• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workout
      • Best BCAAs
      • Best Testosterone Boosters
      • Best Bodybuilding Supplements
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Supplements for Weight Loss
      • Best Multivitamins
      • Best Collagen Supplement
      • Best Probiotic
      • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workout
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Magnesium Supplements
    • Protein
      • Best Protein Powder
      • Best Whey Protein
      • Best Protein Powders for Muscle Gain
      • Best Tasting Protein Powder
      • Best Vegan Protein
      • Best Mass Gainer
      • Best Protein Shakes
      • Best Organic Protein Powder
      • Best Pea Protein Powder
      • Best Protein Bars
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Equipment
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Weightlifting Belts
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Functional Trainers
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Trap Bars
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Cardio Machines
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Weighted Vests
      • Concept2 RowErg Review
      • Hydrow Wave Review
      • Best Jump Ropes
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Fitness

Don’t Dismiss Machines for Athletic Strength

Smart athletes think not only in terms of effectiveness, but also in terms of efficiency.

Written by Charles Staley Last updated on Nov 7, 2022

Charles is here on a weekly basis to help you cut through the B.S. and get some real perspective regarding health and training. Please post feedback or questions to Charles directly in the comments below this article.

A reader asked this very useful question on last week’s post:

“I read an article that essentially said never to do a calf raise again, as they are entirely ineffective for an athlete. Other articles on this site have shown how ineffective lifting is via machines, (E.g. leg press, triceps pull down). I can tell you love very specific exercises, even the ones I mentioned above. Any feedback on your approach?”

If you’d asked me this question five years ago, I would have delivered a convincing argument about how useless, or even detrimental single-joint and machine exercises are for athletes. The narrative goes something like this: single-joint (or “isolation”) movements are not specific to complex athletic skills that require the coordination of several different muscle groups. Resistance training machines are similarly useless, since they force you to push a weight over a predetermined movement path. This means that you’re not required to control the weight, you only need to push or pull against it.

Back when I believed this line of reasoning, I was simply being a hammer. I was skilled in free weight exercises, and so everything I said and did needed to fit that particular narrative. 

Today, I think differently. I now realize that I was simply highlighting one particular flaw and using it to dismiss a whole category of exercises – machines – that didn’t happen to fit my personal world view. A more honest assessment is that all exercises have specific benefits and drawbacks. They’re simply tools that have utility in some situations, but not in others.

Machines get a bad rap from the trendy functional training crowd. But they’re often the best tool for the job.

Cost-To-Benefit Ratio

Understanding the “cost-to-benefit ratio” of non-sport-specific training exercises is important here. Put simply, while two exercises may have very similar benefits, they may have entirely different costs. 

Referring back to the example I gave in last week’s column, Olympic weightlifting may have benefits in terms of developing strength and power. But weightlifting also has significant costs, including a long learning curve compared to other similarly beneficial drills. It’s important to appreciate that every time an athlete performs any type of supplementary training, he or she is diverting resources away that might be better spent practicing the sport itself.

This means that smart athletes and coaches think not only in terms of effectiveness (fulfilling an objective), but also in terms of efficiency (considering the cost-to-benefit ratio of achieving that goal). Effectiveness and efficiency for a given physical goal will determine whether a particular exercise, such as a calf raise, should be selected.

Seeking Positive Transfer

Central to this entire discussion is the concept of transfer. Transfer runs across a spectrum from negative transfer to positive transfer. When you develop strength using a specific exercise, or class of exercises, does the strength help your chosen sport (positive), have no effect, or hinder your goal (negative)? What we’re looking for is the greatest degree of positive transfer we can achieve. 

Positive transfer is the idea that you can improve the strength of one skill or activity by improving your strength on another skill or activity. Think back to the first time you ever did a set of bench presses. You were strong enough to lift some amount of weight, despite the fact that you’d never done this exercise before. So where did that strength come from?

In short, it came from all the other activities that you’ve done over the years. That means everything from throwing balls, to lifting everyday objects for various reasons, to more organized physical activities that you’ve done in school. Wherever that strength came from, it didn’t come from bench pressing. 

Anything that contributed to your muscular development, no matter how dissimilar it might seem from bench pressing, contributed to your first ever bench press session. So transfer does exist. It’s a matter of finding exercises that have the greatest positive transfer for the lowest possible cost.

Specificity Can Be Deceiving

Let’s say you’re a professional fighter, and you need more powerful punches. You decide to do some strength training for that expressed purpose. You’ve got a whole bunch of options: you could do barbell bench presses, push ups on rings, machine chest presses, explosive (as in clapping) push ups from the floor, punching while holding dumbbells – the list is endless.

What exercise should you do? In terms of specificity, it certainly seems as though the machine chest press would be least specific, and punching with dumbbells would be the most specific. But in the latter, the angle of resistance is perpendicular to the direction of force needed for a punch. By contrast, a machine chest press may guide the fighter’s movement more closely along the arc of a punch, and provide resistance parallel to that arc.

The lesson here is that things that seem to be specific often are not. Attempts to mimic a sport skill by performing that skill against resistance often hurt more than they help.

Boxer lands a right hook

Specificity in strength training requires resistance against the intended plane of motion. A machine might be the best way to achieve this.

The Problem With Too Much Similarity

When athletes attempt to mimic sport skills in the weight room, they can run into another problem. When an assistance exercise is very similar, but not exactly the same as the skill you’re trying to strengthen, you develop what coaches and motor-control specialists call “neural cross-contamination.” You’ve probably experienced this when you rented a car. After driving that rental for several days, when you go back to your own car, everything is a bit of a struggle. You go to insert the key into the ignition, but you miss. You reach for the gearshift, but it isn’t there. You apply the brakes and almost go into a skid.

Your initial struggles after returning to your own car are evidence of neural cross-contamination. After driving a similar (but still different) vehicle for several days, your own car is suddenly unfamiliar. Would this have happened if you’d rented a motorcycle or a boat for several days? No, because those vehicles are very different from your own car, so no cross-contamination will occur.

The most effective approach is to first make your body stronger using generalized exercises such as the ones I advocated for in my recent post for fighters. The less sport-specific your strength training movements are, the better off you’ll be. Then, during your sport practice sessions, as opposed to during your strength training workouts, your body will learn to use this new strength in a sport-specific sense.

This Week’s Training:

Volume: 68,887lb (Last Week: 77,585lb)

Significant Lifts:

  • Squat: 315×5, 365×1
  • Deadlift: 455×1, 405×7
  • Military Press: 143×3

This is the last week of low reps before returning to higher rep work. My next cycle will be five weeks in duration, as I think deloading every four weeks is probably a bit too frequent for me. I’ll also be using more machines than usual just as a change of pace, and also lots of quad and tricep work to address my weak links. Overall, my strength levels are really good as of late, as you’ll see in this week’s log.

My weekly split for the next five weeks will look something like this:

Charles Staley's 5 Week Outlook

Let me know if you have thoughts about today’s article. I’m always happy to hear your feedback. Thanks guys!


Monday, February 22, 2016

Bodyweight: 200.4lb

Volume: 21,145lb

Goblet Squat

  • Set 1: 30lb × 10

Low Bar Squat

  • Set 1: 45lb × 5
  • Set 2: 45lb × 5
  • Set 3: 95lb × 5
  • Set 4: 95lb × 5
  • Set 5: 135lb × 5
  • Set 6: 185lb × 5
  • Set 7: 225lb × 3
  • Set 8: 275lb × 1
  • Set 9: 315lb × 5 (Video Below)
  • Set 10: 365lb × 1
  • Set 11: 275lb × 3
315x5

Deadlift

  • Set 1: 198lb × 5
  • Set 2: 226lb × 5
  • Set 3: 226lb × 5
  • Set 4: 248lb × 5

Seated Leg Curl

  • Set 1: 130lb × 8
  • Set 2: 130lb × 8
  • Set 3: 145lb × 8

Standing Calf Raise

  • Set 1: 200lb × 8
  • Set 2: 200lb × 8
  • Set 3: 200lb × 8
  • Set 4: 200lb × 8

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Bodyweight: 198.8lb

Volume: 11,380lb

Bench Press

  • Set 1: 45lb × 10
  • Set 2: 95lb × 8
  • Set 3: 135lb × 6
  • Set 4: 185lb × 4
  • Set 5: 205lb × 2
  • Set 6: 225lb × 1
  • Set 7: 225lb × 2
  • Set 8: 225lb × 3
  • Set 9: 225lb × 1
  • Set 10: 225lb × 2
  • Set 11: 225lb × 3
  • Set 12: 225lb × 1
  • Set 13: 225lb × 2
  • Set 14: 225lb × 3

Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension

  • Set 1: 50lb × 8
  • Set 2: 70lb × 8
  • Set 3: 70lb × 8
  • Set 4: 70lb × 8

EZ Bar Curl

  • Set 1: 65lb × 8
  • Set 2: 65lb × 8
  • Set 3: 65lb × 8
  • Set 4: 65lb × 8

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Bodyweight: 198.8lb

Volume: 22,675lb

Deadlift

  • Set 1: 135lb × 5
  • Set 2: 185lb × 5
  • Set 3: 225lb × 5
  • Set 4: 275lb × 5
  • Set 5: 315lb × 5
  • Set 6: 365lb × 3
  • Set 7: 405lb × 1
  • Set 8: 450lb × 1 (Video Below)
  • Set 9: 405lb × 7 (Video Below)
450x1
405x7

Trap Bar Deadlift

  • Set 1: 135lb × 5
  • Set 2: 135lb × 5
  • Set 3: 225lb × 5
  • Set 4: 315lb × 5

Hack Squat

  • Set 1: 90lb × 8
  • Set 2: 140lb × 8
  • Set 3: 160lb × 8
  • Set 4: 180lb × 8
  • Set 5: 180lb × 8

Seated Calf Raise

  • Set 1: 90lb × 8
  • Set 2: 90lb × 8
  • Set 3: 90lb × 8

Friday, February 26, 2016

Bodyweight: 201.2lb

Volume: 13,687lb

Military Press

  • Set 1: 45lb × 10
  • Set 2: 65lb × 8
  • Set 3: 88lb × 6
  • Set 4: 110lb × 4
  • Set 5: 132lb × 3
  • Set 6: 143lb × 3

Pull Up

  • Set 1: 5 reps
  • Set 2: 5 reps
  • Set 3: 5 reps
  • Set 4: 5 reps

Hammer Iso-Lateral Incline press

  • Set 1: 90lb × 10
  • Set 2: 110lb × 8
  • Set 3: 140lb × 8

Dual Cable Low Cable Curl

  • Set 1: 100lb × 8
  • Set 2: 100lb × 8
  • Set 3: 100lb × 8
  • Set 4: 100lb × 8
  • Set 5: 100lb × 8

More Explorations of Popular Training Theories:

  • Do Similar Exercises and Drills Transfer to Specific Sport Skills?
  • Cross Training Doesn’t Work
  • Use the Scientific Method to Take Control of Your Training
  • New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo 1 courtesy of Shutterstock.

Photo 2 courtesy of joyfull / Shutterstock.

About Charles Staley

Charles Staley's primary interest is providing inspiration and education for older guys looking to reclaim their physicality and vitality. At age 56, Charles is leaner than ever, injury-free, and in lifetime best-shape - a few of his recent bests include a 400-pound squat, a 510-pound deadlift, and a set of 17 chin ups.

Charles Staley's primary interest is providing inspiration and education for older guys looking to reclaim their physicality and vitality. At age 56, Charles is leaner than ever, injury-free, and in lifetime best-shape - a few of his recent bests include a 400-pound squat, a 510-pound deadlift, and a set of 17 chin ups.

Well known in the U.S. and across the world, Charles is recognized as a innovative coach and a thought leader in the field of human performance. His experience, reputation, and self-effacing persona have lead to appearances on NBC’s The TODAY Show and The CBS Early Show, along with numerous radio and podcast appearances. He has penned more than a thousand articles for major publications and online websites in the industry.

Often referred to as a visionary, an iconoclast and a rule-breaker, his methods are leading-edge and ahead of their time, capable of quickly producing serious results.

Charles is not only a thinker, but also a doer: currently, he competes at the national and world level in weightlifting and powerlifting on the master’s circuit and holds three World Championship titles in the sport of raw powerlifting. Find Charles online at Target Focus Fitness, or follow him on his popular Facebook page.

Charles has had a successful online coaching service in place for several years. This is a way people to train under his direct supervision even if they aren’t local to him. If you’re ready to invest in yourself, Charles would love to be on your team!

View All Articles

Related Posts

Fergus Crawley 5K Run Tips Photo
Fergus Crawley Shares 5 Tips For Running a Better 5K
Actor Chris Hemsworth in gym performing dumbbell row
Chris Hemsworth Diagrams a Killer Upper Body Workout Fit For an Action Star
Hugh Jackman Deadpool 3 Workouts Spring:Winter 2023
Hugh Jackman Returns to Wolverine Condition in Workouts for “Deadpool 3”
Method Man Incline Dumbbell Presses December 2022
Check Out Rapper Method Man Cruising Through 120-Pound Incline Dumbbell Presses for 10 Reps

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

New Year’s Fitness Sales (2025)

XWERKS Motion BCAA Review (2025): A Registered Dietitian’s Honest Thoughts

Assault Fitness AssaultBike Pro X Review (2025): Assault’s Best Bike Yet?

13 Best Exercise Bikes for Home Gyms (2025)

Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine Review (2025): The Key to Post-Workout Recovery?

Latest Reviews

Element 26 Hybrid Leather Weightlifting Belt

Element 26 Hybrid Leather Weightlifting Belt Review (2025)

Omre NMN + Resveratrol, Lifeforce Peak NMN, and partiQlar NMN on a red background

Best NMN Supplement: Fountain of Youth in a Bottle? (2025)

The Titan Series Adjustable Bench on a red background

Titan Series Adjustable Bench Review (2025)

A photo of the NordicTrack Select-a-Weight Dumbbells on a red background

NordicTrack Adjustable Dumbbell Review (2025): Are These Value Dumbbells Worth It?

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2025 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About