Smith machine...not good for military press?

[b fold the truth]

Run a search on this topic...

I have torn my rotator cuffs before...the last time was doing overheads to the front with a smith machine. It could have been my fault totally...rotators were not strong enough...too much intensity...form might have been wrong...etc... but it was good enough reason for me not to ever do them again...

I would just do overheads with a bar and if you want, you can superset them with upright rows, dbell laterals, or cable laterals to stimulate muscle growth.

B True

 

[Nighthawkk]

I sometimes dont have a spotter, so I use the smith machine to maintain good form and not drop the bar on my head. Is this acceptable, as I know you are supposed to use free weights when bulking normally for best results.

 

[Atomic Punk]

I sometimes dont have a spotter, so I use the smith machine to maintain good form and not drop the bar on my head. Is this acceptable, as I know you are supposed to use free weights when bulking normally for best results.

It's fine in my opinion. Granted, you are locked into one plane of motion with that particular machine(even moreso than with straightbars), but as a switch, and especially if you go heavier and have no spotter, they are fine. I always switch workouts from a straightbar routine to a mostly d-bell routine from week to week, to give the shoulders a rest. They take alot of stressors from exersises like bench(straightbar), and military. D-bells allows a greater range-of-motion in both exersises, and thus result less stress to the area. They also will help build strength in the stabilizing muscles in the reigon you are targeting. In case you didnt already know I mean....

 

[Serea]

I do overhead press with a barbell and have never come anywhere close to dropping it on my head. I rack it up high so I can get under it and back up a step and ready to pump them out. If I fail, it'll just go back to the start position, sitting on my collar bone or thereabouts.

 

[Toozee]

This is why I do OH presses standing. Or you could just do push presses.

But if I had to choose some type of seated shoulder press, I'd probably do db's.

Just make sure if something hurts or doesn't feel right, don't do it.