posted Sat, 05/16/2015 - 11:01
4779
+ 2 smith machine
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In have seen people at the gym using the smith machine for bench press exercises, what is the purpose of this? Anyone here do the same thing? I would like to know what the possible benefits are. Thanks for any help guys and gals.
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I use for shoukders presses and shrugs..as well as decline bench press....works good especially when no spotter.
Only time I use the smith machine is for close grip bench press press and shoulder shrugs. It has its place in the gym, you just have to know its limitations. I definitely don't think people should be squatting with it. It takes away the natural groove while squating which can lead to injury.
Good topic for discussion. +2
Shoulder shruges interesting. It would seem like an awkard movement, I just use dumb bells. I will give it a try tomorrow. Thanks for the plus 2 also man.
Tink22It's always good to mix things up too, so do everything. Have fun
This is why I love this site, you can have a mature discussion about anything and people don't get butthurt over different opinions. Thanks for all the replies.
I agree! At so many other sites, the mere mention of a Smith Machine brings derision and denigration. Not here, everything has its place and everyone understands the plusses and limitations of things.
I use free weights and the smith machine for chest. I use dumbells to work the stabilizers and end in the smith machine to push my chest to fatigue - which is further than the smaller muscles can go.
I think both have their place, just do not rely on only a smith machine. It is a good place to start, when you are afraid of the free weights and are a beginner - but sooner than later you will move up to the free weights. It is inevitable.
Tink22I use smith for incline. I also don't really see this leading to injury unless trying to bench too much. i will rarely flat bench and can still do over 300.
X2.
I think the smith has its place along with free and hammer strength machines. Good combination of all three is ideal IMO. I find the smith helps reduce the urge to cheat while close to failure. Free bench when done to failure can cause some to twist and compensate with the shoulder to lift the weight when it gets stuck. Smith reduces this ability to SOME extent. Losing form while struggling is the primary cause of injury.
Everyone's core and stabilizers are built differently, so what hurts one doesnt necessarily hurt another. I DO NOT think the smith or hammer strength should be used exclusively as its best to build all muscles/tendons/stabilizers fairly equally for best results.
TronIt's cool to use at maybe the end of your chest workout .. maybe to isolate the chest but I wouldn't rely on it as a main chest work out.. free weights are the only thing that's really going to hit the stabilizers bro.
Ive been using more dumbells and cables lately. My right shoulder is being a pain in the ass.
I use it because I train on my own & you haven't got to worry about the unracking/racking of the barbell (Incline & Decline Press), which is awkward at a heavy weight. I would use free weights if I could no question.
I would totally disagree with Irongame below. The smith machine is the worst thing to do for flat bench. By taking them stabilizer muscles out of the mix you are setting yourself up for shoulder injury, not only that but the Smith eliminates the natural arc we normally would have with a normal bench. If you are truly struggling with the bench I recommend using dumbells until you get the stabilizers built up. Also do incline presses and incline flies. My own chest day starts out with 100 to 200 pushups.
Na, that's exaclty when I stopped injuring my shoulders. Spend 3 months out of the gym. 2 winters ago from doing barbell benches came back changed up everything and haven't had a problem since.
You have you opinion and experience and I have mine. Barbells left me with a no chest and tons of shoulder injuries during the years I used it. Smith machine has yet to give me a single injury and has significantly helped my chest development. And I was doing this way before I meet the ifbb pro I train with now who told me to do the same. As well as one of our most well respected pro tag holders on here. So I'm gonna stick with what's worked for me and listen to these guys. I'm sure my stablizers are getting hit hard when I do dumbell presses, hammer strength presses, dips etc. as well as all the isolation stuff I do for my rotator cuffs and shoulder joint. but when I'm gonna load up the bar with some weight I'm gonna do smith. And I don't do flat btw only incline.
Now remember, this is just my experience. It sounds like you had the exact opposite experience and got injured on smith and moved to barbells and have been fine since. Thais cool. I'm glad thay works for you caue that's what this is all about. Finding what works best for us. Smith works for me barbells work for you.
And that is the difference between 25 and 40. You will figure it out on your own eventually. I stand firm in the fact that the Smith (especially for bench presses) is for beginners. Barbells, dumbbells and bodyweight is where the real muscle is built. You can take your Smith, your hammer strength and whatever other machines you think are giving you a short cut but in time you will come to realize the only person you are cheating is you.
I can tell you this much, my gym is not even really a muscle head gym, but there are several of us. I promise you we would get a good laugh seeing you benching heavy on the smith,lol
Will end this conversation here. You think you're right and I think I'm right and nobody is gona change our views so this is useless. I used to feel the same way as you until I tried it. Come to a meathead gym like mine one day and witness some 260lb ifbb pros using the smith for bench, overhead press and even squats something I don't even do and laugh all you want and tell them they been doing it wrong all these year and have cheated themselves. There's a recent thread around here actually with tony talking about the same shit he trains with a lot of pros and top level competitors and how they're building these physiques with mostly smith and different machines. They do it and we do it cause it works and prevents injury. Don't knock it till you try it. I used barbells for a long long time so I have my experience with them. Wait until you get a serious shoulder injury and you'll change your views real quick. Hopefully that never happens to you cause it sucks.
If you're goal is not purely bodybuildikg then I understand why you don't use it at all. I wouldn't either but my goals are purely bodybuilding
Who the fuck are you talking to? I am not some little kid like you. You think I don't know about injuries? It is you who doesn't know about injuries. Give your body another 15 years or so and come talk to me. "Don't knock it until you try it? How about fuck off and stay out of my way….
ShreddedFredIt's sad your the one mod who let this fake internet job go to your head. And your talking like this to Arguebly the most knowledgable helpful and selfless member on the forum right now who actually still posts openly. This is how why everyone leaves eroids. This is our forum you just moderate It. You kept digging at iron as seen in your reply to him and then your post above him and instead of just admitijg your wrong you continue this childish. arguement. idk about you but I would like to see this guy stay around considering he put on apmost 100lbs of muscle in 3 years as am ex junkie many of us can relate to on a morr persoanl level more so than your old ass
News flash times change and things improve.This was a good debate before you started acting like a power Trippin bitch
So hang that mod tag from your dick and hope it makes you look like more of a man to the sheep +1 your bullshit post cause I ain't impressed.
Irongame has helped so many of us me included with his posts, forums, PMs that I cant sit by while you trip on his opinion like that. Honest debate is what we are here for dick rider so if you disagree either get over it or argue your opinion better than "cause im old as fuck"
And fuck your avi, star wars is fuckin gay
IRON_MONK bitch!
Well that didn't take long. But we knew you wouldn't last didn't we? And talking about riding nuts, are you and Irongame a couple?
Thanks for the response, it's Interesting hearing different options on the matter, thanks for your input. My only problem with bench is some slight discomfort in my right shoulder but that's been an issue I have been dealing with for a while. If I throw something it feels like a pinch in my shoulder.
The purpose of this is to not tear your rotator cuff or any other tendons and ligaments. It takes the stablizer muscles and tendons out of the equation so your risk of injury is much lower and you get the same pec development with it. You don't need stablizer muscles to build a chest you just need the pec muscles to be working which the smith machine does. The few pros in my gym use it exclusively also for chest and even squats. I've been using it since I overcame a shoulder injury about a year and a half ago and when I met these guys they all told me they did the same thing. Works well for me. I don't do barbell bench ojly dumbell bench when I need to change things up. I also use it for shoulder press. Works for me. I would think it would work for most other people to but were all different.
It's a differen story if you're a power lifter or something tho.
I thought that might have been the purpose of it. Thanks for your insight on the matter. I also use the smith machine for squats.
Ya that's it man. Same pec development, no use of stablizer muscles. Less risk of injury. That's my first hand experience with it.
You're killing me here. There are several very good articles on why squatting on the smith is a terrible idea. Brother you are much further ahead just dropping the weight down and doing them the old fashioned way or like I have been doing quite a bit lately, goblet squats. The smith limits your ability and your bodies ability to tweak your form.
Thanks for the info bro.
Lol didn't mean to kill ya brother. I will give the squat rack a go next leg day. To be honest I changed it up because I lift alone, though it would be safer
For squats just set your catch bars. Or just go lighter and do more reps.
You couldn't be more wrong about the smith. Too many people use it as a crutch and it will end with their injury.
Totally agree; was watching a guy in the rack doing squats and someone came over and offered to spot, Guy went ass deep with the same weight off the rack and he could not bring it up. On the smith when I 1st started out I was up to 550 pounds and thought I was a God; I switched to free bench and struggled my ass off with 100 pounds for a week. That showed me the true importance of working your core stabilizers. Smith machine benches are a bandaid if you hurt yourself with the free bar and do not build your core stabilizers, you got that one spot on. I fkd my shoulder up but I still refuse to go back to the cheat I mean smith machine lol.
The smith is simply a good fit for beginners or part timers. For anyone to claim they don't want to train their stabilizer muscles may be the silliest thing I have heard this week.
Straight up and down isn't exactly a natural groove for most motions. I rarely touch it. I certainly don't press or squat on it.
The problem isn't the smith machine. It's people not knowing how to use it and incorporate it correctly into their training.
It does have some very useful purposes. Reverse grip presses are way safer on it, behind the back rear delt raises, etc.
This. Smith machine allows more weight to be put on the bar, so many folks use it just because of this. The group that ittitates me the most is the decline smith benchers. Load up the wheels and hope everyone is watching lol
I definitely get a kick out of that. I just shake my head and smile.