Gym Machines & Ego Lifting

I’ve been noticing something interesting in gyms when watching fitness content on social media lately, more and more impressive-looking machines with crazy ranges of motion and smooth movement patterns. But here’s the catch: many of these machines require WAY more weight to be loaded than you’d ever use on a barbell or dumbbell. 

Why? The moment arm.  

What’s the Moment Arm?  

Think of it like using a stick and a wedge to lift something heavy. If you move the wedge closer to the weight, you need less force to lift it. But if you move the wedge farther away, suddenly you need way more effort to move the same weight.  

This is leverage, and gym machines use it to their advantage (or disadvantage, depending on how you look at it). Many modern machines are designed with longer moment arms, meaning the actual resistance you feel is much lighter than the weight stack suggests.  

Ego Over Efficiency?  

Here’s my issue: Some machines are deliberately designed so you can load up insane amounts of weight, not because it’s harder, but because it looks more impressive.  

• Bench press? Maybe you bench 185lbs. 
• Machine press? Suddenly you're "pressing" 225lbs… but it feels the same as the barbell.  

The difference? The machine’s leverage is doing a lot of the work for you.  

A Better Way?  

I’d love to see more machines designed for efficiency over ego, where the weight you lift actually reflects the resistance you feel, not just a number that looks cool on Instagram.  

At the end of the day, real strength isn’t about the number on the stack, it’s about the tension on the muscle.