The downside to exercising on a piece of gym equipment designed for a particular movement is that you burn fewer calories and work fewer muscles than if you were to do the same exercise using free weights. This is due to the fact that machines allows you to perform a fixed movement without using the body’s stabilising muscles. This can lead to a weak core, an imbalance in musculature and a poor posture.

Using free weights requires more effort and a greater recruitment of muscles particularly from the core and a higher calorie demand.

Cable machines allows you to move in a three-dimensional plane providing the benefit of free weights. Movements outside the parameters of the common gym machines have the greatest carryover effect and can help you in work, sports and life’s tasks.