Free weights or multi gym

FullOf..IT

Just a quick question. I want to bulk up at home. Which is more efficient, free weights of a multi gym like this...http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=30001&langId=-1&catalogId=10151&productId=651568&Trail=C%24cip%3D44184.Sports%2Band%2Bleisure%3EC%24cip%3D44234.Home%2Bgym%2Bequipment%3EC%24cip%3D44237.Multi%2Bgyms&categoryId=44237&clickfrom=image

thanks in advance...

davyjose

Free weights - always free weights. Weights machines can have their uses, but if it comes down to a choice you can live without a machine, not without free weights. Firstly, however versatile your multigym is, it is more limited than free weights. you can work every muscle with a free weight, you can't - CAN'T with a multigym - even in ways you might not realise. When you do a bicep curl with a free weight for example, there are other muscles brought into play, other than your bicep - for instance rotator cuff muscles to prevent your arm swinging side to side. With a machine or multigym, there is only one direction the weight will go, so these muscles don't get worked, leading to a possibility injuries, and also much less strength. This is the case not just for bicep curls but for all major muscles. You will not gain REAL strength.
Another thing is that generally there is one range of motion with a machine - you can make allsorts of adjustments but really there is one place where your hand goes and one point where the machine pivots - but as you should know, all bodies are not the same. This can mean injury.
A multigym IS better than nothing, and as I said it can be handy, but given the choice ALWAYS go for free weights!