Is The Smith Machine Bad For You
The smith machine has been one of the biggest mistakes in strength training equipment in my opinion.
Is the smith machine bad for you. The smith machine is about the most misunderstood piece of gym equipment. If you were lucky enough to own barbarian smith cable rack or barbarian monster you can jump to cable crossover straight away and do some chest flys. The smith machine was created by a man named rudy smith back in the 1950s. Keep a close eye on your form.
If you have back issues or joint problems the smith machine may be able to help you perform certain moves safely. Yeah it s just that simple. If i am being completely honest this isn t even the worst squat i have seen on a smith machine but there is. Pretty much everything else should not be done on the smith machine other than exercises that use just the bar of the smith machine as apparatus where the bar never moves like a chin up for example.
As you can see in this picture there is nothing natural about a smith machine squat. Oddly enough it is still one of the most popular machines. But if you are in a situation where you could need a spotter and don t have one then use the smith machine. What exercises are bad on the smith machine.
Admittedly it can make for dangerous and unnatural squatting and pressing but with just a few tweaks it can also be an excellent hypertrophy tool while providing a nice change of pace from the usual routine. The smith machine will build muscle imbalances which will make you more likely to get injured when you re doing any sort of physical activity. This may sound like an extreme comment to make considering almost every gym and even some rehabilitation facilities now have them for their people to use. The smith machine has been one of the most criticized pieces of equipment in the gym for the past 7 or 8 decades.
Using the smith machine will make you more prone to injury since you are not working and strengthening your muscles responsible for stabilization. If you re interested in learning more about these machines you should check out my smith machine. The safety teeth on the smith machine and ease of locking the barbell could literally save your life in some scenarios. The barbarian and megatec smith machines come with a built in half racks that allows you to switch from free weight bench press into 45 degree incline smith machine press or a decline chest press.
You will never go into a gym that does not have at least one smith machine. But beware that the smith machine can add unwanted stresses to your joints if you aren t careful.