Free Weights or Machines?

Is weight training with free weights more effective than with machines? No. For muscle tone and weight loss, it doesn't matter which you use.

Working with free weights can lead to improved balance and allows you to do multiple exercises, with greater range of movement, such as walking lunges.

Machines, on the other hand, can give you more control over a specific body part or muscle group. They also can be safer because of the controlled movement they provide. Many people use both, simply because that adds variety to their routine.

My suggestion is to choose the type with which you are most comfortable and most likely to use on a regular basis. But keep an open mind, alternating at least every now and then.

And, as always, ask for professional instruction before using either type of equipment to be certain you're doing each exercise correctly.

Stephanie Oakes is a fitness correspondent for Discovery Health Channel, a contributing editor for USA Weekend Magazine and the LA Times, and appears on NBC's 'Today in New York'. She can be reached at soakes@beststuff.com.