In the training world, machines are up to debate. Sometimes considered to be reserved for novices or for people returning to training after a long period of inactivity, they couldn’t stimulate the « stabilizing » muscles in the same way as free weights (barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell…), they would allow less freedom of movement than those kind of weight, they could be less « functional », less « specific », and would be of use only to learn the basics of a movement or to target specific muscles.