My doctor told me that machine weights puts less strain on your body therefore not making the blood pressure rise so dramatically. With Free weight training your blood pressure can go as high as 380/250!! That's what my doctor told me!

Is there any truth to this or have any of you heard of this?

By the way my doctor is a well built guy in great health.

In the 15+ years of training, I have never seen a negative reaction to my blood pressure from free weight training. I don't believe I have ever even heard of something happening like this.

IMO, the strain is a positive thing. Maybe it will better prepare me to handle the extreme strain of real life.

You mean that your blood pressure stays normal during inteses free weight training?

I use both

From what I have read, blood pressure does rise during exercise (along with heart rate). The blood pressure also goes back to normal when you stop the exercise.

I am not sure why there should be any difference between using free weights or machines in changes in blood pressure, unless the machine did not require as much force, in which case the workout was not as hard.

Most people find that exercise results in a lower resting blood pressure, which is what is measured by a doctor.