Are smith machines bad for you?

Are smith machines bad for you?

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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_imbalance
physio.co.uk/what-we-treat/musculoskeletal/conditions/shoulder/muscle-imbalance.php
marksdailyapple.com/muscle-imbalances/
mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/4-ways-correct-muscle-imbalances
muscleforlife.com/muscle-imbalances/
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weybridgephysio.co.uk/article/muscle-imbalance-and-postural-dysfunction
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yes

Yes, the most useless equipment by far

They are for pussies.

well they don't cause any damage but they are very useless
pretty sure the only thing they're actually useful for is sissy squats

>tfw local gym doesn't have squat rack
>only smith machines
FUCK.

they are bad for your gains

Why do gyms buy them?
Even in peak NYR the smith is always empty. The gym in my hometown has FOUR and no power racks.

Benny would tell you otherwise.

>tfw gym has no Smith machines
>only squat racks
Feelsgoodman

They don't even help you Smith better

ask them about it

They eliminate the stability aspect of your squat and allow you to lift more weight than your body has adapted to actually lifting.

>tfw my gym has 3 squat racks and 4 of these
>the squat racks are always taken for 40 minutes at a time
>these are nearly always empty
I need a new place already

They have one good use, and that is standing calf raise.

Ever seen someone you respect and look up to use a smith machine. It hurts. Smith machines kill your heros.

>go to gym
>clips on the smith machine

Where do you lift

Grab the biggest pair of DBs, go to a free bench or the leg extension machine (for the "pillow" that you put your legs below), put one leg on the pillow, proceed to do Bulgarian split squats to failure.

Smith machines are fine. They're a flexible combo machine that you can use for a number of different workouts with more weight than most machines accommodate.

>this entire post

Everyone bashing the smith machine in this thread, but zero arguments. You morons really are sheep incapable of thinking for yourselves.

Really? I've gone to multiple LA Fitness' around Florida and they almost always have someone in the Smith Machine, mostly doing something lower body like squat or a deadlift variation. Sometimes hip thrusts. Mostly older people and women, but sometimes younger guys.

It is fine for me. Especially for beginners. It helps you to develop a good form. It worked for me and I moved to squat box without any problem.

>It helps you to develop a good form

Well, it worked for me.

Have you moved on to free weights yet?

No one asked for an explanation,

But if you want one, they cause imbalances with your muscles, Squatting a smith machine is much much easier than squatting an actual barbell and the machine doesn't activate all the muscles an real squat will activate meaning you'll be gaining less muscle overall.

I'm not saying machines are completely worthless, but they should not be the focus of any routine, if possible swap it out for free weights.

>I moved to squat box without any problem.
Something tell me that you didn't read my post.

Call me when you move onto real squats.

I can squat with one plate now. Like I said, I am beginner.

>box squatting with 1pl8
Come on now.

>they cause imbalances with your muscles

Ah, my bad, I meant I squat in a squat cage.

I hope you're using a squat plug.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_imbalance
physio.co.uk/what-we-treat/musculoskeletal/conditions/shoulder/muscle-imbalance.php
marksdailyapple.com/muscle-imbalances/
mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/4-ways-correct-muscle-imbalances
muscleforlife.com/muscle-imbalances/
dailyburn.com/life/fitness/muscle-imbalances-functional-movement-screen/
weybridgephysio.co.uk/article/muscle-imbalance-and-postural-dysfunction

>Muscle imbalance can be described as the respective equality between the antagonist and agonist
how does a smith machine cause this?

During a normal squat, your body needs almost every muscles from the waist down to successfully squat, you need to make sure you don't fall in any direction, bring yourself down only using your own body weight to balance both your body and the bar, and push back up. overall using enough of every muscle.

With Smith Machines your muscles don't need to worry about most of this stuff, the balance has been corrected for you so all you need to do is move up and down, which only use some muscles in your legs.

Overall it means you're losing out on training parts of your body that would have been trained if you just did a regular squat instead. This means that it would take you much longer to get stronger with machines than it would have with free weights.

I only use it for weighted calf-raises.

>I only use it for weighted calf-raises.

this. my gym has no specific calf machines so smith works well

>Was suppose to send this picture...

>the balance has been corrected for you so all you need to do is move up and down, which only use some muscles in your legs.
Which muscles are worked in a squat that are not worked in a smith machine?

Hate to undermine your accomplishments, but muscular quads look hideous. Muscular calves are where it's at.

>not having both

I fall on my ass when i squat. Would the smith machine help build a good enough base to do real squats ?

That image isn't even showing a squat in the Smith machine.

Use them only for guillotine press

They get shit on because they are normie friendly but go watch elite bodybuilders and you find that they use them

However this doesn't mean that they replace free weights. FAR from it. They are useful for accessory work when your stabilizing muscles have been so exhausted that you can't handle free weights, or to do this work ahead of time without exhausting stabilizers. For example, some high-level chest routines will incorporate smith machine inclined bench to minimize shoulder work and isolate pecs


Also smith machines are just really good for barbell shrugs and personally I do all my shrugs with one

Then you're not doing it right. The bar is either too far back or your knees are.

my ankle mobility is absolute shite. Plus ive got extremely twinky legs compared to my (still dyel) upper body. i tried softening the ankles but im wondering if some real weight wouldnt help more

If your form is shit, just practice with low weight. Using the smith machine won't help.

Just tried again with a broom. The bar was too far back. Love you bro

You forgot to say no homo.

not true, great for both shrugs and calf raises

>be stationed aboard 560ft prison
>breathe farts for months on end
>cooks give half portions
>reactor blasts cells apart
>sleep is a luxury
>Russians constantly trying to steal our gains
>only barbell is trapped in a smith machine
am I going to make it?

Get more stability
Do unilateral exercises like lunges or split squats with just Bw, and add weight with dumbbells.
A good one for stability is standing with your eyes closed, now raise your knee so it is 90 degrees.
Try and do that with both legs a couple of times in the morning. It is wierd, but it helps the body learn to balance itself.
Will help a lot with bilateral stability for squating.

Only ever used them to get my form in check. After that I guess you could place a bench underneath and do spotter free bench presses?

I go to my uni gym so we don't have old coots with bad joints, so the smith is useless

They are just a machine, and have the same limitations as any machine would, as compared to its free weight equivalent.

I think the main reason they get so much hate is because they are typically kept in the free weight section of the gym, away from the other machines.

if you ever wanna lose your virginity yes

>that feel when you don't use the smith machine and still have your virginity

Right, I've been coming to Veeky Forums for five years, and realise the Smith-hate goes far beyond Veeky Forums, but I have to ask - is it a meme I've somehow missed?

Yes, a Smith Machine doesn't activate stabliser muscles, yes, some are badly designed and can force you into a shitty position, but are they really that bad?

I was at a gym that had no squat rack and a Smith for about 6 months a few years back. Got my squat from struggling to do the empty bar up to 80kg (2pl8 if we're not counting the bar on a Smith, even though it weighs around 15kg). Moved away and got access to a "real" gym and tried to squat using a proper bar, and I was fine. I could actually squat a little more.

Then I moved back home about 6 months later. I still occasionally train at another gym with a friend when I go to visit, and I feel no real difference. Maybe my gym, while shit enough to only have a Smith) has a decent version of the Smith, but for me 3pl8 squats or 100kg bench (though I normally stick with DB for bench) is the same whether it's a Smith or a free bar.

>tfw smith machine squat

i like you
you said what i was going to say

>tfw too tall to do calf raises standing in something to do negative

I use the Smith machine mostly because it has the stoppers you can drop in for safety in case you can't finish a rep. If I'm going to be the only dude in the gym, I'd rather have that extra guarantee so I don't hurt myself.

Or you can just use a power cage and don't screw yourself out of gains.

you are missing out. stabilizing the bar is a big part of any compound movement

power cage + safety bars. That or just don't use clips and you can shimmy the weight off the bar. Also roll of shame.

Smith machine is dyels and women.