I agree , but I was just speaking on PRO bodybuilding
I work with soldiers and you can be damn sure the one thing they need STARTING OUT is to be familiar with the bar - in all aspects - pulling pushing squatting pressing overhead - foundations are foundations - a solid structure isn't built on machines -
dont get me wrong I used a bar in my early years - no replacement -
yeah the military uses weight training nowadays but at my time it wasn´t really encouraged, running & pulling yourself over a 6 foot wall was more important.
I only knew a few who really liked pumping iron & our gym only had 2 multi-gyms & no free weights.
squats & other leg exercises were leg press on the multi-gym but mainly we did circuit training, step ups on benches, free hand squats but lots of reps.
urban fighting is very exhausting & big muscles don´t help you get through a window whilst weighted down with equipment.. it´s a totally different kind of fitness.
Having said that nowadays they have developed programmes for the military & even use exercises like Deadlifts in their fitness tests.
exercises like farmers walk we always did carrying jerry cans or other weighted objects.