17 Best Weight Machine Exercises: Achieve Your Fitness Goals

Modern day fitness workouts and strength training relies heavily on weight machine exercises. It is vital that some best weight machine exercises are included in your gym workout so that you may achieve your fitness goals. Therefore, you must know which are the best weight machine exercises and what muscles or body parts they target.  The weight machines offer controlled movements and are often safer for beginners.

Incorporating these best weight machine exercises into your daily workout plans would enable and guide your range of motion and help you isolate specific muscle groups.

List of Best Weight Machine Exercises

Here’s a list of weight machine exercises, along with instructions on how to perform each correctly:

1. Leg Press (Legs)

This is one of the best weight machine exercises for legs. To perform it effectively:

• Sit in the machine and place your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform.
• Push the platform away from you by extending your legs.
• Return to the starting position with control.

2. Leg Extension (Quadriceps)

• Leg extensions are the best weight machine exercises to target quadriceps. To perform these exercises accurately:
• Sit down and secure your legs under the leg pad.
• Extend your legs to lift the weight, engaging your quadriceps.
• Return to the starting position with control.

3. Hamstring Curl (Hamstrings)

• Hamstrings curls are the most common and best weight machine exercises. Here is the guidelines to perform hamstring curls rightly.
• Lie face down and secure your ankles under the leg pad.
• Curl your legs by bending at the knees, engaging your hamstrings.
• Lower your legs with control.

4. Smith Machine Squats (Legs; quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes)

• The target of these best weight machine exercises is main muscles of leg, hamstring and glutes, the lower back. Here is the way to perform it.
• Stand inside the Smith machine, positioning the bar on your upper back and shoulders.
• Step back and place your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Lower your body by bending your knees while keeping your back straight. Aim for a 90-degree knee bend.
• Push through your heels to return to the starting position, engaging your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.

5. Calf Raise Machine (Calves)

• Strong calves are essential for balanced posture. The best weight machine exercise for calves is calf raise machine. To perform it:
• Stand on the platform with your shoulders under the pads.
• Push up with your toes to engage your calf muscles.
• Lower your heels below the platform for a full stretch.

6. Leg Adduction/Abduction Machine (Thighs)

• Sit in the machines and adjust the settings to target the inner and outer thigh muscles.
• Squeeze the legs together (adduction) or push them apart (abduction). These are best weight machine exercises for inner and outer thighs. 

7. Seated Row (Back)

• Sit with your chest against the chest pad and your feet on the footrests.
• Grasp the handles with both hands.
• Pull the handles toward your abdomen, engaging your back muscles.
• Slowly release the handles to the starting position. You can work your back very well with these best weight machine exercise at the gym near you. 

8. Lat Pulldown (Back)

• Sit down and adjust the thigh pads to secure your legs.
• Grasp the bar with a wide overhand grip.
• Pull the bar down to your upper chest, engaging your back muscles.
• Slowly release the bar to the starting position. Read here for 13 most effective back workouts. There are many exercises for back but the machine lat pulldown is regarded as the best weight machine exercise for this purpose. 

9. Chest Press (Chest)

• Sit down and grasp the handles at chest height.
• Push the handles away from your body, extending your arms.
• Return to the starting position with control. For detailed workout plan for Chest click here.

10. Shoulder Press (Shoulders)

• No doubt shoulder press is the best weight machine exercise: To perform it,
• Sit down and grasp the handles at shoulder height.
• Push the handles upward, extending your arms.
• Return to the starting position with control. 

11. Tricep Dip Machine (Triceps)

• Sit down and grasp the handles.
• Push the handles downward to extend your arms.
• Return to the starting position with control. Shoulder building revolves mostly around biceps and triceps. The tricep dip is regarded as the best weight machine exercise to develop good looking shoulders. 

12. Machine Preacher Curl (Biceps)

• Sit down on a preacher curl machine and adjust the seat and arm pad height.
• Position your upper arms on the pad and grasp the handles with a supinated (palms-up) grip.
• Curl the handles toward your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
• Slowly lower the handles to the starting position while maintaining control. This best weight machine exercise will enable you to isolate the biceps for an adorable look.

13. Tricep Pushdown Machine (Triceps)

• Use a high pulley and a straight or V-bar attachment.
• Push the bar downward, extending your arms.
• Return to the starting position with control.

14. Bicep Curl Machine (Biceps)

• Sit down and grasp the handles.
• Curl the handles toward your shoulders, engaging your biceps.
• Lower the handles with control.
• As with all best weight machine exercises, ensure proper form, use a suitable weight, and progress gradually to avoid injury and optimize your training results..

15. Cable Fly (Chest)

• Sit or stand and adjust the handles to chest height.
• Grasp the handles and bring them together in a hugging motion to engage the chest muscles.
• Slowly release the handles to the starting position.

16. Back Extension (Lower Back and Glutes)

• Secure your feet under the foot pads.
• Bend at the waist, lowering your upper body toward the ground.
• Return to an upright position, engaging your lower back and glutes.

17. Abdominal Machine (Abs)

• Sit down, secure your thighs under the pads, and place your hands on the handles.
• Lean back to work the abdominal muscles, then return to an upright position. This best weight machine exercise will help you to get 6 pack abs if incorporated into a well balanced Abs workout. 

Conclusion

When performing any of these best weight machine exercises, maintain proper posture and alignment, use a full range of motion, and avoid using momentum. Choose a weight that allows you to complete your desired repetitions with good form, and gradually increase the weight as you progress. Always breathe regularly and consult a fitness professional if you’re new to these exercises or have specific training goals.