The importance of free weight exercises vs machines

There is a lot of talk about machines in gyms these days. They tell you that  these "machines" isolate this muscle and that muscle. Well here is the truth people you need to do multi- joint complex movements before you even attempt to isolate a given body part. The complex multi joint movements are the only way to truly strengthen your core and build a good foundation for the rest of your training career. These are the tried and true movements that have been working for decades around the globe. These "trainers" in some of these gyms can't tell me that doing some weak little circuit is better than doing free weights. I know from my own experience that I will get 100 times stronger doing dead lifts that machine rows. You want your back to develop better in the middle. Stop doing lat pull downs and start doing pull-ups. My point is this yes you can incorporate machine movements into your workout regiment but it should only be when you are at an advanced level of training. Even when at an advanced level you should just add a few machine exercise to you free weight regiment. So get off the machine and pick up those weights.