That is frankly dumb reasoning. You can still injure yourself doing bodyweight exercises, especially if you're not strong enough to handle your own bodyweight.

In fact, some exercises like chinups and pullups require you to train on machines to increase your arm and back strength before you even try doing full unassisted pullups/chinups.

Machines are good for beginners since they limit the margin for error and don't put as much strain on your stabiliser muscles.

And you are right, stabiliser muscles are equally important, if not even more so.

However, newbs just don't have that feel for good form yet, let alone keeping stable, and free weights have a higher risk of twisting or pulling something, dropping the weight on themselves and all manner of other nasty things. My case for machines is simply for minimising the chances of injuring oneself.

Also, if a beginner does not have someone experienced enough to guide them while training... disaster. If you go to some of the big gyms, there are actually machines designed for beginners like assisted pullup machines, and the equipment i've tried when I took a trial are actually quite good in terms of support and easy on the joints.

Yes, they are mostly isolation machines, and yes, they don't train the stabiliser muscles much, but they sure are helpful for getting a feel for getting the form right, and supplementing free weights.

If you feel you can train up bodyweight exercises doing negatives, its fine. Just make sure you push yourself to do full reps.
And the problem I see with machines is that you might get too comfortable with machines that you neglect free weights.

My reasoning is first and foremost avoiding injury, because it is the single most demoralising thing that can happen to any sportsman, having to sit out of training for weeks, months or even years due to injuries. For newbs if can make them give up entirely.

Anyway, take my advice with a grain of salt, and do your own research now that you have some perspectives about this matter and decide for yourself how you want to start out.

That's interesting stuff, i'll have to read up on that. In any case, I've personally never used a smith machine (the gym I go to doesn't have one, only a squat rack). Perhaps we're generalising too much here, but machines do help with SOME movements like the shoulder press and chest press form. And there's some machines that I feel are indespensable simply because I can't do them using free weights (lat pulldowns, tricep pressdowns, cable standing flyes, leg press etc.)

And I would concede to your points about free weights vs machines, save for the fact that it is on the assumption that the newbies in question actually have someone experienced on hand to spot and guide them with the free weights in the gym.

The articles here all say pretty much the same thing: Free weights should be the basis of one's training regimen, and are machines to supplement free weights.
The pros of using machines is that it doesn't really require supervision/spotters, and you don't have to fear having your face bashed in by a dumbell or ribcage cracked from a barbell.

source

As most of you probably notice (and practice), gym regulars don't really bother to give coaching to "them unwashed newbs" stumbling around the gym with no idea of how to train.

Okay, got your point.

Why so serious? And what's up with calling me a noob all of a sudden?