Since I started going to the gym regularly about a year and a half ago, I’ve tended towards swimming for cardio and barbells & dumbbells for muscular development. So when I see an article like this – Don’t waste time on useless exercise equipment: These gym machines offer an efficient workout – all I think of is how each of those five machine exercises can be done with just a barbell or a couple dumbbells.

1. Chest press machine: just do a bench press
2. Lat pulldown machine: just do a barbell row
3. Tricep press down machine: just do triceps extensions
4. Leg press: just do a squat and/or deadlift
5. Calf raise machine: just do a standing barbell calf raise

Machines are great for isolation exercises, which are good for injury recovery. But aside from that, they’re mostly inferior to the good old barbell, which trains your balance as well as your muscles.