The Dirty Secret "Fitness Pros" Won't Tell You (Part 4 of 6)

LEVEL THREE: Isolation exercises with non-variable-resistance machines

No cams, chains, or gears. Just stack the weight on and pump it (calf raise machine, bicep curl machine, leg extension and curl, etc.) Not worth your time for "Real" functional strength, nor for an efficient, productive workout.

LEVEL FOUR: Non-variable-resistance compound machine exercises

Cable mechanisms are at a higher NMA level than guided track machines. With cables (Pilates machines, gym cable machines, and late night TV machines like BowFlex, the Total Gym, etc.) there is yaw, pitch, and other variables to be concerned with. With more realistic, 3-D situations (as opposed to being locked into a machine and pulling) your body senses the more natural environment and responds with a higher level of neural stimulation.

LEVEL FIVE: Isolation exercises with free-weights

Slightly better than Lever Four due to the increased element of moving the free-weights (dumbbells, barbells, kettle bells, etc.) into lifting position, this and the latter category can become interchangeable at times during the actual lift due to many of the same NMA stimulating elements.

Continue reading part 5...

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