» The 5 Worst Machine Exercises and 23 Better Alternatives  

[Related: The Science of Calf Growth — Are They Different From Other Muscles?]

The Worst: Skip or Modify

Lying machine leg curls are risky. Maintaining hip flexion while digging the knees into the pad during a working set strains the lower back.

The abduction/adduction machine is a go-to for building firmer, rounder glutes, but it’s a suboptimal exercise gluteus maximus—the largest glute muscle. Cavaliere explained, “This actually targets the gluteus medius…and even that’s not that great.” Stand and point the toes out for better gluteus medius activation. Cavaliere suggested swapping seated adductions for lunges or slides. 

The issue with machine lateral raises is the fixed grip. “We’re not pouring pitchers during lateral raises,” Cavaliere cautioned, stressing the importance of external shoulder rotation to optimize motion and prevent pain. “I’d rather see that thumb end higher than the pinky.”

Better: Good Exercises 

Standing during machine preacher curls is safer than sitting because standing allows the arms and lats to engage for stability, reducing the risk of biceps tears. There are safer alternatives unless you can avoid shoulder hyperabduction during machine chest flyes. 

Cavaliere ranked machine-seated dips above bodyweight bench dips, noting, “These machines are somewhat of an improvement over the bodyweight version of the dip.”

Leg presses are an ego exercise for many and a mediocre glute movement since the hips remain flexed, but they’re still decent. A common Smith machine squat mistake is placing the feet forward, which limits dorsiflexion and ground reaction forces. 

The Almost Best

The advantage of seated cable rows is the ability to puff the chest, which Cavaliere claimed is “the number one requirement for an effective back exercise.” This allows maximum shoulder extension and concentric contractions—a determiner of muscle gains. 

The hack squat is a standout. “There’s no better machine for the quads,” Cavaliere affirmed. He compared them to front squats, which are as effective as back squats with less knee strain. “The tilted foot plate promotes normal biomechanics at the knee and hip,” Cavaliere furthered.

The Best: King of Machine Exercises

Topping Cavaliere’s rankings are machines that offer benefits unachievable with free weights. The belt squat allows anyone to squat, eliminates spinal compression, and enables self-spotting. Furthermore, belt squats force proper squat technique.

[Belt squats] solve the issue of the knee-to-hip flexion that many deal with.

—Jeff Cavaliere

Seated hamstring curls belong with the best machine exercises due to less hip flexor involvement than lying and standing leg curls. “[This allows] focus on knee flexion,” Cavaliere said.

Finally, the standing calf raise machine, cable crossover, and lat pulldown round out the elite category. A recent study found that standing calf raises produced twice as much calf growth as the seated variation. (1) “Stay in that [stretched] position for about four seconds to take away the advantage of the Achilles tendon,” Cavaliere advised. 

Crossovers allow for a greater range of motion and training angles and are more shoulder-friendly during the stretch.

The best way to train your back is with lat pulldowns.

—Jeff Cavaliere

Lat pulldowns are more accessible and offer more grip options than pull-ups and rows. 

Though hip thrust machines aren’t in every gym, they maximally load the hips during extension, which no other movement does. They’re easier to set up than free-weight barbell variations.

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Reference

1. Kinoshita M, Maeo S, Kobayashi Y, Eihara Y, Ono M, Sato M, Sugiyama T, Kanehisa H, Isaka T. Triceps surae muscle hypertrophy is greater after standing versus seated calf-raise training. Front Physiol. 2023 Dec 13;14:1272106. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1272106. PMID: 38156065; PMCID: PMC10753835.

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