Machines for isolation

it is the best. machines for straight hypertrophy(literally every rep is the same so youre always using the same muscle groups) and free weights for stability(flexors and extensors).

nah. barbell compound are the base, but there's absolutely a useful role for machines
I consider them practically essential for back work. there's a big old network of muscles back there and machines DEFINITELY help me spread the stress on the small but important muscles.

do what produces results user. don't let someone tell you that you can't use machines. machines can be fun and helpful

This thread is giving me hope that Planet Fatness won't be as shit as I thought it was gonna be. Dumbbells and machines sounds like a good start.

should be fine
once you can db bench and row their highest dumbbells consider switching to a gym with barbells

That's the plan. PF is all I can afford right now, but in a year and a half I'll be able to switch and their dumbbells will definitely last me until then and even longer if I like.

>tfw 3pl8 single arm on pic related
fuck that shit feels good mang
planet fitness is shit, but all memes aside there is enough there to be able to do a good program. that being said i hope you have a better time with smith machine squats than i did. tried that shit once and it was immensely painful.

I've lurked Veeky Forums long enough to know to stay far the fuck away from the smith machine. I'll find other ways to not have chicken legs.

The smith machine works fine if you aren't a moron about it.

I'd rather use a barbell but you work with what you've got. There's even some niche instances where the abomination is arguably better than a regular bar.

good man. it does have its uses though. thats how i usually do my upright rows. but theres no shame in db squats/bulgarian splits to get the leg gains. plus your forearms will get yuge holding that weight.

this too. if you ever feel the need to do skateboard squats, smith rack works great for that.

Thanks for the tips, anons. Very much appreciated.

one more tip breh. dont underestimate the bikes there. im p sure every planet fitness has bikes, so you should be able to do this. hop on that shit for your cardio, do 15-20 minutes, start at roughly level 5 for one minute, then increase to level 10 for one minute, repeat ad nauseum, until your time is up. but make sure youre "pushing" the entire time. genrally you have to be on your toes for this, but its a great way to work the quads and get your cardio in. make sure your rpm stays above 90 and heart rate is high(for you, whatever that may be). if you want to hit hammys just do the opposite. loosen the foot straps enough so they fit snugly about midway up the metatarsal, then you can "pull" and keep it above 90.

whoops i forgot, increase the resistance levels weekly or daily depending on your leg strength. i.e. 5-10, 6-11, 7-12, etc etc

Machine curls are way better imo, only curl besides hammer curls that don't give me wrist tendonitis.

This
>Use OHP and shrug machine the one that requires pl8s
>Get a godly pump in my shoulders that I've never got from any amount of barbell ohp or barbell shrugs
>sore next day so know it worked it's magic
The people on this website don't know wtf they're talking about in my opinion as long as you keep bench, squat, and deadlift in your routine use as many machines as you want. I use machines for back as well I can't be bothered setting up or doing bent over rows when I feel it way more from different machines.

Thanks for this as well. I enjoy the bike a lot more than the treadmill and currently have both at home, so I'll give this a shot tomorrow.

good shit man, i swear by hiit or whatever you want to call it on the bikes. i do pplpplx and i get on the bike every day i lift. just know your limits and don't puke beside the bike lel. but at some point i would recommend incorporating running into your program. and not on a treadmill especially. just do c25k and jog that shit. i do 2 5ks per week and ive never seen any bennys from it desu, but its nice to get outside and get away from all the bullshit. no bullshit, just you and the sidewalk.

I've generally been doing cardio on my off days from a full body workout 3x a week. If the bike thing is all I'm doing for the day, would you recommend doing it any differently?

i suppose it really depends on the lifts youre actually doing. ive always been a firm believer that rest days are rest days. i dont do anything on a rest day involving fitness. now, some people would say that if youre able to do legit cardio work on your rest days, your whole body wod wasnt enough. im one of those people, but i know everyone is different. but if all you do on rest days is bike and you can do a legit 20 minutes high level/low level, keep at it. might be a holdover from reading the greyskull pdf, but bodies need time to heal. to heal from lifting, which tears muscle fibers, which happens when you lift big things.

but again(forgot to write this), it comes down to the person. i do my cardio on lifting days because i can go much farther and keep that hr higher for longer than if i did it on rest days. im not a scienceizer but i think its because im jumping on that shit cold on rest days and doms has already set in. so thats why i do it on days i lift, because im warm and ive got the pump already, so maybe it comes down to a mental thing.

That makes sense. I'm a beginner, 6'0, 165lb skinnyfat with no muscle, so I'm trying to burn fat and get some noob gains and be comfortable lifting before I start a clean bulk. Also, I'm using getting fit as a tool to stave off depression and anxiety from a breakup, so doing something most days of the week is really helping.

desu fampai im in the same depression and loneliness boat on my off time. doesn't hurt to pick up a hobby. i live near the beach so i scrimped for a few paychecks and bought 5 ocean poles with all the rig and gear to go with it. never caught anything but its a soothing methodical experience and it kills time. thats what people need. thats what everyone needs.

This

Always feel that pec burn more with machine than dumbell flys. Its just easier to do slow good form reps for some reason

also random foreign shit like this helps
youtube.com/watch?v=56jhw7624jk

Yeah, playing music has always been here for me, but I let it fall by the wayside after I moved in with my gf, and I realized recently that I unconsciously started to resent her and myself for letting that happen, and that was part of the reason I would act like such an asshole. Now I'm back in a town where I can start playing again, and I'm never gonna let it go again. Video games were my hobby before, but even before the breakup they were starting to lose their magic. I think music and lifting are the only things I'll be able to make time for with my busy school schedule, but maybe I'll look into trying something new when I have the time.

>Get a godly pump in my shoulders
i feel that doing 2handed landmine press
duno if actually supposed to feel it more in chest, but anterior delts feel destroyed in a good way. when nearing failure can choose how much to cheat the remaining reps without needing a spotter