The Hammer Strength machines at my gym appear to be a respectable alternative to the free weight bench. I’ve only been using them a very short while but I feel I have been able to push myself a little harder on them rather than the regular bench.
[quote]vagrant wrote:
Sure, lots of people will tell you, “don’t be afraid to fail”. Well if you are alone, you have to be careful. Learn where failure is and stop just short of it.[/quote]
I have always worked out alone, and find this to be the only drawback. It’s certainly harder to test your limits without a safety net. I find myself holding back more often than others who train with a spotter. It has not impeded my progress, just made it a lot slower, I think.