Not true, you are fooling yourself. Machines are moving on a specific plane, the body may not need to struggle with forces of balance ect. It's been proven over and over free weights , barbells, kettle bells, dumbells and even some cable use assistance muscles can increase range of motion , even then standing is more functional than sitting. Although isolation has its purpose in training and rehab. You may want to do more research and train.
I got your back on this one kets, I agree. When you use a machine you are working out on a fixed plane. End of story. It takes the matter of balancing the weight out of the equation. Hell, I use the smith all the time for my bench press, it helps me focus more on my pecs, but I don't pretend like it's better than an actual bench press. For some people it may be because of physiological limitations and injuries, that's fine. Overall though, I think free weights are where it's at. I could be wrong.
Cables an machines have there place for alot of u guys I'm sure... But just my observation, if you look around a commercial gym the guys using just machines n cables and never any barbell work usually arnt very big.
If you look around a commercial gym most people are below average physique anyways, so..that's a pretty moot point.
Most heavy guys don't do pull ups b/c it's difficult to perform a wide grip pullup when you're heavier. It's A LOT easier to perform a pulldown.
Just like most will do military presses seated. Why no perform them standing? You don't have back support and you can use your legs to drive the weight like so many do when they are seated. Lets face it, machines where you sit are for the most part easier and better suited for lay people. Instead of leg pressing, walk a bar out of the rack and squat it hams to calves. You recruit more muscles in the movement and therefore grow more and also strengthen the body more.
Yup, I can't do many pullups for the life of me, I'm getting there though.
I do mil press sitting down. I consider it a quasi-machine. You still are working with the barbell and are not restricted to a certain range of motion. Where you have that back support you wouldn't have standing up, you don't have the ability to use your legs to gain momentum to get the weight up. It's six and 1/2 dozen the other. I think sitting mil press and standing mil press tend to cancel each other out on the pros/cons. Just my opinion.
Back on the subject of back (like that?). I do barbell rows and db rows. Two totally different exercises. With DB rows you can really squeeze the weight and feel the contraction, whereas you don't get that with a barbell row. It's a power movement, you rip that shit off the floor.