Should beginners use machines or free weights?

The weights floor can look like two different countries. On one side, rows of machines with seats, pins and helpful diagrams. On the other, racks of dumbbells, barbells and people who appear to know what they are doing. A beginner is welcome in both.

What machines offer

• A guided path. The machine controls the direction of movement, so you can concentrate on pushing or pulling.
• Simple loading. Move a pin, and the weight changes.
• A sense of privacy. You sit in one spot, do your sets and move on. For many people, that is what makes the first visits bearable.
• Instructions on the side. Most machines show the movement and the muscles involved in a small diagram.
• Easy stopping. If a set gets too hard, you can usually let go safely, which takes away a lot of anxiety.

The limitations: machines are designed for an average body and do not suit everyone equally, some are not adjustable enough, and they do the balancing for you, so you miss out on learning that skill.

What free weights offer

• Freedom. Dumbbells, kettlebells and barbells move however your body moves, so you can do hundreds of exercises with very little equipment.
• Balance and coordination. Holding a weight in space asks your whole body to help, which makes the movement closer to everyday life: carrying shopping, lifting a suitcase, picking up a child.
• Portability. A pair of dumbbells or a kettlebell works at home, in a park or a hotel gym.
• Gradual steps. Dumbbells usually come in small increments, so you can progress in small, comfortable steps.

The limitations: there is more to learn, technique matters more and there is no machine to guide you.

How to mix them

A simple, friendly approach for the first months:

• Start with what feels approachable. If machines get you through the door, begin there.
• Add a few free-weight basics: a goblet squat with a dumbbell or kettlebell, a dumbbell row, a carry where you walk with a weight in each hand, a push-up from a bench.
• Learn one new movement at a time, with light weights, ideally with a coach or trainer checking your technique once.
• Keep machines for the things they do well, such as leg presses or cable work, alongside your free weights.

Our guide to starting strength training if gyms intimidate you has more on the first few weeks.

Gym confidence

The thing nobody tells you: most people in the gym are concentrating on themselves. A few things help you feel at home:

• Ask for an induction. Many gyms offer one, and it is what the staff are there for.
• Go at quieter times for the first few weeks.
• Bring a short plan on your phone, so you never stand around wondering what to do.
• Learn the etiquette: wipe down benches, rerack weights, share equipment between sets. Our page on gym etiquette covers the rest.
• Start light. Nobody is impressed by weight lifted badly, including you the next morning.