smith machine ?'s

[G5_Todd]

my gym just recently got rid of the free weights for bench pressing and replaced it with a smith machine.....


now i was told that will the counter balancing the bar only actually weights 8-12 pounds....and that feels about right....



my questions are......i cant lift as much now....the smith machine makes benching harder for me...

is it because i cheated b4 using bad form?

any ideas...with a regular bar i was going up about 5 lbs on my bench every 2 weeks or chest sessions....


with this smith machine i havent moved up in about 2-3 months


and it seems alot harder to put up the same amount of weight as on a free weight set up....

[G5_Todd]

i just actaully read an article that said the smith machine is poo poo.....saying that it can put to much stress on certain joints.....

[Rodney]

Originally posted by G5_Todd
i just actaully read an article that said the smith machine is poo poo.....saying that it can put to much stress on certain joints.....

Could be, but I've been using them for years with no problems, and I'm in my 40s.

Some people complain that because lifting on a machine -- Smith or otherwise -- reduces the need for you to balance the weights, you're actually not as strong as you think you are, and that is probably true. But I work out alone, and I like the control that a Smith press gives me to try for another rep without worrying about not making it.

On the Smith press I use, the bar is basically the same as a free-weights press bar, and I'm told it weights about the same, which is in the 30-40 pound range. Could it be that the bar weighs more than you were told?

Although I use the Smith press, I do know that it's not the answer for all people, and your gym should _not_ have taken out the free weight bench stations. They should have both; the gym I belong to has two Smith press stations and six or seven bench press stations of different varieties.

Taking out the free weights is a sign that the people running your gym aren't really all that weight-training-oriented, and maybe you should start shopping around.

[st33lr4t]

Yes time for another gym. Nothing beats free weights.

I started off using a Smith Machine because i had access to one and i worked out alone. When i lost my access and switched to using dumbells i have noticed a strength increase in my upper body. The added ROM of the free weights coupled with using stabilizers muscles has definately made a difference.

The major complaint about Smith Machines for squats is it forces your body in an unatural ROM which puts extra stress on the joints, muscles and ligaments.

[G5_Todd]

my gym is really my gym at work...it doesnt cost me anything and it is brand new and in a brand new building.....when we switched to the new building they bought a smith machine and got rid of the normal bench.....


we were told the bar weights 8-12 and it does feel like it i can move its smoothly with just the palm of my hand....unless im just so huge now that 45 lbs feels like 10 lbs.....

[JStrider]

get enough people to complain about it and maybe theyll bring one or 2 back...

[dimbulb]

Strange. You should be able to lift more on a Smith machine than on a free barbell. It limits your range of motion, as mentioned, and so your stabilizers don't get trained.

Complain until you get your free weights back!!

I recently switched from selectorized machines to free weights, and I'm never going back. You just gain so much faster using free weights. I've heard bad things about smith machine squats as well.

[shred_head]

Now I've only been to one gym but the bars for the Smith machine there are only 15 lbs, no way are they close to 30-40lbs. And it's possible that you've just gotten to a point where you aren't progressing like you used to, you can't keep going up 5 lbs every two weeks for forever. You need to switch something up in your routine to shock your musclesso that they don't get accustom to doing the same amount of weight every time.

And regarding the smith squat questions, I found <a href="http://www.exrx.net/ExInfo/SmithSquat1.html"> this article </a>to be pretty informative.

[Iliftrocks]

Well, I've heard and believe, that a smith machine makes you lift in an unnatural path, straight versus the natural arc, so the lift is different. I've heard some people could lift more on a smith machine and some people less, I guess it has to do with your personal leverages.

I love free weights too, but if it's all I had I'd certainly use the smith machine and not think twice about it. Just keep adding weight and you'll most likely progress.

BTW, I think heavy shrugs with a smith machine rocks.

[StephenSa]

I like the Smith machine because I rarely have a spotter but I do lots of free weight exercises with dumbells too so I think I have a nice mix. I have seen different bars on different smith machines so that might explain the bar weight difference. I realize Olympic bars should have a standard weight but I saw a cheapie smith machine at a local sporting goods store and the bar didn't seem nearly as heavy as the ones at my gym. Can't explain it but it seemed lighter to me. BTW, I like heavy shrugs on the Smith as well.

[breid]

I like them both. Personally I use free weights but when i need a spot I use the SM. To each their own just play safe.

[Nazggul]

I purchased a Smith machine for home. After several months of using it I did develop a shoulder problem. Correlation does not imply causation, but my gut tells me it was the new bench. I stopped lifting and after a few weeks the pinch went away. I am back at it now but keeping the weight a bit lower than I would like.

I am going to sell the Smith rack and pick up a standard unit. After over a year of use now I think I prefer the free weights anyway.

Anyone want a slightly used Smith Rack with a 300 pound stack attached? =)