Dumbbells vs. machines: which builds muscle better?
NCT ID NCT07495540
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study will compare the effects of free weight exercises (like dumbbells and barbells) versus weight machines on muscle strength and endurance. Twenty-six inactive adults aged 18-30 will be assigned to one of two groups and train three times a week for eight weeks. The goal is to see which method leads to better muscle gains and neuromuscular control.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Resistance exercise (free weights vs. weight machines)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help people choose the most effective type of strength training for building muscle and improving control.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 26 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. It compares two common methods, so no major breakthroughs are expected.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 26 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Mar 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 30 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Being an individual between the ages of 18-30 years * Being physically inactive according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form (\<600 MET-min/week) * Residing in Istanbul * Voluntary participation in the study. Exclusion Criteria: * Having a neurological or cardiopulmonary system problem that prevents exercise. * Having mental dysfunction. * Having an acute musculoskeletal injury which limits exercise participant * Being pregnant. * Having answered "YES" to any question on the Exercise Readiness Questionnaire.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Biruni University
Istanbul, Zeytinburnu, 34015, Turkey (Türkiye)
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