IF you’re a gym newbie who’s intent on getting the best from your fitness journey you may be intimidated at first by the many machines in your facility. In fact, you may start using one that’s more tailored for the male body, or you may be using one incorrectly enough to not see results, or even to get hurt.

Personal trainer Demario Johns said, at the gym, certain machines will be beneficial for women, and it’s important that you get acquainted.

“Certain machines are particularly beneficial for women who want to build strength, improve fitness, and tone their bodies,” he said.

While everyone’s fitness goals vary, here are some machines he said can provide a well-rounded workout:

Leg press machine

Target areas: Quads, hamstrings, glutes

Benefits: This machine allows you to work your lower body safely by adjusting the resistance to suit your strength level, helping with building leg muscles and toning the glutes.

Smith machine

Target areas: Full body (squats, lunges, bench press, shoulder press)

Benefits: It provides stability for barbell movements and is great for exercises like squats or lunges, helping to target the lower body while minimising the risk of injury.

Cable machine

Target areas: Arms, shoulders, chest, back, and core

Benefits: Extremely versatile, it allows for a wide variety of upper and lower body exercises like cable rows, triceps pulldowns, bicep curls, and chest flyes. Cables provide constant tension, which is excellent for muscle activation.

Leg curl and leg extension machines

Target areas: Hamstrings (leg curl), quads (leg extension)

Benefits: These isolation machines help strengthen the specific muscles of the upper legs, which are crucial for balancing lower body strength and injury prevention.

Abduction/adduction machine

Target areas: Inner and outer thighs (hip abductors/adductors)

Benefits: This machine focuses on toning the inner and outer thighs, which helps improve stability in the hips and strengthens smaller muscles around the legs.

Assisted pull-up/dip machine

Target areas: Back, shoulders, arms (pull-ups) and chest, triceps, shoulders (dips)

Benefits: It allows you to perform pull-ups and dips with assistance, making these challenging bodyweight exercises more accessible as you build strength.

Treadmill/elliptical/stationary bike

Target areas: Cardiovascular system, legs

Benefits: These machines are ideal for cardio workouts, which improve heart health and burn calories. They also help warm up muscles before weight training.

“Incorporating these machines into your routine can help create a balanced workout that addresses strength, toning, and cardio,” said Johns. “If your goal is strength building, a combination of free weights and machines will give the best results.”