Are Machines Enough? Breaking down another myth.

We've always been taught that strength training on machines is okay for people looking to get a bit stronger or improve body composition. However, if you really want to maximize your improvements as a well-rounded athlete, strength training with machines alone simply won't suffice.  At least that's what the longstanding fitness folklore would lead us to believe.  But what does the research say?  Authors of a brand new research study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research sought to determine what produced better results in terms of improvements in strength, power, jumping ability, and balance in athletes: strength training with machines or combining strength training with machines with "sensorimotor training." The results indicated that resistance training on machines alone-improved strength, power, jumping ability and balance and that additional sensorimotor training provided no additional benefits.  This is yet another study that suggests that basic, intelligent strength training (and yes, on machines) can provide far more benefit than fitness gurus have espoused for decades.