Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Why can you lift more on machines than with free weights? Most people think it's because free weights are less stable. That matters, but it's not the primary reason.
Machines typically load the plates closer to the point of rotation than to the point where you apply force. This gives you a mechanical advantage.
And that advantage scales with distance. The squat machine in my gym, for example, loads the plates 85 cm from the joint, while you push from 135 cm away. Mechanical advantage is calculated by dividing the distance to the effort by the distance to the load. In this case, that gives us 1.6. This means you can lift about 60% more weight than if the plates were located at the same distance as where you’re pushing.
Other factors also contribute (stability, variable cam resistance, and complex pulley systems) but the primary reason you can lift more on machines is simply that the plates are loaded closer to the machine's joint.
Why can you lift more on machines than with free weights? Most people think it's because free weights are less stable. That matters, but it's not the primary reason.
Machines typically load the plates closer to the point of rotation than to the point where you apply force. This gives you a mechanical advantage.
And that advantage scales with distance. The squat machine in my gym, for example, loads the plates 85 cm from the joint, while you push from 135 cm away. Mechanical advantage is calculated by dividing the distance to the effort by the distance to the load. In this case, that gives us 1.6. This means you can lift about 60% more weight than if the plates were located at the same distance as where you’re pushing.
Other factors also contribute (stability, variable cam resistance, and complex pulley systems) but the primary reason you can lift more on machines is simply that the plates are loaded closer to the machine's joint.
