Smith Machine Goodies

Training
41

I’ve definitely enjoyed the benefit of not having to worry about balance and toppling over when angling my torso at odd positions. In a few of my older training videos, people would always IM me about how far forward I would position myself when smith-rowing into my hip bones. Essentially, I was able to completely take my arms out of the movement, plus, without fear of falling forward, angle myself to really nail the upper, inner back. No way I could have accomplished this so well with an olympic bar.

Another one I love is behind the back shrugs. Anyone with any semblence of an ass will have some difficulty doing this movement with a free weight barbell. Add a little smith machine and a slight angle, and tah-dah! Instant Traps -lol.

S

42

Slight Incline JM Press
Deadstart Rows maneuvering your hips like Stu said
Bench Press “throws” for lighter explosive work
Poor-man’s Seated Calf Raises
1 1/2 squats without locking out at top

43

[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:

[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Good Stuff…excellent Idea for a thread.

I am a powerlifter, but after the main lift like to train like a BodyBuilder so to speak, so I will be implementing some of this stuff, I only have used the Smith for my tri ladders or inverted rows for a long time So it will be cool to re-acquaint myself with it again.[/quote]

Be creative. Play around with various planes, single-limb training, etc.

Heck, I even used the Smith machine to do pullups on because, being so short, I got tired of having to jump up so high on the regular chinning bars![/quote]

Lol I do the same thing, the Smith is right behind the rack where I do my OH press and I do chins when I super set.

Im going to try the incline Guillotine press on the Smith tomorrow.

44

[quote]SSC wrote:

[quote]rds63799 wrote:

[quote]SSC wrote:

[quote]rds63799 wrote:

[quote]krazykoukides wrote:

[quote]paulieserafini wrote:
I’ve been thinking about using it for either a close grip bench press or jm press I believe it’s called[/quote]
C_C used to advocate doing CGBP’s in a smith machine while pushing the bar towards your feet. I think it is a DC concept but I don’t remember entirely. I did them a few times and they are murder for your triceps…[/quote]

I think I’ve read about that, Inhuman press I think it’s called.

You can use the smith for seated calf raises if you use one of those pads for squatting on your knees[/quote]

The Inhuman Press also incorporated having the entire lower body off of the bench, and putting only the lower back and above on the bench.[/quote]

hmm I didn’t know that, thanks for clarifying. I may give them a try someday, never really felt close grip presses in my tri’s so maybe they’ll be better[/quote]

No problem. Quick threadjack, I really think the effectiveness of CGPs (Smith or free-weights,) is largely dependent on the structure and insertions of different people. I dedicated a lot of time to heavy CGPs and wrought no benefit whatsoever besides a somewhat shitty front-delt exercise and overwhelming joint issues. For guys like myself with stupidly high tricep insertion points, I think that CGPs used in a superset or at the end of a tricep session, partial ROM and high-rep are vastly beneficial and for heavy work are better suited for dips or JM presses.

Anyway, /threadjack[/quote]

CGBP sucks for me too. I have been using full ROM. Maybe I need to use partial ROM like you. Are you doing lockouts? middle portion?

45

[quote]jimg21 wrote:

[quote]SSC wrote:

[quote]rds63799 wrote:

[quote]SSC wrote:

[quote]rds63799 wrote:

[quote]krazykoukides wrote:

[quote]paulieserafini wrote:
I’ve been thinking about using it for either a close grip bench press or jm press I believe it’s called[/quote]
C_C used to advocate doing CGBP’s in a smith machine while pushing the bar towards your feet. I think it is a DC concept but I don’t remember entirely. I did them a few times and they are murder for your triceps…[/quote]

I think I’ve read about that, Inhuman press I think it’s called.

You can use the smith for seated calf raises if you use one of those pads for squatting on your knees[/quote]

The Inhuman Press also incorporated having the entire lower body off of the bench, and putting only the lower back and above on the bench.[/quote]

hmm I didn’t know that, thanks for clarifying. I may give them a try someday, never really felt close grip presses in my tri’s so maybe they’ll be better[/quote]

No problem. Quick threadjack, I really think the effectiveness of CGPs (Smith or free-weights,) is largely dependent on the structure and insertions of different people. I dedicated a lot of time to heavy CGPs and wrought no benefit whatsoever besides a somewhat shitty front-delt exercise and overwhelming joint issues. For guys like myself with stupidly high tricep insertion points, I think that CGPs used in a superset or at the end of a tricep session, partial ROM and high-rep are vastly beneficial and for heavy work are better suited for dips or JM presses.

Anyway, /threadjack[/quote]

CGBP sucks for me too. I have been using full ROM. Maybe I need to use partial ROM like you. Are you doing lockouts? middle portion?
[/quote]

Yeah, I started really noticing -some- success when, again, I started doing them towards the tail end of the workout. Instead of doing them lower on the torso as I’ve seen recommended in times’ past and pushing towards the feet, I’ve actually enjoyed doing it higher on the torso (around the mid/lower chest area,) and using middle-ROM. Lockouts don’t do much for me, and again, once I descend too far on the movement it’s mostly a delt exercise.

Another side note, I’ve found neutral grip floor/flat dumbbell presses to be much friendlier and engaging on the triceps as a heavy pressing exercise.

46

I actually got into a fist fight in the early 90’s over the Smith. I was very anti it back then.

Close grips and JMs? Never had as much tri progress.

Front presses? High inclines? I’ve learned to love them in the Smith.

Any kind of squat, or even worse, row, in the Smith? Not for me, personally.

47

[quote]Sentoguy wrote:

[quote]super saiyan wrote:

[quote]SSC wrote:

[quote]demonthrall wrote:
Good ideas here. I thought I remember seeing some old school mothers laying underneath it and using it as a leg press too. Thats very uncommon
[/quote]

Same, there’s actually two older old-school (50s or so) bodybuilders that I see do these fairly often. I haven’t had the balls to do them yet because, despite there being catches on the Smith, it would still make me a little nervous putting 4+plates on there and laying underneath of that. The vision of my feet somehow slipping always deters me from giving them a shot. Ech.[/quote]

Who needs a Smith machine?[/quote]

Quite possibly the most dangerous exercise in existence, lol. Talk about having to choose your spotters carefully.

In that same vein, how do you guys who do these in the Smith roll the bar to disengage the catch hooks? I’d think that would get pretty hairy once you got up to some substantial weights. And rolling it back at the end would be even worse.[/quote]

So, I’ve never tried them, but the safety mechanism was lock right at the very bottom of the squat. this means they had to scoot beneath the smith, and start from the bottom of the movement. Done this way, the hooks are already disengaged. Shit I need to try these now. The worst that can happen is that I injure myself really badly.

48

[quote]SSC wrote:

[quote]jimg21 wrote:

[quote]SSC wrote:

[quote]rds63799 wrote:

[quote]SSC wrote:

[quote]rds63799 wrote:

[quote]krazykoukides wrote:

[quote]paulieserafini wrote:
I’ve been thinking about using it for either a close grip bench press or jm press I believe it’s called[/quote]
C_C used to advocate doing CGBP’s in a smith machine while pushing the bar towards your feet. I think it is a DC concept but I don’t remember entirely. I did them a few times and they are murder for your triceps…[/quote]

I think I’ve read about that, Inhuman press I think it’s called.

You can use the smith for seated calf raises if you use one of those pads for squatting on your knees[/quote]

The Inhuman Press also incorporated having the entire lower body off of the bench, and putting only the lower back and above on the bench.[/quote]

hmm I didn’t know that, thanks for clarifying. I may give them a try someday, never really felt close grip presses in my tri’s so maybe they’ll be better[/quote]

No problem. Quick threadjack, I really think the effectiveness of CGPs (Smith or free-weights,) is largely dependent on the structure and insertions of different people. I dedicated a lot of time to heavy CGPs and wrought no benefit whatsoever besides a somewhat shitty front-delt exercise and overwhelming joint issues. For guys like myself with stupidly high tricep insertion points, I think that CGPs used in a superset or at the end of a tricep session, partial ROM and high-rep are vastly beneficial and for heavy work are better suited for dips or JM presses.

Anyway, /threadjack[/quote]

CGBP sucks for me too. I have been using full ROM. Maybe I need to use partial ROM like you. Are you doing lockouts? middle portion?
[/quote]

Yeah, I started really noticing -some- success when, again, I started doing them towards the tail end of the workout. Instead of doing them lower on the torso as I’ve seen recommended in times’ past and pushing towards the feet, I’ve actually enjoyed doing it higher on the torso (around the mid/lower chest area,) and using middle-ROM. Lockouts don’t do much for me, and again, once I descend too far on the movement it’s mostly a delt exercise.

Another side note, I’ve found neutral grip floor/flat dumbbell presses to be much friendlier and engaging on the triceps as a heavy pressing exercise.[/quote]

I was discussing your answer with a friend last night. he said that Bill Kazmier use to do something similar as what you do but with a EZ curl bar. Kaz did middle ROM close grips presses w/ the EZ bar and that it worked well for him.

I do close grip floor presses with a barbell and like them. Tried the neutral grip DB floor presses this past year and did not seem to get anything out of them. I dd them at the end of my tri workout. Maybe I;ll move them to the front and see what happens.

49

Very good responses. Cheers.

On my Todo list:

  • BtB Smith shrugs
  • Smith rows
  • Rev. grip Smith press
  • Tri ladder
  • Smith lunges
50

I don’t get it, is this thread a joke? Like seriously am I being dumb or is everyone being sarcastic?

51

[quote]shorty_blitz wrote:
I don’t get it, is this thread a joke? Like seriously am I being dumb or is everyone being sarcastic?[/quote]

No sarcasm, just a bunch of lifters who don’t subscribe to the stubborn, dogmatic belief of ‘the smith machine sucks.’ Clearly there are, in fact, lots of good ways to utilize it.

52

[quote]shorty_blitz wrote:
I don’t get it, is this thread a joke? Like seriously am I being dumb or is everyone being sarcastic?[/quote]

Yes, it’s all an elaborate joke. But do you get it?

53

[quote]shorty_blitz wrote:
I don’t get it, is this thread a joke? Like seriously am I being dumb or is everyone being sarcastic?[/quote]

feel free to point out what is wrong with the suggestions people have made

54

[quote]shorty_blitz wrote:
I don’t get it, is this thread a joke? Like seriously am I being dumb or is everyone being sarcastic?[/quote]

You are being dumb. Like seriously.

55

I guess you’re right, I do actually use the Smith machine from time to time to do things like body weight tricep extensions or hanging body weight rows, but never anything with weights.
I think I just don’t like the idea of using machines generally speaking, many of these exercises can be done on a normal squat rack if need be?

[quote]Gmoore17 wrote:

[quote]shorty_blitz wrote:
I don’t get it, is this thread a joke? Like seriously am I being dumb or is everyone being sarcastic?[/quote]

No sarcasm, just a bunch of lifters who don’t subscribe to the stubborn, dogmatic belief of ‘the smith machine sucks.’ Clearly there are, in fact, lots of good ways to utilize it.[/quote]

56

lol I dunno, many of you guys advocating it’s use actually seem to have great physiques!

[quote]Serge A. Storms wrote:

[quote]shorty_blitz wrote:
I don’t get it, is this thread a joke? Like seriously am I being dumb or is everyone being sarcastic?[/quote]

You are being dumb. Like seriously.

[/quote]

57

Yes most of these exercises could be done on a normal squat rack, but these are just some exercises we have found that using the smith machine targets our muscles more effectively. You might wanna start trying out some machines, there are some really good ones out there.

[quote]shorty_blitz wrote:
I guess you’re right, I do actually use the Smith machine from time to time to do things like body weight tricep extensions or hanging body weight rows, but never anything with weights.
I think I just don’t like the idea of using machines generally speaking, many of these exercises can be done on a normal squat rack if need be?

[quote]Gmoore17 wrote:

[quote]shorty_blitz wrote:
I don’t get it, is this thread a joke? Like seriously am I being dumb or is everyone being sarcastic?[/quote]

No sarcasm, just a bunch of lifters who don’t subscribe to the stubborn, dogmatic belief of ‘the smith machine sucks.’ Clearly there are, in fact, lots of good ways to utilize it.[/quote]
[/quote]

58

[quote]shorty_blitz wrote:
I guess you’re right, I do actually use the Smith machine from time to time to do things like body weight tricep extensions or hanging body weight rows, but never anything with weights.
I think I just don’t like the idea of using machines generally speaking, many of these exercises can be done on a normal squat rack if need be?

[quote]Gmoore17 wrote:

[quote]shorty_blitz wrote:
I don’t get it, is this thread a joke? Like seriously am I being dumb or is everyone being sarcastic?[/quote]

No sarcasm, just a bunch of lifters who don’t subscribe to the stubborn, dogmatic belief of ‘the smith machine sucks.’ Clearly there are, in fact, lots of good ways to utilize it.[/quote]
[/quote]

The smith machine provides an assistance component that allows you to acheive angles and positions that would be impossible in a squat rack.

Those things can unlock some growth…it’s just another way to throw your muscles a curve ball and keep them guessing.

Most people who bash the smith machine do it because they are overly succeptible to things they read.

Don’t be that way. It could potentially lead to very bad things. While you are stranded on the shitter in the morning after reading that the dye in your toilet paper might cause anal cancer, the guy who didn’t read that could be out there stealing your job and your girlfriend.

59

[quote]shorty_blitz wrote:
lol I dunno, many of you guys advocating it’s use actually seem to have great physiques!
[/quote]

Gee whiz, maybe there’s shades of gray with weight training, and shouldn’t be an “all-or-nothing” approach all the time. :wink:

60

[quote]Serge A. Storms wrote:

[quote]shorty_blitz wrote:
I guess you’re right, I do actually use the Smith machine from time to time to do things like body weight tricep extensions or hanging body weight rows, but never anything with weights.
I think I just don’t like the idea of using machines generally speaking, many of these exercises can be done on a normal squat rack if need be?

[quote]Gmoore17 wrote:

[quote]shorty_blitz wrote:
I don’t get it, is this thread a joke? Like seriously am I being dumb or is everyone being sarcastic?[/quote]

No sarcasm, just a bunch of lifters who don’t subscribe to the stubborn, dogmatic belief of ‘the smith machine sucks.’ Clearly there are, in fact, lots of good ways to utilize it.[/quote]
[/quote]

The smith machine provides an assistance component that allows you to acheive angles and positions that would be impossible in a squat rack.

Those things can unlock some growth…it’s just another way to throw your muscles a curve ball and keep them guessing.

Most people who bash the smith machine do it because they are overly succeptible to things they read.

Don’t be that way. It could potentially lead to very bad things. While you are stranded on the shitter in the morning after reading that the dye in your toilet paper might cause anal cancer, the guy who didn’t read that could be out there stealing your job and your girlfriend.[/quote]

Agree with all of the above however, I have seen guys who train exclusively at the Smith and feel it is the be all end all. The Smith certainly has its purpose, but disagree with regards to anyone who use the Smith as their main piece of exercise equipment, and feel it is a machine that compliments a program and shouldn’t be the program