We’ve all seen them, those big racks up against the walls, bar clipped into it and weights racked up on pegs along the side. Unfortunately, we’ve also seen those guys using it, performing formless “squats” while leaning back on the bar and lowering themselves only a few inches. We’ve seen those hordes of young women using it for hip thrusts with no weights even on the rack. It’s a sight nearly as annoying as that jackass who always curls in the squat rack. But I’m not here to malign the Smith Machine. Quite the contrary, I rely upon it heavily for many of my workouts.
Yes, so many serious lifters shit on the Smith Machine, and in many cases, I understand why. However, there are some things it does very well. More importantly, some lifters have injuries or other body movement issues that can be alleviated by lifting on the Smith Machine. I’m certainly one of the latter. I have pretty bad bursitis in my right shoulder, bad enough that I once had the joint freeze up for the better part of two months. And while aggressive physical therapy helped restore my shoulder function, I still suffer from a painful acromion impingement. Performing a regular Bench-Press, for example, can become a very painful experience, even adjusting my body position and rotating my shoulders back only helps so much once I’m under load. I struggled to lift even fairly light weights due to the pain it would cause. After switching to the Smith Machine, my numbers increased dramatically, and I saw the results one expects to see from regular Bench-Press routines. My chest developed, my strength improved, and my shoulder pain was minimized during sets. I had a similar issue with Seated Overhead Presses, which I also resolved by making the change. Now I’m never going to tell you that a Smith Machine lift is just as good as a traditional one, because in general, it’s not. But if you have an injury that hinders you on the bench, try the Smith Machine. I’d rather have something that’s 80% as effective all of the time, over something that’s 100% effective only half the time. I saw definite gains making the change.
Another thing to consider is that there are a few exercises that are pretty damn well suited for the Smith Machine. I swear by Calf-Raises on it – I just get under the bar as if I was doing a Back Squat with a narrow stance. Shrugs are good on it too, but I’ve seen heavier weights wreck the Machine if the lifter is pulling against the rails. I’m also a huge fan of Single Arm Side Shrugs, with a hold at the top. Ballistic Bench-Presses and Bridged Floor Presses also are staple Smith Machine exercises in my routines.
So stop the Smith hating, and give it a try.