closest lifting proximity? Or should there be some rule to follow?

The rule is simple: Free weights, machines, then cables. Start with the heavy iron while you can control the weight and make the most of their use. Machines will follow that to continue to strength and muscle gains. Then, cables are best to wrap things up, finishing off your muscle groups. Let’s look in closer detail!

Free weights
Always start with the iron. You are at your strongest point of the day when you first enter the gym, and the free weights are going to provide the most gains in terms of muscle mass and strength. Why? Most free weight exercises fall into a category known as compound movements plus stabilizers. This means that in order to complete these movements, you will need to incorporate the assistance of several different muscle groups. Bench press, for example, is a compound movement for chest which also incorporates the muscle groups of shoulders, triceps, forearms, and some back involvement. Plus, muscles known as stabilizers come into play just to keep the weight from falling when it is moving without braces on the side. Start each workout with 2-3 free weight bodybuilding exercises per muscle group.

Machines
As you begin to tire as you move through multiple exercises, your stabilizer muscles will be the first to fail. That’s okay – just move on to exercises which don’t require you to balance the weight. You can still blindly push – so move to exercises such as Hammer Strength and nautilus machines which force you to stay on a pre-defined track. You’ll soon enjoy the ability to keep on pushin’, without being required to control the weight. These movements of bodybuilding exercises continue to help you grow new muscle mass and strength, just as free weights provided.

Cables
Finally, as you lose strength and your control and balance are gone, it’s wise to move on to a set or three of cable movements. This will draw as much blood into the muscle group as is still humanly possible, while at the same time allowing you to completely avoid risk of injury in the area being trained. Cable crossovers, biceps cable curls, and any other movement with a grip and cable should be used to bring detail out of the muscle group without any risk of injury.

As you can see, every machine in the gym does offer some level of strength and muscle mass improvement, but they all do not work the same way. Start each workout with free weights, move on to machines, then finish with cables. Follow this recipe in the gym when selecting which bodybuilding exercises to use and you will make great gains. Good luck!

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