Smith Machines?

[musclemom]

Are they horrible? I seem to remember reading varying opinions about them.

Clearly it eliminates almost all assistance/stabilizing muscles, but is that the only thing, that it's sort of a less effective squat?

I just bought one, so it's all sort of academic. The price was unbeatable. I wanted a better lat tower than the one on my existing home gym, and the bench/lat tower combo was almost the same price as the smith machine/lat pulldown dealio (like $10 difference).

 

[redguru]

Besides not exercising stabilizer muscles, the smith limits you to a single plane of motion, which may not be your natural squat motion.

I do use a smith for shoulder press because it does align with my natural motion on that exercise only.

 

[cindylou]

i have one at home too and no I dont think they are horrible. I use it mostly when working out alone at home because its self spotting and use it for calf raises too.

 

[musclemom]

Besides not exercising stabilizer muscles, the smith limits you to a single plane of motion, which may not be your natural squat motion.

I do use a smith for shoulder press because it does align with my natural motion on that exercise only.

And everybody is different, I can't use a barbell for shoulder presses, I have to do dumbbell presses because I've damaged my shoulder in the past.

The plane of motion, thank you, that's what I was trying to remember ... I knew there was something about stressing the knees.

I guess it's the sort of thing try it way light, see how the joints feel. I see a lot of other ways it can be useful so it's all good.

 

[silver_shadow]

it's good for chinups

 

[musclemom]

i have one at home too and no I dont think they are horrible. I use it mostly when working out alone at home because its self spotting and use it for calf raises too.

The self spotting was a big plus in my husband's book. He's starting to FINALLY let me take him through a few workouts but in time I know I won't be able to spot him safely if he sticks with it.

Ooooh, I didn't even think of calf raises, well, hell the darn thing isn't even built yet, that's this weeks home project but yeah, that'll be cool.

 

[Cynical Simian]

it's good for chinups

And for hanging clothes if you run out of closet space.

 

[H_T_]

do snatch grip DL's with it. lower middle back work. lat/lower back tie in area. nice.

 

[musclemom]

it's good for chinups

Well, actually I have a doorway gym, for the record I can do 1.5

And for hanging clothes if you run out of closet space.

Oh, no, that's what we have the cardio equipment in the dining room for

 

[Cynical Simian]

A couple comments on spotting:

1. If your old home gym includes a power rack (with safety bars), there shouldn't really be any issues with safely dumping a failed rep even if he works out alone.
2. The spotter shouldn't be in a position where s/he is having to lift the entire weight. Assuming intelligent weight choices, on a failed rep, the lifter will still be providing most of the force.

 

[blueta2]

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6156824#post6156824

 

[musclemom]

A couple comments on spotting:

1. If your old home gym includes a power rack (with safety bars), there shouldn't really be any issues with safely dumping a failed rep even if he works out alone.
2. The spotter shouldn't be in a position where s/he is having to lift the entire weight. Assuming intelligent weight choices, on a failed rep, the lifter will still be providing most of the force.

No, I don't have a power rack ... when I'm talking about my old home gym, I mean it's a (please don't laugh) 15+ year old weider home gym that my ex bought me. I've really thought about a power rack but ceiling height is a major issue, this new gym/rack is going to be a tight fit as it is, I think we'll have to construct it so the lat tower fits between the floor joists.

The only reason I've kept the weider thing was for pulldowns, quad extensions and hanging leg lifts. Now it's just going to be the last two.

I worried about spotting him on would be benchpress, but truthfully, I'll be really shocked if he gets that into it. He's doing it because he has to, not because he's into or enjoys it, if you know what I mean? I want him to do at least two compound moves, I'll take benchpress and smith squats. The man does NOT like working out. Exercise is the only word he considers offensive.

 

[blut wump]

They're good for cleaning. That's the activity, not the exercise.

You can't really beat a power-rack for self-spotting. I've been caught on a Smith having missed the last available set of pins on the way down. I've also been caught on a Smith when my triceps suddenly gave out and the weight came down too fast to hook off. Be careful lest the Smith give a false sense of security with regards to safety. Warn him never to press above his neck.

Smith squatting does unnatural things to your knees. It's not their best friend.

Calf raises are good. I've seen someone reputable suggest rowing. Shrugs are a reasonable exercise. Overhead pressing is adequate but better performed standing and free. The only other thing really to watch out for is stabilizer atrophy.

 

[ChinkNasty]

it really all depends on your goals MM...most guys here will go with the power rack over the smith for aforementioned reasons (more natural plane of motion, stabilizers/assis. muscles etc), but not everyone's goal is to free squat 500 pds.

 

[blut wump]

There's more to having strong stabilizers than wanting to squat a quarter of a ton. I like to think of it as functional strength; the aspect that, through training compound, free-weight exercises, my body works more as an organism than as independent sets of muscle groups. When I need to use my legs and posterior chain to raise something heavy or, maybe, to push a car, I want to be confident that I'm not going to put my back out or sprain a shoulder muscle. I like to know that if I need to carry someone I'm with, for whatever reason, that my muscles aren't going to let me down.

I worked out at a gym with a Smith and no free weights for more than a year. The shock on realising how weak my stabilizers were on moving back to free weghts was profound.

Still, MM will doubtless be more than pleased to have hubby working out at all. Throw in some DB work and, maybe, lunges and the extra stimulation could well be adequate to keep everything coherent.

 

[silver_shadow]

honestly, the only thing i use the smith for is power shrugs.

 

[musclemom]

There's more to having strong stabilizers than wanting to squat a quarter of a ton. I like to think of it as functional strength; the aspect that, through training compound, free-weight exercises, my body works more as an organism than as independent sets of muscle groups. When I need to use my legs and posterior chain to raise something heavy or, maybe, to push a car, I want to be confident that I'm not going to put my back out or sprain a shoulder muscle. I like to know that if I need to carry someone I'm with, for whatever reason, that my muscles aren't going to let me down.

I worked out at a gym with a Smith and no free weights for more than a year. The shock on realising how weak my stabilizers were on moving back to free weghts was profound.

Still, MM will doubtless be more than pleased to have hubby working out at all. Throw in some DB work and, maybe, lunges and the extra stimulation could well be adequate to keep everything coherent.

I agree with you 100% about the body being a coherent unit, it's just like how you don't "grow" if you don't do at least one major compound lift. My biceps didn't get bigger until I started doing deadlifts, which I always found funny as hell.

But you hit the nail right on the head with your last paragraph, Blut. I just want him doing something. He is a person who is a total non-exerciser, extremely UNenthusiastic about it (bitches through the entire session), and he's actually going "this is cool" while we were putting it together last night (3 hours and we're still not done). Like anything else, what matters is the actual doing of it. If he's more likely to go workout because he feels safer/more comfortable, yay. Anything is better than nothing at all.

 

[dsh89]

I use Smith machines for Shrugs, Bench when I have no spotter, Upright Rows, Bent over rows, and Military Press. I think they are good for some exercises, but not for everything. I agree that they eliminate the stabilzer muscles, but get a good set of dumbells and you can use those too and get a solid workout between the 2.

 

[NJL52]

Are they horrible? I seem to remember reading varying opinions about them.

Clearly it eliminates almost all assistance/stabilizing muscles, but is that the only thing, that it's sort of a less effective squat?

I just bought one, so it's all sort of academic. The price was unbeatable. I wanted a better lat tower than the one on my existing home gym, and the bench/lat tower combo was almost the same price as the smith machine/lat pulldown dealio (like $10 difference).

What are you going to use it for?

It sucks for bench, squat, cleans, deadlifts. And it is okay for shoudler press. And that's for the most part all I do. So it's awful for me.