It's almost like a newbie has two choices:

a) Purchase a sturdy bar, some 10 and 25 lb plates, and a bench and do workouts using deadlifts, squats, bench, ohp's, ect..

b) Go get a Bow-Flex.

I was just thinking back to the Marine Corps bootcamp. There were a lot of "newbie's" or better yet, really out of shape guys who couldn't do a single pullup. Now, did the military waste government money buying a lat pulldown machine? No. Instead, if you cannot do something, they make you keep doing it until you can. To date, the Marine Corps as well as other armed forces I'm sure has a near 100% success rate.

Additionally, trainers also forget the past. I'm talking 50+ years ago when bodybuilders didn't have machines. Just a barbell, weight, and perhaps some kettleballs and DB's for the lucky few. At one point, they were also all beginners, yet over time, doing programs exactly like the aforementioned, gained both strength and mass and looked incredible with their limited means (aka food, supplements, cable row machines, ect)

Perhaps some examples through the years are in order.

Alan Calvert, from his ‘First Course in Body-Building and Muscle-Developing Exercises’, 1924, included the following drills in his program: Standing Curls, Bent-Over Rows, Standing Press Behind Neck, Stiff-Arm Pullovers, Weighted Situps, Overhead Press while seated on the floor, Straddle Lifts, Shrugs, Squats up on the toes, One-Arm Press/Side Press, One-Arm Swings, and a strange type of Supported, Bent-Over One-Arm Reverse Curl.

Mark Hamilton Berry, from his ‘First Course in Physical Improvement and Muscle Developing Exercises’, circa ~1936: Standing Curl, Floor Press, Bent Rows, Standing Press Behind Neck, Two-Arm Pullovers, Squats, Shrugs, Straddle Lifts, Weighted Situp, One-Arm Press/Side Press, One-Arm KB Swing, Wrist Roller, Wrestler’s Bridge, Reverse Curl, Military Press.

Harry Barton Paschall, ‘The Bosco System of Progressive Physical Training’, 1954: (Program 1: Bodybuilding) Upright Rows, Standing Press, Standing Curls, Bent Rows, Squats, Pullovers, Calf Raise, Stiff-Legged Deadlift/Shrug combination drill, Side Bends, DB Circles, Weighted Situps, and Leg Swings; (Program 2: Weight Gaining) Clean and Press, Standing Curls, Bent Rows, Bench Press, Squat, and Chest Lifts.

John McCallum, from his Keys to Progress series, circa the mid-1960s: (An article titled ‘For Size and Strength’) Prone Hyper-Extensions, Squats and Pullovers, Front Squats, Bench Press, Power Cleans, Rowing, Press Behind Neck, Incline Curls.

* Not one machine, all these guides aimed at beginners.

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