Smith Machine Bench Press

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Whomb said:
I couldn't care less about what that guy has to say, to be honest.

I did laugh when he said bodybuilders don't know anything about 'hard work'. What a fool.
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I just love the clenbutermen who kiss their biceps and scream profanities when lifting thinking they are the best thing since slice bread.

Truth is, if your on clenbuterol, it means you have to take it easy because clenbuterol can cause heart failure if you train too hard. Gotta love these blokes.
 
Yeah, what would Bill Starr know?

He only an Olympic Lifter, set an american record in the deadlift at one stage at 666lb while rarely doing the deadlift, coached hundreds of atheletes and was the strength coach of an american football team.



And yet some here are the 'experts' and do bodybuilding routines for football because they want to look good on the field?



Great idea.
 
What are you guys thoughts on this program?

Monday:
DB Bench
Flys
Tricep pushdown
Bicep curl
DB Shoulder press
DB row
Lat pulldown
Squats

Wednesday:
Incline DB bench
Dips
Tricep lying extn (DB)
Bicep curl
Lateral shoulder raises
DB row
Wide grip pull ups
Deadlift

Friday:
Same as Monday

Alternate the next week

Any thoughts?
 

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Fire Storm said:
Yeah, what would Bill Starr know?

He only an Olympic Lifter, set an american record in the deadlift at one stage at 666lb while rarely doing the deadlift, coached hundreds of atheletes and was the strength coach of an american football team.



And yet some here are the 'experts' and do bodybuilding routines for football because they want to look good on the field?



Great idea.
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I'm not sure which one of us has said anything about football.I certainly don't play football.

You might think people who do split routines don't train hard,you're entitled to that opinion.I would just point out that not everyone who does a split is a bodybuilder (and not every bodybuilder does split routines),and that in my experience,splits can be just as effective at adding mass and strength as any other technique.

Also you seem to be from the school of thought that split/bodybuilding routines and deads/squats are mutually exclusive...you would be wrong.
 
Fire Storm said:
Yeah, what would Bill Starr know?

He only an Olympic Lifter, set an american record in the deadlift at one stage at 666lb while rarely doing the deadlift, coached hundreds of atheletes and was the strength coach of an american football team.



And yet some here are the 'experts' and do bodybuilding routines for football because they want to look good on the field?



Great idea.
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If you're referring to myself or Schism, you've completely missed the mark pal. Both of us have stated time and time again we don't train for football. I do bodybuilding routines because I want to build muscle; I don't play footy anymore. This Bill Starr character was obviously a great weight lifter and trainer, but that does not change my call whatsoever. I repeat, I could not care less if he thinks bodybuilders are 'phonies' with their 'faux strength'; they train for muscle, not strength. I'm in this same boat, so I couldn't care less if somebody tells me I have 'faux strength'; I train to build muscle, and have more than the average person, so I've succeeded in my objectives. Also to say I don't possess any strength is ridiculous; I, and actual bodybuilders would still have far more strength than the average person, so who cares? I'll repeat, I could not care less what Bill Starr has to say on the matter of bodybuilding.
 
I was only making the point that I think bodybuilding routines are pointless for sports use. Since you both don't play sports, so be it.


As for deadlifts, the best way to increase it is to not actually deadlift at all. Another pointless exercise for most.
 
Fire Storm said:
I was only making the point that I think bodybuilding routines are pointless for sports use. Since you both don't play sports, so be it.


As for deadlifts, the best way to increase it is to not actually deadlift at all. Another pointless exercise for most.
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My whole body ****ing exploded when i started doing deads.I grew muscles i didn't know i had.Love deads.Unfortunately can't do them just atm because of injury,but should be ok soon.

Everyone should do them if they can do safely - deads release obscene amounts of GH,as do heavy squats.
 
Good mornings. No tougher and better lower back exercise.


I worked up to 100kg x 8-10 reps in the good morning after only maybe 6 months of hard training at best with 12-18 months ( cant quite remember) of no training at all.


Did ONE session of deadlifting to see what I could single. Hadn't deadlifting in 2 yrs or more and could single 150kg.

And could squat 150kg from half that time of only ONE max set of 5 then the last few months a max set of 3 reps at the end of the week - no other leg exercises.


Unfortunatley, a knee injury and sickness prevented me from going further but I'm slowly working back up. Currently at 72.5kg x 10. Might just stay at 75 though for time being.



One tough but beneficial exercise. Give it a go for a few months. You'll be supprised at what it can do.
 
I can't really do good mornings.Just physically can't do them.I have back problems - sacroiliac joint/ligament and 2 discs,and i literally can't do them.I might be able to if i dropped alot of size and weight.Sumo's are a viable alternative to GM's but i prefer normal deads.

Again,at 32 and with quite a few sessions in the gym behind me (as well as operations),it's pretty much a case of what i can't do that decides my routines.
 

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Back on topic a tad....

I use the Smith primarily for the following:-

- Close grip bench presses;
- Incline bench press.

I feel that the set path the bar is on benfits my ability to be able to target the tricep more when doing close grips. I've tried close gripping on a regular bar and feel that they are effective, but I reckon it's a bit dicey. You're not trying to recruit extra sabilisers when close gripping, but rather 'target' one muscle. My tris and totally wrecked after close grips of the Smith.

And incline benching on the Smith, particularly if it's your second or third exercise of a chest workout (after free bar flats benches or whatnot) can be excellent because I feel the shoulders don't get smashed as hard and you can sort of 'target' the pec muscle more. I guess it is because you have more control. Yes there is the argument you may want to use the 'stabilisers' more, however if you're already doing a free weight chest exercise (plus other exercises like shoulder pressing etc), those will be taken care of.

Oh and as for deadlifts: They are without a doubt the king of exercises. Can't beat them for core strength and muscle building.
 
Haven't tried the smith machine for bench. I do barbell bench presses but don't go overboard with weight. I usually don't have more than 80kgs on the bar and try to really concentrate on working the chest. At one stage I had 120kgs on the bar for 6 reps, but it was more for my ego than chest development. I try and puff my chest out as much as possible during the set, stop a few inches short of my arms locking out and really squeeze the pecs. I tried the lying chest press machine a few weeks ago and it probably hit my pec muscles harder than anything else I've tried. I think its because its movement is an inwards arc , rather than straight up and down, and the pecs are literally on fire at the end of the set.
 
At my gym it is not uncommon to see guys doing rows and even curls on the smith machine...what can you say in a situation like that...i just let them get on with it.

^^^ previous couple posts are good,it is the control factor of smith machine that makes it easier to target the pecs.I can think about focusing the power through my pecs rather than '****ing hell my shoulders hurt,and my tri's are wasted'
 
Curls on a Smith machine? What the?

15 years of football and various shoulder injuries (tears & dislocations) has left my shoulders unable to cope with incline presses using dumbells. Shoulders are a decent size but comparatively weak .

I live by the Smith machine for three things - close grip presses, incline bench & decline presses. Start my routine with flat bench press (barbell usually) and move onto the smith machine next. My chest really works hard - whereas using dumbells I could get nowhere near the results I enjoy from the Smith. Its much more comfortable for the way my body is put together.

Like many of you, while I love hearing advice from experts, in reality you gotta listen to your own body and do what gets results for you. For me, its the Smith machine.
 
mcuzzy said:
Just some questions etc.

I can't squat so I need advice on how to squat properly
I use machines and the smith because i get results rather than doing a full squat with little weight.

What are some other exercises I can use as well?
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It's hard to tell someone how to squat properly over the internet - your best bet is a combination of youtube vids,and good advice from a good website.Personally i recommend going to muscletalk.co.uk forums and either ask there or just do a search,it has probably been asked and answered a thousand times.Ironaddicts is also a good site.You should avoid squatting in a smith machine.

Incidentally i was just watching worlds strongest man on foxtel,i think it was one of the 2008 heats.Terry Hollands from England was competing (bit of a monster,6 foot 6 and ~370 pounds).He used to post on the muscletalk.co.uk forums(i'm not sure if he still does,i don't go there much anymore).
 
Blissid said:
I was suggesting dumbbells in general, not particularly the bench press, sorry I didn't clarify.
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Actually yeah i never thought about it before but you're right,dumbell presses are really good for grip and forearms,even just the repetitive act of getting heavy dumbells off the floor and into position would help alot

heh...i'm not the most lateral thinker in the gym
 
Fire Storm said:
As for deadlifts, the best way to increase it is to not actually deadlift at all. Another pointless exercise for most.
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Fire Storm said:
Good mornings. No tougher and better lower back exercise.

Did ONE session of deadlifting to see what I could single. Hadn't deadlifting in 2 yrs or more and could single 150kg.

And could squat 150kg from half that time of only ONE max set of 5 then the last few months a max set of 3 reps at the end of the week - no other leg exercises.

One tough but beneficial exercise. Give it a go for a few months. You'll be supprised at what it can do.
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Sorry for the bump, but surely not recommending Good Mornings over the deadlift?

Back on topic though, currently doing Flat, Decline and Incline with the dumbbells and was thinking of changing it up to be kinder on the delts, which seem to be copping a pounding on chest days, as others in this thread have done.

Was able to move up to 40Kg Dumbbells for 6 reps so very happy with the progress :thumbsu:
 
I dont care what anyone says don't use the smith machine to bench press. If you cant bench a barbell or dumbells, try pushups..

If you "train" to look good or "for size" you are a weakling.

At the end of the day this is BIGFOOTY.COM not BIGBICEPS or BIGHEAD or BIGANYTHINGEXCEPTFOOTY.

There are literally hundreds/thousands of websites out there dedicated to narcissists who like to think that they are strong because they have big arms. GO THERE.

Give practical advice here for playing football, as said many times before 9/10 times when someone is on this board asking for advice they are not asking for bodybuilding advice, they just don't know the difference.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=752834

/rant
 
kaydub said:
I dont care what anyone says don't use the smith machine to bench press. If you cant bench a barbell or dumbells, try pushups..

If you "train" to look good or "for size" you are a weakling.

At the end of the day this is BIGFOOTY.COM not BIGBICEPS or BIGHEAD or BIGANYTHINGEXCEPTFOOTY.

There are literally hundreds/thousands of websites out there dedicated to narcissists who like to think that they are strong because they have big arms. GO THERE.

Give practical advice here for playing football, as said many times before 9/10 times when someone is on this board asking for advice they are not asking for bodybuilding advice, they just don't know the difference.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=752834

/rant
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moron, check the thread title. It has nothing do with football, it is about smith machine bench pressing.

Just in case you missed it, this site is about alot more than football.

Not even a subscriber and trying to dictate what we can and can't talk about on here? What a ****en goober
 
Schism said:
*, check the thread title. It has nothing do with football, it is about smith machine bench pressing.

Just in case you missed it, this site is about alot more than football.

Not even a subscriber and trying to dictate what we can and can't talk about on here? What a ****en goober
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This part of the forum is called MyFooty. Not my bodybuilder.
 
Enough s**t talking, but this subforum is actually called "Coaching, fitness, club support and everything else".

And quite clearly we're referring to working out/gym related exercises, especially in this thread.

On to his actual point, there are quite a few reasons you'd want to use the Smith machine to bench press off the top of my head.

1) You have no spot, aren't comfortable not using collars and letting the weight fall if you fail

2) You want to target a specific area that the machine allows you to target

3) Support muscles are failing and you want to isolate the chest

4) You want to do declines but the squat rack is taken :p

5) Apparently* it's ok if you plateau.

For the record, I generally do db presses, but will use a bb for flat, incline is almost always db.

Either way, it's a piece of equipment with a few uses, no point getting mad at it lol.

Edit: Also

If you "train" to look good or "for size" you are a weakling.
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I'd say they're the primary reasons Arnold trained. Simply because being a bigger "size", symmetry (aesthetic) and looking good are more important than what you lift for his comps. If he's a weakling, :'( - I'm pretty stuffed!
 
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