Typical trainer bullshit. I'll explain.
What happens when we use machines? We work in a fixed plane of motion. Think about stability. The machine does it for you.
When you are on the machines for a few months you gain strength WITHIN that fixed plane of motion. You move onto freeweights with this new found strength and rather than growing and developing on a given lift you automatically have a weakened ability to stabilize weights and your mobility is more than likely insufficient BUT you can use more weight than you can safely stabilize.
Take the leg press. You load that up to 500lbs and crank out some reps, for arguments sake we'll say that's roughly 250lbs VERTICALLY. You hop under a barbell of that weight and 1 of 2 things, or both, will happen; 1) You can only get a 1/4 of full depth 2) you can't maintain the arch in your back. Why is that? You've strengthened your legs, they can push the weight, but with the machine you don't have to stabilize.
Think of it like a chain with a weak link, the weak link being stability or mobility whichever hinders your performance. Their approach is analogous to strengthening the links that are already strong. If you strengthen everything but the weak link and then try to break the strong links...the weak link will still be there!
Better yet is to think of it as a chain of equal links. Rather than strengthening all of the links, that approach strengthens all but a couple. You CREATE weak links. A better approach is to strengthen the chain equally.
Unless you can't use the empty bar for an exercise it makes much more sense to strengthen that exercise rather than strengthen the muscles that are used in that exercise. Who cares if you aren't using a lot of weight at first, you'll be using the same weight once you're off the machines anyway. Unless you like compensations, injuries and exclusively performing 1/4 squats.
Starting out very light encourages form development and allows for some time to learn movements rather than diving right into a weight that you 'left off at' with the machine. Aggressive loading and insufficient form breed injury and compensation. Most of the time people starting out are anxious and impatient to begin with, not many are willing to take weight off the bar to learn movements.
Let's not forget that using machines puts you behind the 8 ball simply in terms of motor recruitment and movement patterns. The leg press will not teach you how to squat, it will however teach you to squat with heavier weights and proportionally shittier form.
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"Pain don't hurt" - Dalton
"NO, this is my squat rack. Go get your own!"
"Damn that's shit heavy" - Wolf
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