Bicep curls! No joke! i saw a guy doing bicep curls with a smith machine a couple of months ago! He was killin it!!!
[quote]Stiggy wrote:
If you are short, you can also do Chins on a Smith machine. I’m not short so I can just hang from it like a Monkey.[/quote]
iiiiii might use a smith machine when trying chin-ups. Not that i’m short and have to jump to reach the regular bars and then end up dangling feebly AT ALL.
I use the smith machines for squats only.
I always try to lift heavy,so it’s good to have those hooks on it incase you fall or something.
This smith machine is a bit different though.It leans backwards a little so you can bend more into your squats when doing them.
I think it’s great for us tall guys trying to do full squats.
[quote]TDog305 wrote:
…if someone brings it up, they are osterisized. …
[/quote]
They’re put in a blender? Or do you mean ostracized?
Sorry, I couldn’t resist. But I had to double check the spelling too.
I don’t see a mystery. People use it because it’s there and it’s easier to get to heavier weight on it then with a free weight - it’s a controlled environment. There’s nothing wrong with using the smith machine per se. Another thing is when someone limits themselves to only constricted movements, but that’s another issue.
[quote]Cthulhu wrote:
I use the smith machines for squats only.
I always try to lift heavy,so it’s good to have those hooks on it incase you fall or something.
This smith machine is a bit different though.It leans backwards a little so you can bend more into your squats when doing them.
I think it’s great for us tall guys trying to do full squats.
[/quote]
I use the smith-machine sometimes too for squats especially front squats. It helps over barbell exercises because I can put my feet several inches farther forward and allow A LOT more stress to be placed directly on the quads. Some of you fuckers are as one tracked mind as a gorilla. All machines aren’t shit and there are other exercises besides the squat, bench, and deadlift. Grow up already.
Sorry to break this information to you… But… It’s been proven that doing squats in the Smith machine is actually NOT good for your joint health. And that leaning back in the Smith while performing squats is going to fuck you up eventually.
People use the Smith because it is easier than using a barbell.
I use it to hang my towel or t-shirt on. I work out next to it to passively intimidate people from coming over to use it. It’s ‘tough love’.
[quote]Cthulhu wrote:
It leans backwards a little so you can bend more into your squats when doing them.
I think it’s great for us tall guys trying to do full squats.
[/quote]
This probably just means your hamstrings are weak. And if you’re using a smith machine to compensate for that… guess what? Yep, you guessed it. They’re probably not gonna get strong enough to ever do full squats.
[quote]E-man wrote:
Some of you fuckers are as one tracked mind as a gorilla. All machines aren’t shit and there are other exercises besides the squat, bench, and deadlift. Grow up already.
[/quote]
I admit, with my second post on this thread, I made it seem like the smith machine is totally worthless. That’s probably because in my training, it basically is worthless (except for the occasional ballistic bench press). I screwed up by not considering other options such as the post fatigue method that you guys are describing. I agree, that can be useful.
The question I’m trying to ask, which seems to be getting misinterpreted, is: Why do people feel it is “superior”?
A lot of people at the gym use it as if it were better than regular lifts. That’s where my problem lies.
I don’t know why it wasn’t clear what I was asking in my initial post, but I apologize for the confusion.
However, I think I’ve found the answer to my question. Like deanosumo said, “it’s easier”. Right or wrong?
[quote]chiefy wrote:
Sorry to break this information to you… But… It’s been proven that doing squats in the Smith machine is actually NOT good for your joint health. And that leaning back in the Smith while performing squats is going to fuck you up eventually.[/quote]
Actually,a good friend of mine messed up his knees doing a squat without a smith.The doctor said he had TOO MUCH pressure on his knees.
The smith machine allows me to focus on my quads and doesn’t put a bunch of weight on my knees or back.
I don’t care what has been proven.I know what works for me.
How can a smith be unsafe if you’re not putting pressure on your knees or spine?
[quote]carter12 wrote:
Cthulhu wrote:
It leans backwards a little so you can bend more into your squats when doing them.
I think it’s great for us tall guys trying to do full squats.
This probably just means your hamstrings are weak. And if you’re using a smith machine to compensate for that… guess what? Yep, you guessed it. They’re probably not gonna get strong enough to ever do full squats.
[/quote]
No,my hamstrings aren’t weak.
I do just fine on barbell squats.I just get better results with a smith for my squats.
i use it for closed grip bp’s.
I agree with others, your far better off having an elder look at your free form then fug around with the smith for squats.
As I recall, Dorian Yates wrote that he preferred Smith machine squats for hitting his quads. That was after putting in years of regular deep barbell squats. He did recommend that people start with regular squats to “build up a base of strength”.
Just thought I’d add that to the discussion.
It’s actually SITH machine.
It’s purpose is to lure people to the Darkside of Force training.
[quote]Warlord Stig wrote:
Fuck’s sakes, machine has its uses just like a leg press machine does. Whilst one should not use it as an alternative to free bar in most exercises you can do free weight rows then switch to the smith to totally exhaust, do standing and seated calf raises etc etc.
As for squats, I find them useless on a Smith anyway same as pressing movements. [/quote]
what are these uses you say the machines have? why would you totally exhaust your muscles with lower intensity in machines instead of free weights?
if you have the energy to lift i say always go for the free weights. there are just too many effective free weight exercises you can do.
The Smith machine takes up the space of one powerrack. Therefore it is a terrible waste of space.
People use it because they think it is safer.
However it is possible to drop the weight on yourself regardless.
Also it forces you through an unnatural plane of movement and causes injuries when it does so.
It might be useful if it was at a 45 degree angle and forced you to push at 45 deg. for shotput training (I’m really reaching here) otherwise can’t think of any good use. Except maybe for throwing weights up and catching them, like speed movements. But then, the damned thing can still crash down if you don’t spin it into the lock.
[quote]yorik wrote:
TDog305 wrote:
…if someone brings it up, they are osterisized. …
They’re put in a blender? Or do you mean ostracized?
Sorry, I couldn’t resist. But I had to double check the spelling too.
[/quote]
I don’t blame you…Good catch
[quote]Magarhe wrote:
The Smith machine takes up the space of one powerrack. Therefore it is a terrible waste of space.
People use it because they think it is safer.
However it is possible to drop the weight on yourself regardless.
Also it forces you through an unnatural plane of movement and causes injuries when it does so.
It might be useful if it was at a 45 degree angle and forced you to push at 45 deg. for shotput training (I’m really reaching here) otherwise can’t think of any good use. Except maybe for throwing weights up and catching them, like speed movements. But then, the damned thing can still crash down if you don’t spin it into the lock.
[/quote]
You can catch me using the smith machine 1-2 times a week - I use it to vary some of the movements I do on a continual basis.
I don’t care if you people think that its garbage. I have successfully incorporated it into my routine for years, that is all I care about
[quote]trap_builder wrote:
what are these uses you say the machines have? why would you totally exhaust your muscles with lower intensity in machines instead of free weights?
[/quote]
No, you do free weight barbell row for example then switch to the smith machine and do bent rows on that, immediatly after. You can train the target muscles more intesively (the lats) because the smith machine recruits less stabilisers than the free bar which can be limiting by this fact alone.