# Smith benching vs. free-weight benching



## Arnold (Jun 4, 2010)

*Smith benching vs. free-weight benching*
_by Matt Cahill_



The Smith Machine

There is a  lot of hate towards the Smith  machine from some camps, with the old  joke being that its best use is  for something to hang your jacket on.  My personal opinion is that it  has its uses as part of a well-designed  training program, but should  not be a staple. While some would say that  its bad because it fixes you  into a certain plane of motion, I think  this is one of its benefits as  it allows you to focus almost entirely  on the target muscle. The  stabilization from ancillary muscles from  free-weight exercises make  them king, however. And this is something  researchers from Cal State in  Fullerton, CA wanted to investigate. They  did this by looking at a  smith bench press and a free-weight bench press  where participants  pressed 70% and 90% of their one rep max for two  reps. The muscles they  looked at were the pectoralis major (i.e. chest),  and anterior (front)  and medial (middle) deltoid muscle heads. Shame  they didn’t look at  the triceps also as they are also a prime mover  for pressing exercises  and I’m interested if there is any discrepancy  between its involvement  in the two exercises.

As expected,  the heavier set for both  exercises had greater muscle activation (heavier  weights generally  recruit more muscle fibers), but the main difference  between the two  exercises was the higher muscle activation found in  the medial deltoid  head when doing a free-weight bench press. This shows  that free-weight  movement requires more stabilization and so recruits  more muscle fibers  (a bit like using a heavier weight does) and is more  likely to set up a  greater anabolic response.







Not the kind of bench I had in mind...

So in conclusion,  design your workout program  around free-weight exercises, particularly  exercises that move the  body through space like chins, dips, squats,  deadlifts and clean and  jerks. But by all means include some Smith exercises  in order to help  focus on the target muscle or train around an existing  injury (within  reason).  In the words of the researchers, free-weights  are superior  “because of [their] potential for greater upper-body  muscular  development.”

*Source:* _Schick EE, Coburn JW, Brown LE, Judelson DA, Khamoui AV,  Tran TT,  Uribe BP. A comparison of muscle activation between a Smith  machine  and free weight bench press. J Strength Cond Res.  2010  Mar;24(3):779-84._


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## rockhardly (Jun 4, 2010)

Find one of these about squats, post them in a sticky, and rid the endless amounts of threads started because of peoples fear of grinding out a rep under a massive load of iron and trying to find ways around it and posting threads in hopes that we'll say, "Fuck YAH, the smith is awsome, it's the only way to go".  

But they probably would not read it anyway.


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## PushAndPull (Jun 4, 2010)

rockhardly said:


> Find one of these about squats, post them in a sticky, and rid the endless amounts of threads started because of peoples fear of grinding out a rep under a massive load of iron and trying to find ways around it and posting threads in hopes that we'll say, "Fuck YAH, the smith is awsome, it's the only way to go".
> 
> *But they probably would not read it anyway*.



Exactly.


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## MDR (Jun 6, 2010)

Unfortunate.  Free-weights are always the best way to go.  I used the Smith after my lower back injury for a bit, and it was useful, especially for overhead pressing.  But the idea was always to get back to the real deal as soon as my body healed.


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## soxmuscle (Jun 6, 2010)

The Smith machine sucks.


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## DOMS (Jun 6, 2010)

Richard Gears said:


> i guarantee some of you use it.



The last time a thread came up about squatting in the Smith machine (about a week ago), I decided to give it a shot the next time I went to the gym to see what it's like.

Un-freakin'-natural.  It was the suck.

First off, the made me push my back into what I felt was an unnatural plane.  Secondly, I didn't feel crap in any of my supporting muscles.  It felt like a partial exercise.

Maybe for rehab, but that's about it.


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## Zaphod (Jun 6, 2010)

Richard Gears said:


> i guarantee some of you use it.



To hang my towel on when I'm using the squat rack next to it.


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## Zaphod (Jun 6, 2010)

Sorry, I just don't like it.  Any lift you do doesn't move in a straight line.


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## Hoglander (Jun 6, 2010)

So you like the straight line of the SM. At least you are honest.


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## rockhardly (Jun 7, 2010)

Hoglander said:


> So you like the straight line of the SM. At least you are honest.



I think he's saying he doesn't like it because free-weight/natural body movements are not in a straight line where the smith is<=unnatural.


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## Flathead (Jun 7, 2010)

It's like walking w/crutches.


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## Zaphod (Jun 7, 2010)

Unnatural and just not for me.  I can see it's use in perhaps a rehab sort of way, but that's it.  If someone else likes it, that's cool.  I just have no use for it.


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## aja44 (Jun 7, 2010)

My gym has a Linear Smith Machine, which has the reverse 7 degree pitch to it as opposed to the typical Smith machine that is 90 degrees.  I find that the range of motion is more like I find on a free weight bench if setup right.  At the bottom its closer to my chin/upper chest and when I push out its moving up and away from my chin.  I totally agree that you dont get the small muscles needed for stability worked, and it should not be used all the time.  But when the only people in the gym are smaller than my wife, its better to not get a spot and use the smith machine than to trust someone and die!!!!  IMO


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## DOMS (Jun 7, 2010)

aja44 said:


> But when the only people in the gym are smaller than my wife, its better to not get a spot and use the smith machine than to trust someone and die!!!!  IMO



Why are you working out at Planet Fitness?


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## aja44 (Jun 7, 2010)

DOMS said:


> Why are you working out at Planet Fitness?



I'm sorry, does my gym not meet your Bally's standards???


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## juggernaut (Jun 7, 2010)

Use dumbbells.


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## DOMS (Jun 7, 2010)

aja44 said:


> I'm sorry, does my gym not meet your Bally's standards???



Screw that, I workout at the YMCA!


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## juggernaut (Jun 7, 2010)

DOMS said:


> Screw that, I workout at the YMCA!



so which village fruit are you?


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## aja44 (Jun 7, 2010)

juggernaut said:


> so which village fruit are you?



He's the cowboy PULLIN ON MY CHAIN!!!!  

I'm just fucken around.  I workout at PowerHouse gym.  I go around 3PM after I get off from work and its filled around then with HS kids who I dont trust to lift a bar off my chest let alone 385.


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## DOMS (Jun 7, 2010)

juggernaut said:


> so which village fruit are you?



aja44 is right.

Cowboy, motherfucker!


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## DOMS (Jun 7, 2010)

aja44 said:


> He's the cowboy PULLIN ON MY CHAIN!!!!
> 
> I'm just fucken around.  I workout at PowerHouse gym.  I go around 3PM after I get off from work and its filled around then with HS kids who I dont trust to lift a bar off my chest let alone 385.



That's actually the cool thing about where I work out.  The high school kids aren't the usual sort.  They don't hang around the bench 24/7.  I usually find them in the power or squat racks doing squats, presses, power cleans, or deads.

It's pretty cool.


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## aja44 (Jun 7, 2010)

DOMS said:


> That's actually the cool thing about where I work out.  The high school kids aren't the usual sort.  They don't hang around the bench 24/7.  I usually find them in the power or squat racks doing squats, presses, power cleans, or deads.
> 
> It's pretty cool.



Its not where there hanging out thats the issue.  Its the fact that their mostly pussies and have no clue WTF there doing and I'm scared to death to ask for a spot.  But its fun to watch the 4 HS kids on the bench with 315 on the bar and the guy spotting is getting an awesome back workout after the other kid buries himself.  He gets off the bench and high five's everyone that he did 2 reps.  I got bagged last week laughing at them and shaking my head in dis-belief.


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## rockhardly (Jun 7, 2010)

aja44 said:


> My gym has a Linear Smith Machine, which has the reverse 7 degree pitch to it as opposed to the typical Smith machine that is 90 degrees. *I find that the range of motion is more like I find on a free weight bench if setup right.  At the bottom its closer to my chin/upper chest and when I push out its moving up and away from my chin.*  I totally agree that you dont get the small muscles needed for stability worked, and it should not be used all the time.  But when the only people in the gym are smaller than my wife, its better to not get a spot and use the smith machine than to trust someone and die!!!!  IMO



UHHHHHH, when I bench the bar is closer to my nipples at the bottom of the eccentric, not my chin.  I knew I should not have listened to that punk Dave Tate's advice.


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## rockhardly (Jun 7, 2010)

aja44 said:


> Its not where there hanging out thats the issue.  Its the fact that their mostly pussies and have no clue WTF there doing and I'm scared to death to ask for a spot.  But its fun to watch the 4 HS kids on the bench with 315 on the bar and the guy spotting is getting an awesome back workout after the other kid buries himself.  He gets off the bench and high five's everyone that he did 2 reps.  *I got bagged last week* laughing at them and shaking my head in dis-belief.



You let 4 pussy HS kids tea bag you?  Dude, that sucks!!!


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## aja44 (Jun 7, 2010)

rockhardly said:


> You let 4 pussy HS kids tea bag you?  Dude, that sucks!!!



I knew I should have written that differently.


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## unclem (Jun 7, 2010)

its not always quanity but quality......lee haney. in his opinion lol....


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## DOMS (Jun 7, 2010)

aja44 said:


> Its not where there hanging out thats the issue.  Its the fact that their mostly pussies and have no clue WTF there doing and I'm scared to death to ask for a spot.  But its fun to watch the 4 HS kids on the bench with 315 on the bar and the guy spotting is getting an awesome back workout after the other kid buries himself.  He gets off the bench and high five's everyone that he did 2 reps.  I got bagged last week laughing at them and shaking my head in dis-belief.



I got you, but my point was that these kids know their stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I've seen some pretty stupid stuff, but most of them are pretty good.


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## Captn'stabbin (Jun 10, 2010)

the smith has it's uses.


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## DaBeast25 (Jun 10, 2010)

Didn't read one post here and don't need to.  

Get the F**k off the Smith Machine unless your doing inverted bodyweight rows OR training someone that needs to do a modified push-up.


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## AKIRA (Jun 10, 2010)

Old news but I like that they keep refreshing the studies.


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## dave 236 (Jun 11, 2010)

premeet01245 said:


> I wanna loss my weight .


well by all means then "you" should use the smith machine.


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## MyK (Jul 10, 2010)

nothing like squating with the smith machine.. 4 plates on either side w/ a 2" ROM to isolate the "tear drops" in my quads....


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## ryan92 (Jul 29, 2010)

doesn't tooo much smith machine use lead to repetive strain, since it restricts any natural movement in the exercise, like it can only give up and down, theres not give, i'd say free weights is probly a better weigh to go unless training round an injury


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## chesty4 (Jul 29, 2010)

Captn'stabbin said:


> the smith has it's uses.



Agreed. It can be a great tool to help other aspects of your lifting if you use it as a tool and not a crutch.

If you have low back issues, for example, it can allow you to still squat heavy while taking some stress off of your lower back. If the hack machine is tied up you can use the Smith machine and keep your feet in front of you to mimic the hack squat.

It has allowed me to increase my own squat totals by allowing me to concentrate on negatives, helping me with quad isolation. Also, when I'm in the power/squat rack, I can go heavier and set new personal maxes.


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## Phineas (Jul 29, 2010)

chesty4 said:


> Agreed. It can be a great tool to help other aspects of your lifting if you use it as a tool and not a crutch.
> 
> If you have low back issues, for example, it can allow you to still squat heavy while taking some stress off of your lower back. If the hack machine is tied up you can use the Smith machine and keep your feet in front of you to mimic the hack squat.
> 
> It has allowed me to increase my own squat totals by allowing me to concentrate on negatives, helping me with quad isolation. Also, when I'm in the power/squat rack, I can go heavier and set new personal maxes.



How does a smith machine "isolate" your quads? It's still the same compound movement, only no balancing involved.

Smith machine makes squatting easier. I don't consider them to be squats; they're "smith machine squats".


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## ScorpionKing (Aug 15, 2010)

I use both the smith and the free weight bench. Whats important is that a person gets of his ass and lift weights!


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## dmaipa (Aug 15, 2010)

ScorpionKing said:


> I use both the smith and the free weight bench. Whats important is that a person gets of his ass and lift weights!



I feel you on this man..i use both smith and free weight. Is one better than the other? IMO free weight bench is better, but honestly i don't give a damn as long as im lifting weights.  If i'm getting into powerlifting or a bench contest then you wont find me in a smith machine rack benching.  But since im lifting for muscle mass, as long as there is progression its all good!


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