Smith Machines

Smith Machines

Smith machines are the safest way for serious weight lifters to work out at home. Although a smith machine may look like a power cage, it offers little to no risk of injury thanks to its set plane of movement and lock-out points. Serious weight lifters want to push themselves to failure in order to build significant muscle mass. Smith machines are so popular because they combine the feeling of free weights with the safety of traditional resistance machines. You can perform a wide range of exercises, such as lat pulldowns, upright rows, squats, military press, pull ups, seated rows, bench press, shrugs, bent over rows, curls and more.

Choose a smith machine if:

• you’re an experienced lifter
• you want to lift heavier (multi-gyms offer approximately a 95kg weight stack)
• you want the feel of free weights training combined with extra safety elements

Benefits of Smith Machines

Balanced Weight

Unlike with a power rack and barbell set up, the bar on a Smith Machine is fixed to the guide rods. Ideal for perfecting your form, this means all your attention can be on the lift, rather than concentrating on keeping the bar level.

Safety

The bar on a Smith Machine is incredibly easy to rack. If you’re having trouble lifting the weight, or when you’ve completed the set, just twist the bar to hook it on to the supports on the frame. The supports usually run all the way up the frame, so there’s plenty of racking height options.

Versatility

A Smith Machine can be used for a wide range of exercises, targeting all major muscle groups. These include bench press, squats, shrugs and more.