Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below I usually work out alone and don't like to ask for a spotter for bench press(kinda like to stay to myself at the gym) so i do all the hammer strength machines.I feel like i am getting a good workout but everyone puts so much into bench and other free weight lifts.just wondering if you can get your maxiaum workout with just using machines?
Hammer strength machines?
- Thread starter taylordat
- Start date
i'm going to have to say no to that question. all machines control your range of motion and therefore only work particular muscles. compound exercises like the bench press using free weights are so great because they work many parts of the body together. also, since you control the range of motion, your muscles get a better work out. i'm going to request that you ask for a spotter if you need to. i think the 20 seconds will be much worth it.
That is about the way i think about it too.I do usually get a spotter and do my bench ,shoulder press and whatever but some days i want to be in and out and just go through the hammer machines.I feel like I get a good workout.I know they are better than the machines with the flat plates and pin but was just wanting opinons on what others think of them.If you do all 3 chest machines on hammer you target a different chest muscle each time.
Sassy69
New member
taylordat said:
I've trained alone for yrs and generally only ask for a spot on my really heavy lifts or during my last set after exhaustion is startign to set in. I've never really had to opt out of free weight lifting if I don't have a spotter available. If I'm really stuck there are variations I can do such as extra reps or slower moves or something to get a little extra out of my lifts where I would normally ask for a spot if no one is around....
cityhick
New member
I like hammer strength machines. Some more then others. I still will never not do my core lifts. Bench, deadlift, squat. But I usally will use them at the ends for negitives. For example.
Chest day
Flat bench- 3 sets
Incline-3 sets
Decline- 3 sets
Finish with some Hammer Strength Press Machine and do 2 sets. Heavy and negitives.
Works for me. I would never use them instead of freeweights but I think they can have a purpose. I would never do a chest workout ONLY on machines. You need to build up those stabilizers and range of motion. My 2 cents
Chest day
Flat bench- 3 sets
Incline-3 sets
Decline- 3 sets
Finish with some Hammer Strength Press Machine and do 2 sets. Heavy and negitives.
Works for me. I would never use them instead of freeweights but I think they can have a purpose. I would never do a chest workout ONLY on machines. You need to build up those stabilizers and range of motion. My 2 cents
blut wump
New member
It's better to think less of the chest and more of the ability to press. When you train the bench you work muscles all the way up from muscles in your feet to the ball of your thumb.
Working systems of muscles is how we evolved into the powerhouses we now are. If ever you work a muscle in isolation you are working it to the exclusion of muscles that are there to support it. It will become stronger than they do and you risk injury when the time comes that you don't have the crutch of the machine to support the stronger muscle and it calls on its weaker brethren for help. They'll simply go 'pop' and you'll curse your bad luck at springing an injury.
Another aspect is that, having strenghtened a muscle beyond the capacity of its neighbouring and supporting muscles, the muscle will tend to regress to the level of its neighbours. You'll ever be taking one step forward and half a step back.
Work your muscles in great swathing compound systems. Let your whole body work together as the organism it evolved to be. Stick to free weights whenever you can and leave the muscle polishing to the times when transient appearance becomes more important than a functional physique.
Just my $2 worth.
Working systems of muscles is how we evolved into the powerhouses we now are. If ever you work a muscle in isolation you are working it to the exclusion of muscles that are there to support it. It will become stronger than they do and you risk injury when the time comes that you don't have the crutch of the machine to support the stronger muscle and it calls on its weaker brethren for help. They'll simply go 'pop' and you'll curse your bad luck at springing an injury.
Another aspect is that, having strenghtened a muscle beyond the capacity of its neighbouring and supporting muscles, the muscle will tend to regress to the level of its neighbours. You'll ever be taking one step forward and half a step back.
Work your muscles in great swathing compound systems. Let your whole body work together as the organism it evolved to be. Stick to free weights whenever you can and leave the muscle polishing to the times when transient appearance becomes more important than a functional physique.
Just my $2 worth.
steig
New member
taylordat, I understand where you are coming from. When i'm at the gym I get tired of asking for spots, waiting for a spotter, or getting a bad spot on the bench. I switched to benching in a squat rack or power rack a few months ago and I have loved it since the switch. I get the pins as close to my chest height as possible and if needed I put 2.5 # plates or 5# plates under the bench to get it set just right. The set up takes some time but once you start you can go for good timing between sets, you can fail without getting hurt, and it becomes easy to train with a pause at the bottom of the bench if you can get it set right. I would strongly recommend you try this out next bench day. Hammer strength machines are good but I prefer to use them only for some light recovery work.
