Multi Joint/Compound Exerices/ Smith Machine

Discuss your weight training questions, concerns and tips!

Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose

Post Reply
com34x
SOCIAL CLIMBER
Posts: 94
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2007 8:11 pm

Multi Joint/Compound Exerices/ Smith Machine

Post by com34x »

Can someone tell me where I can find, or give me a list of multi joint compound exerices?

Also, are there weight differences between exericses that use a Smith Machine, as opposed to a regular bench with barbell?

For example, with chest presses...

What is the difference between using a smith, or a regular bench? How about using dumbbels? Would you need to use less weight when using dumbbels?
swanso5
VETERAN
Posts: 10658
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:25 pm
Location: melbourne, australia

Post by swanso5 »

hopefully everyone reads this....

smith machine can:

- allow you to use more wt
- control the lift more
- that's about it

smith machine doesn't:

- involve any stabilsiation muscles such as rotator cuffs, scapula etc so when you go and try a bb version your weak as shit
- doesn't involve any core work so when you go to do a push up, your mid section drops the floor
- allow you to move in a natural line of direction as the bar is fixed and if you don't lift in an exact straight line with free wts than your locking your muscles into a pattern it doesn't like likely resulting in an injury of some sort
- doesn't increase tendon / ligament strength which is mainly how you get strong along with training neural patterns which over time means your muscles can grow to strong for your connective tissue (tendons/ligaments) obviously resulting in muscle tears etc

to sum smith machine is rubbish and the only thing there good for are inverted rows and push ups with hands elevated if you can't do them
rapp27
STARTING OUT
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon May 14, 2007 2:45 pm

Post by rapp27 »

Why is a Smith Machine "Rubbish" for an exercise like squats????
swanso5
VETERAN
Posts: 10658
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:25 pm
Location: melbourne, australia

Post by swanso5 »

see point 3:

- allow you to move in a natural line of direction as the bar is fixed and if you don't lift in an exact straight line with free wts than your locking your muscles into a pattern it doesn't like likely resulting in an injury of some sort

train them on a smith machine than try and use the same wt for free wt and you'll have no chance
User avatar
Boss Man
SITE ADMIN
Posts: 15458
Joined: Sat Nov 25, 2006 3:27 pm

Post by Boss Man »

Well you couldn't use the same weight for Free weight as you can for Smith anyway.

Even if the range of motion on a Smith was a slightly different, like about 1-2 degrees out, compared to Freeweight, I don't think that would be the significant factor in the weight difference.

I've seen people Free Squat, less than half of the Smith weight for the same reps, and I just can't believe a slight difference in range of motion would be fully responsible for such a huge difference in weight use.

There has to be some other factors too.

The only other thing being, some of the weight stresses and forces on a Smith, must be being distributed into the framework, kind of similar to when a 3 tonne Vehicle drives over a Bridge.
Post Reply