[RobinW]

I joined a gym last week, and today was the first time I have felt well enough to get out and get a good workout in. I have been doing BFL workouts at home with free weights, then I got sick and havent worked out at all for 2 full weeks. I went to the gym today, and the weights on the machines were sooooooo heavy!!! Except for the tricep weights. I adjusted my weights down because I knew I wasnt going to be able to lift as much as 2 weeks ago. But I didnt think I lost that much strength in 2 weeks.

So, what I want to know is....when it says "2" on the plate its 2 lbs? not 3?(2 plus the one above) right? If Im reading them right, then I lost alot of strength the last 2 weeks

[Meg]

Don't worry, you're still strong!

There's absolutely no comparison at all between free weights and machines -- it's comparing apples and oranges. Don't even try - they are going to be totally different.

You can't even compare weights on different brands of the same machines. In my gym, we have a LifeFitness row machine side-by-side with a Cybex one. I'm 50% stronger on the LifeFitness, even though they look identical and are targeting the same muscles.

I recently went to a lecture about the physics of movement and the take-home lesson was that the weight that you see on a DB or machine has nothing to do with the force being exerted on a muscle. The amount of weight that you're actually lifting is determined by force angles and moment arms and things that I never understood in high school.

As for the numbers on the weight stack, the '2' probably stands for 20 pounds (and it's including all the plates above it), but then some machines are in kilos. And for some, it's just a setting. Just find the right setting that's challenging for you and don't even worry what the 'weight' is. The number is really only useful as a way to gauge your progress when you can move down a hole.

[RobinW]

Thanks so much Meg!!

20lbs??? No wonder I was having such trouble!! I think I'll have to keep track for the first little while so I know where I'll be at on each machine.

Thanks again Meg....OH!! I made your protein bars tonight, and they are delicious!! Kinda taste like the "Eatmore" bars I used to love up in Canada.

[Meg]

Glad you like the bars! Mel has a lot of really good recipes (including baked protein bars) in the Bodybuilding Recipes sticky too.

[RobinW]

I made her pumpkin bars last week, and tonight I made them with banana very tastey!