For me, I have a great personal preference for the stair-master for cardio and leg strength training. I've found I'm always exhausted after using it and it gives me a better workout than running on the treadmill. What is your favorite machine at the gym?
My favorite is honestly the treadmill, because I do a lot of outdoor running. I am training for my first 1/2 (2 weeks) and have used the treadmill on really bad weather days during the winter. If the temperatures were so extremely low, the treadmill saved me by allowing me to still run.
I love the elliptical machine and also the treadmill for running! I'm not much into weights, I only do them to tone up when I have to, so I could never say a weight machine is my favorite, because using them is semi-torture for me! But I love treadmills and elliptical machines. Not so much bikes.
Treadmill is my favorite machine at the gym. It is so easy to use, and not as complex as the rest. It leads you what to do and you do not have to figure out how to use it. All you would have to do is follow it. When I am in the gym I do nothing actually other than running on the treadmill. I spend 1 hour without rest. Then after that I go home. I like it probably because that's the only thing gym has that I know how to use. Because I am laze-head, I don't figure out and explore more on other equipment available there.
The leg press! There's something awesome about sitting on that little chair while seeing the weights coming towards you. Great feeling of power! And because I walk a lot, I developed strong legs and was able to push much more weight than I managed with my hands. Alas, money was tight and in order to save I had to renounce going to the gym. Only push-ups and squats for me these days
When it comes to efficiency and effectiveness, I choose elliptical trainer. Tone and build muscles on your lower leg using this equipment everyday. It is also a good cardio exercise and burns a lot of calories and fats in your body.
I consider myself a machine when I'm in the squat rack. I don't really do much with machine weights, so it's all free weights for me. The closest thing to a machine would be the pulley system for woodchops, pull downs and things like that.
For lifting weights, I don't use any machine. I go for free weights. The elliptical machine is pretty much the only machine I use in the gym. I like it better than the treadmill. And oh, I also use the bike for a few minutes during my warm-up.
Can't beat the treadmill honestly, always try and find a gym with as many as possible! Apart from swimming I really don't think there is any more enjoyable or more effective version of cardio exercise!
My favorite machine is the cycle. I think it is really helpful to use the cycle to strengthen the muscles of your arms and legs. Also, it never makes you tired which is the added benefit of cycling. I think it is really useful to own cycle at your home.
My favorite "machine" is the old and heavy barbell. There is no machine you can build up muscles as good as you do it with a barbell, nowadays people makes me sick, being all lazy and wanting those modern machines to work instead of them. Go there, get a barbell, do any basic exercise and you will see results in no time.