Tried the Shoulder Press Machine - Had Thoughts

I was at the gym yesterday and man… it was intense. I’m sore as hell right now, and honestly, I’m already wondering how tomorrow at work will go. I was even groaning mid-set, and one of the lads joked that the energy I came in with was probably the reason 😂. I told him that’s pretty much how I train all the time.

Yesterday, I also noticed the gym had brought in a new machine, a shoulder press machine, and I was genuinely excited to try it out. First impression? It felt really good. After the session, it actually got me thinking about free weights vs machines. Both definitely have their pros and cons, but I still lean towards free weights most of the time. Mainly because of the range of motion and the fact that, when done properly, you engage more supporting muscle groups.

That said, this shoulder press machine was no joke. I stacked 35kg on each side, and I could barely squeeze out 5–6 reps before hitting failure. One thing I really liked was how easy it is to overload the machine and push heavier safely. I’ve only recently started pressing 50kg with free weights, but on the machine I was already working with 70kg. It was also super comfortable, solid back and core support, which is something that usually demands a lot more effort when I’m using free weights.