These resistance machines are used to target specific muscle groups. Each machine has a purpose, and targets a muscle in a unique way. These machines are essential for hitting those muscles that are overshadowed in the plate loaded lifts.
These machines have adjustable weight stacks that use a lightweight pin to adjust intensity. This is perfect for anybody starting the gym or recovering from an injury, as it is simple to find your perfect weight!
Free weights get a lot of attention, but for a huge number of our members, resistance machines are where real, consistent progress happens. At Amazon Gym, our resistance machine area covers the full body — from seated leg press and leg extension through to cable rows, presses and isolation machines like the preacher curl and lateral raise — giving you a guided, controlled way to build strength safely, whatever stage you're at.
Resistance machines work by moving weight along a fixed or semi-fixed path, using either a stacked weight system or a pulley setup rather than a free barbell or dumbbell. That might sound like a small difference, but it changes the experience of training in a meaningful way. Because the machine handles the balance and stability side of the lift, you're free to focus entirely on the muscle you're working, push closer to fatigue with less risk, and adjust the load in small, manageable increments as you progress. It's precise, it's repeatable, and it takes a lot of the guesswork out of building a strength routine.
Resistance machines have a reputation for being "beginner equipment," but that undersells them. Yes, they're a brilliant entry point if you're new to training — machines like our seated cable chest press, seated cable shoulder press and leg press let you build genuine strength from day one without needing to learn complex barbell technique first. But they're just as valuable for experienced lifters, whether that's isolating a specific muscle with something like the tricep pushdown or preacher curl, addressing an imbalance with a single-leg station like our leg extension, or simply training safely through a niggle that makes free weights uncomfortable.
They also suit anyone who trains without a workout partner. Stations like our MTS Row and MTS High Row let you load up and push hard without needing a spotter, and the fixed movement path means you can train to genuine fatigue with far less risk than a comparable free weight exercise. If your schedule means you're often training solo, this is an area of the gym built with exactly that in mind.
And if you're someone who simply prefers a clear, structured way to track progress, resistance machines make that easy. Because the load is adjusted in fixed increments and the movement path stays consistent, it's straightforward to see, session to session, that you're genuinely getting stronger.
If you're new to this part of the gym, a first session usually starts with getting familiar with seat and pad adjustments — something as simple as setting the correct seat height on a leg press or cable row makes a real difference to how effective and comfortable the movement feels. Our team is always happy to run through these adjustments with you the first time, so you're not guessing.
From there, a sensible first session tends to work through the body in a logical order rather than jumping between muscle groups. You might start with a lower body station like the leg press or leg curl, move on to a pressing movement such as the seated cable chest press or seated cable shoulder press, then finish with a pulling exercise like the seated cable row or MTS Row. Isolation machines — think the calf raise, lateral raise, seated chest fly and rear deltoid fly, or the preacher curl — are a great way to finish off a session once the bigger, more demanding movements are out of the way.
Weight is always something you build into gradually. Rather than trying to guess a working weight, most members start light on a new machine, get a feel for the range of motion and how the resistance builds through the movement, and adjust up from there once the technique feels natural. There's no rush to load up heavy on day one — the machines are there to help you build strength progressively and safely, at whatever pace suits you.
Because everything runs on a straightforward pin-and-stack or pulley system, sessions in this part of the gym also tend to move quickly. Adjusting weight takes seconds, there's no loading or unloading of plates, and you can move smoothly from one station to the next without long gaps between exercises. That makes it a genuinely efficient way to train, whether you've got an hour to spend or you're working around a tighter schedule.
Based in Shropham and easily reached from Watton and Attleborough, Amazon Gym's resistance machine area is designed to be genuinely useful whatever your experience level — from your very first visit through to years of consistent training. Whether you're rehabbing an injury, building strength from scratch, or simply prefer the precision and control machines offer over free weights, our team is always happy to talk you through the equipment and help you put together a routine that fits your goals.
There's no single right way to use this part of the gym. Some members work through a full-body machine circuit each visit, others pair specific machines with their free weight training to target a particular muscle more directly. Either way, the equipment is set up and ready to go, right in the heart of Amazon Gym.
All of our machines contain information on their intended use and muscle groups targeted in sticker format on the machines. A free induction and program is available to any member, which provides the perfect opportunity to ensure that you can understand all the equipment.
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Once you've had your induction and a few sessions under your belt, the next question is usually what to actually do each week. Plenty of members work this out themselves, and there's nothing wrong with that — a simple full-body routine, repeated consistently and nudged slightly heavier each fortnight, will take most people a very long way.
Others would rather have it written down by someone who knows what they're looking at. Every one of our membership options come with a free, personalised program built specifically for you by one of our expertly qualified trainers.<br>This is going to help you hit your targets and make a great start to your gym journey. Additionally, all programs have the option to be reviewed at any point, so your program can grow with you throughout your journey!
