"Real" Weight

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I can remember back in high school using the Bowflex in my parents' basement as my form of resistance training and coaches telling me that I'd never get stronger using it because it wasn't "real" weight.  In their head, they were thinking of something mass-based like dumbbells or barbells as constituting "real" weight and that is what they thought I needed to use in order to get stronger.  I couldn't understand why, though.


As much as I tried explaining my confusion of, "If this piece of equipment (the Bowflex) is challenging my ability to perform a motion, from the muscles' perspective, how is that any different than being challenged by performing the motion while holding dumbbells," I was only told that it was different and I needed to use "real" weight in order to get stronger.


Now, there are certainly physics-based differences between the two, for example the potential difference in the inertial effects while using the Bowflex compared to using dumbbells (oversimplified but hopefully the point gets across).  Additionally, there can be mechanical differences between the two, such as pressing with the separated handles on the Bowflex and pressing with your hands fixed to a barbell. But neither was the main cause for concern with what I was told.

See I was told that my muscles would develop differently if I used one compared to the other.  Mostly, I was told that I wouldn't be able to get nearly as big or strong if I used the Bowflex.  Then, my strength and size at that time were given as justification for this rationale, pointing out the fact that I was neither big nor strong and had been using the Bowflex for months.  It wasn't brought up, however, that I wasn't physically developed yet, either, which was probably the biggest determining factor in my physical status at that time.  But regardless, to make a long story short, I eventually converted to lifting "real" weight, but for years I stayed confused as to why this was a different muscular challenge.

Here's the thing, oversimplifying again, it's not.  Whether you are using a dumbbell, tubing, air, a piece of strength training equipment, or any other tool you choose, in a sense it is irrelevant to your muscles.  Quite frankly, your muscles do not know that the tool of your choice has changed, and because they do not know, they do not care what you use to challenge them.

All your muscles have the ability to know is how much distance there is between their points of attachment and their relative tension.  If your brain says they need to produce more tension in order to bring their points of attachment together because there is a greater demand in the form of a greater challenge to produce a motion or maintain a position, your muscles do their best to comply.  It does not matter to them what is providing that external demand.  To your muscles, their job is the same.

The way the challenge changes as you perform a motion, the effects of the speed with which you perform the motion, the ability to manipulate the joint forces, and the ability for different muscles to produce the same outcome may differ based on the tool you choose to present the challenge with, but the muscles' job remains the same.

Are you choosing your tools based off of their "magical effects", or are you choosing them based off of the specific challenge they present?

Your body.  Your training.

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