Ever since various types (and makes) of resistance machines began filling gyms a few decades ago, a debate amongst athletes, bodybuilders, trainers, coaches, and scientists arose rather quickly about which is superior when it comes to achieving muscular hypertrophy—free weights or the aforementioned machines?

While there are certainly excellent arguments for both sides, based upon laboratory research and “in-the-trenches” anecdotal evidence, this article is meant to advocate for one side, but rather to share some of the best possible machine substitutions for six commonly used, basic free-weight exercises.

Here are the six machines that best match their free-weight counterpart.