8 Gym Weight Machines You Should Start Using ASAP

What comes to mind when you think about strength and how to attain it? Strength can mean different things, says Lesley Bell, a personal trainer and brain health coach at Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. "Strength in the gym, though, as defined by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, is the ability of the body – specifically the neuromuscular system – to produce enough internal tension to overcome an external load," Bell says. Whether you're brand new to the gym or a seasoned athlete, there are some pieces of equipment that are well-suited to help you reach your strength-building goals. These gym machines are equally useful for women and men.

Here are eight strength machines to start using today:

Arguably the most versatile piece of machinery in any gym, a cable machine allows you to attack virtually every muscle in your body through a range of both total-body and isolation exercises, says Maryland-based certified strength and conditioning specialist Erica Suter. With them, you can perform countless exercises from a variety of heights and positions including standing, sitting, kneeling or even lying down.

Try performing staple exercises such as back rows, chest presses, flies, triceps extensions, biceps curls, lat pulldowns and wood chops on the cable machine. Also, most any exercise that you typically perform with a resistance band can be performed with more intensity and results with an appropriately loaded cable machine, says Nick Tumminello, a fitness trainer who's the author of three books on exercise, including "Your Workout Perfected." Tumminello, who's worked with a wide array of clients including NFL players, professional bodybuilders and figure models, is based in Cranston, Rhode Island. If you've never used a cable machine before, consider asking a trainer at your local gym to give you an introductory lesson.

The average American has weak hamstrings, but this easy-to-use machine can strengthen them up big time. And even if you routinely work your hamstrings with hip-focused movements like single-leg deadlifts, you still need the hamstring curl machine, Tumminello says. That's because electromyography studies show that the machine works a different region of your hamstrings. "If you want comprehensive training, you want at least one exercise in your arsenal in which movement originates from the knee joint and follows a full range of motion," he says.

Adjust the machine's weights and pads so that you are sitting tall in the machine with your back firmly against the seat. Your knees should be in line with the machine's axis, and the two leg pads should sit on the top of your thighs, just above your knees, and behind your ankles or lower calves, respectively. To complete the exercise, bend your knees to at least 90 degrees. Then slowly, and under control, return back to start. Make sure not to move your upper body or jolt the weight throughout the movement.

"You can never do too many pulling exercises," Suter says. They help strengthen the back, open up the chest, improve posture and correct muscular imbalances that stem from sitting at the computer all day, she says.

Sit tall into the machine with your chest pressed firmly against the pad and reach up at a 45-degree angle to grab the handlebars with both hands. Keeping your torso still and your feet flat on the floor, pull the handles toward your body by contracting your shoulders and pulling your elbows behind you. Once your hands reach the sides of your torso, pause, then slowly reverse the movement to return to start.

Don't let the size scare you. Landmines are actually great for beginners because they allow you to perform large, compound exercises with an easily customizable amount of weight. A barbell that's simply attached to the floor at one end, landmines train your whole body with anywhere from 30 to 45 pounds (the weight of the barbell) to hundreds of pounds, Suter says. Just add weight plates to crank up the resistance. Plus, since the landmine works your body at an angle, it increases the core benefits of essentially exercise you would typically perform with dumbbells, resistance bands or other equipment.

Grip the end of the bar with one or both hands, depending on the weight and exercise that you're doing, and progress through squats, lunges, deadlifts and shoulder presses. Master handling just the bar's weight before you add on weight plates, and consider getting some instruction from a trainer if you're new to either the landmine or weightlifting in general, Tumminello says.

"This machine is excellent," Suter says. "It's a great way to work toward performing a chin-up or pull-up." And, even if you can already eek out a pull-up or two all by yourself, the machine allows you to get in muscle sets and reps for increased strength and muscle gains throughout your back, core, biceps and shoulders.

Facing the machine, grab the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing you, and then kneel with your shins on the bench (preset to your preferred "level of assistance") and let your body hang, elbows straight but not locked out. Then, squeeze your back and brace your core to pull your chest to the bar. Pause, then slowly lower your body in a controlled motion back to start.

This basic cable machine is one of the most important to incorporate into any gym routine, Bell says. "It enables the user to strengthen many of the upper body muscles that we need for great posture," she says. Boosting these muscles helps prevent common shoulder injuries like rotator cuff tears. This machine typically comes with multiple attachments you can use to target different muscles.

To begin, make sure the pin is placed at the desired resistance in the weight stack, then sit down on the bench and grab the handles, Bell says. If you're doing a unilateral pull, grab one handle with your non-dominant hand first. Then, place your feet evenly on the foot plates with your knees slightly bent, never locked. "Always make sure to sit up tall, brace your core and retract your shoulder blades before beginning to move your elbows," she says. "Take a deep breath in and drop your shoulders from the ears to relax your upper trapezius muscle, pull backwards while exhaling until your elbows pass your rib cage, hold for two seconds, then extend the arms again while maintaining your posture."

Working out with the Smith machine activates the entire body, Bell says. It's versatile – you can use it for heavier lifts like the bench press, shoulder presses and squats. It also enables users to execute body weight exercises including incline push-ups, inverted rows and Bulgarian lunges.

Before you begin your workout, wrap a resistance band around the bar for a quick and easy warm-up, Bell says. Depending on the type of exercise you're doing, adjust the bar to the appropriate height by pulling it up slightly, then twisting the hooks in the opposite direction of their locked position. This will release the bar and allow you to slide it up or down, then lock it back into place. If you're using the safety bars (which are located near the bottom of the vertical rails) as a spotter, be sure to lock them into place beneath the bar by lifting, twisting and locking. "Add your desired plates and lift away," Bell says.

The standard leg press machine is simple but effective, and it's found in most gyms, says Jenny Harkins, a certified group fitness instructor and the proprietor of two fitness facilities in Chicago. Using the machine helps you strengthen your quads, glutes, calves and hamstrings. "This is a great alternative to free weights because it's easier on the joints," Harkins says.

Using a leg press device is simple, Harkins says. Recline in the seat and place your feet in the foot base. By simply moving the placement of your feet, you can target different muscle groups. "Place your feet higher on the foot base to target hamstrings and glutes, or if you are looking to hit quads," Harkins says.

• Cable machine.
• Hamstring curl machine.
• High-row machine.
• Landmine.
• Assisted chin-up machine.
• Seated cable row.
• Smith machine.
• Leg press.