Smith Machine in your workout plan? Change your workout plan now!
Just a few reasons to stop using the Smith Machine:
- The Smith Machine offers less transfer to the real-world than free weight exercises.
- Depending on the movement, the shearing forces on the knees and lumbar spine are increased by the fixed line of motion.
- The lifter conforms to the machine, and not vice versa. Human motion is dependent on subtle adjustments to joint angle positioning; the body will always want to compensate in the most advantageous position possible. Fix the feet and fix the bar, and the only ways to get this compensation are inappropriate knee tracking and, more dangerously, loss of the neutral spine position.
If you are using the Smith Machine in your workout, I strongly suggest you change your workout plan.
Now...GET BACK TO LIFTING!
I do agree that, unless you are very experienced, you should not do squats in a smith machine.
Having said that, I find the smith machine is great for military pressing, bench press (flat, incline and decline), bentover rows , wide-grip and close-grip tricep presses.
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Even so, the Smith Machine still forces the person to adhere to its range of motion and it also takes the development ability away from the stabilizer muscles. In my mind, it is a pretty evil machine just waiting to injure someone.
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The Smith Machine has managed to reappear in my workouts. I use it as a chin-up/pull-up bar with it racked in the top position, and as a spot to do inverted bodyweight rows. Of course, neither of these exercises actually involve moving the bar!
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Raiden, using the Smith Machine for something it is actually good for...way to go!
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I have never used this machine but planning to. Thanks for the suggestion, I changed my mind now.
-Daniel
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