negatives to using the smith machine

[neuby34]

I use it when there's nobody around to spot me which is most of the time for chest days and shoulder days is there a draw back to this?

 

[ZGzaZ]

the biggest drawback is the lack of range of motion...the smith machines bar is in a fixed path, thus not working the stabilizer muscles that would be worked doing a normal workout.

 

[naturally anabolic]

the bar is counter weighted so it weighs nothing. just take that into consideration.

 

[b fold the truth]

It doesn't allow you to move in a natural range of motion...hence the GOOD possibility of joint problems.

I never have a spot...and still bench, overhead press, and squat...

B True

 

[Citruscide]

The biggest drawback I would say to Smith Machine is that you won't get big... but that is my personal opinion.

c-ditty

 

[TheOak84]

its not real weight

 

[zackdarnell]

I never have a spot...and still bench, overhead press, and squat...

B True

Same here. I've always trained alone, never had any problems. Dont need to use the smith.

 

[Debaser]

The biggest drawback I would say to Smith Machine is that you won't get big... but that is my personal opinion.

c-ditty

Doggcrapp is what, 300 lbs now? Not big enough?

Hows about Dorian Yates? He did a lot of his lifting in the smith as well.

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

You know the Smith is a counter weighted Olympic bar that rides on ball bearings attached to guide poles so it locks you in to linear movements. No movement is perfectly linear. The smith puts stress in places that it shouldn't.

Since it is counter weighted it also gives the lifter an inaccurate idea as to the wt being lifted.

It's just a bad idea for most lifts & could cause injuries instead of prevent ones.. imo.

 

[TheOak84]

Doggcrapp is what, 300 lbs now? Not big enough?

Hows about Dorian Yates? He did a lot of his lifting in the smith as well.

Yates ate D-Bol like it was candy... i use the smith just for behind the neck press. sometimes ill do that free weight, doesnt matter to me. but, i do enjoy the smoothness of the press.. only for that movement though... everything else, i like to use gravity..

 

[louden_swain]

Smith Machine is on a fixed path, but is useful when you use high intensity techniques such as rest pause, static holds, and negatives. If you use these high intensity techniques, you are using stabilizer muscles regardless to what you think.

Smith machine has its benefits. Its funny how people bitch about the smith machine, yet they can't even press 300lbs using the smith machine. Yes people, you can get buried under a heavy weight using the smith machine.

I personally, use it sparingly as I prefer barbells. I never ever use the smith machine for squats. It is not a natural movement.

The only time I will ever use the smith machine, is if I am performing steep incline presses or decline presses. I use these movement sparingly.

 

[Fatty4You]

its not real weight

Just cause it's a smith machine doesn't mean that suddenly the laws of physics cease to apply.... that gravity no longer exists in the area the smith machine is located. The weight is indeed real!

-Fatty

 

[Fatty4You]

Since it is counter weighted it also gives the lifter an inaccurate idea as to the wt being lifted.

I guess, that is, if you dont' think about the equiptment. I mean, the eZbar is only like 15 lbs. or so, but if someone curled with it thinking that it was 45 lbs, like the barbell, then that would be inaccurate also.

Its all in how you look at it. And, if you are concentrating on progression - as i think many lifters are - adding 10 lbs to a smith machine exercise is just as accurate as adding 10 lbs to a barbell exercise.

-Fatty

 

[louden_swain]

Since it is counter weighted it also gives the lifter an inaccurate idea as to the wt being lifted.

It doesn't matter how much weight you are using. As long as the load is forcing you to work hard, then the weight is irrelevant

Too many people are preoccupied with numbers.

 

[t3c]

my opinion:

THERE IS NO EXCUSE. I've tried a smith at my schools gym and it was the most unnatural thing for benching and squating. Also...for the people who say they have no spotter ect. You are better off just dumping a weight while benching, its not THAT big of a deal. Squatting...set your safty pins. Military set your safety pins in a power rack.

Problem solved, but thats just me.

 

[casualbb]

stabilizer muscles that would be worked doing a normal workout.

Possibly one of the biggest myths currently in existence. The whole problem with the whole "stabilizer" argument is that there are NO MUCLES whose job is only to stabilize. Assuming you actually work your whole body, the muscles that you're using to stabilize a compound motion are getting more direct work at a different point in your routine.

E.G. You do free-weight barbell bench press. You've targeted your pecs and tris, but also used your back, shoulders, and core to stabilize the motion. Now say you bench press using the smith. You work your pecs and tris. Less stabilization. But then, regardless of which you did, you go on two days later to do a back and shoulders day, giving the mucles MUCH more work then they saw during the minor stabilization of the bench press. Thus the minimal work they see during stabilization really is moot.

There are reasons to use and not use the smith machine. With correct form it's no more likely to cause injury. It also may better target some muscles whose corresponding barbell motions are very tough to balance (case in point: overhead press). But mostly it's a matter of ego. Heck, I'm not immune to it; that's why I do freeweight stuff. But you're not gonna lose on much development by using it.

-casualbb

 

[TheOak84]

Just cause it's a smith machine doesn't mean that suddenly the laws of physics cease to apply.... that gravity no longer exists in the area the smith machine is located. The weight is indeed real!

-Fatty

actually, the tension cables make it 40 pounds lighter.. so subtract 40 from the weight you put on.. and the negative on a smith is WAY easier than with free weights... well, thats the stats on the smith machines at my gym.. they have a 7 degree angle so, its easier, ive used the vertical ones before.. those are better

 

[jerkbox]

i simply find it awkward.....i'd rather use the hammer strength equipment instead of the smith...

 

[Fatty4You]

actually, the tension cables make it 40 pounds lighter.. so subtract 40 from the weight you put on.. and the negative on a smith is WAY easier than with free weights... well, thats the stats on the smith machines at my gym.. they have a 7 degree angle so, its easier, ive used the vertical ones before.. those are better

I understand that the cables make it lighter. But it is still real weight. As long as you understand the machine and how it works, you understand the weight you are lifting.

But yes, i will agree that the negatives are very very different on a smith machine. I actually used a smith where it was HARD to push the bar down due to some wierd ass friction thing going on.

--------

The gym i have right now has a standing calve raise machine, but in gyms that don't, i find the smith machine an easy to use subistitute for calve raises. Free bar calve raises i think make one think to much about balance.... but maybe thats just me.

-Fatty

 

[TheOak84]

oh hell ya, i use the smith for stand calves, thats one of my favorite things to do..

the weirdest thing ive seen, was a guy doin BARBELL curls on a smith.... obviously he didnt know wtf he was doin... poor bastard

 

[WarriorPL]

I use to work on the smith machine all the time when i first started the gym... now i refuse to touch the machine. It is COMPLETELY different from free weight. If you don't have a spotter... push yourself even harder, if not... then just put on less weight.

 

[Jxaxsxe530]

i stayed away from the smith machine for years. for me it was all dumbells and barbells. then lately i switched over to smith for some of my exercises especially upper chest and front delts. poeple can diss the smith machine all they want, but i credit the smith machine for building my upper chest and fron delts, my two of the more strong points. when people look at me they always say i got awesome upper chest and wide delts, very satisfying when my body weight is only 175 lbs. and they were my weakest points when i first started. i luv the smith machine. i use it for variety and it does an excellent job of packing mass onto my thighs, chest and shoulders.

 

[b fold the truth]

.....With correct form it's no more likely to cause injury. .....But you're not gonna lose on much development by using it.

-casualbb

The thing is...you can't keep 'correct' form on a straight plane of motion. You really can't... Calf raises...sure...but bench press or overhead press or squats? Nope...you can't keep a natural or 'correct' form with a Smith Machine.

I did lose some development by using the smith machine for overhead presses many years ago.
1) I severely injured BOTH rotator cuffs and could do nothing in the gym for months...but rehab my shoulders. The rest of my body lost out on growth.

2) It is far less superior in total body growth than the full clean and press...I want to be big all over...not just isolate my delts.

B True

 

[Fatty4You]

oh hell ya, i use the smith for stand calves, thats one of my favorite things to do..

the weirdest thing ive seen, was a guy doin BARBELL curls on a smith.... obviously he didnt know wtf he was doin... poor bastard

I can't even picture doing barbell curls on a smith machine You'd have to like... I dont even know.... wierd!

-Fatty

 

[R CRUSHER]

i dont know about negatives, but i like the Smith for behind-the-necks & high inclines.

but no way for squats & flat bench!

can't imagine trying to do curls.

 

[muscle_geek]

The main drawback to the smith machine for me is that its extremely stressful to my wrists. When I add over 300 pounds of real weight it kills my wrists to twist the bar. Also, even though I do 350+ of real weight on smith machine bench, I do about twenty pounds less on the real bench because my stabilizer muscles are weaker. But you can get very big using the smith machine with increased resistance each time just like anything else.