training alone

[Ksly]

hi guys
I was wondering if it was smarter for me to stasrt using more on the smith machine? I workout totally on my own these days.  im just talking about doing  bench/incline/shoulder presses. im still doing the db presses  and other exerise with free weight bar exerises that i wont get stick on. well this slow down my growth??

tanks

[bald]

hi guys
I was wondering if it was smarter for me to stasrt using more on the smith machine? I workout totally on my own these days.  im just talking about doing  bench/incline/shoulder presses. im still doing the db presses  and other exerise with free weight bar exerises that i wont get stick on. well this slow down my growth??

tanks

I've been training alone for years, just ask someone around you for a spot if you need one.

If thats not an option, then the smith is a safe alternative.

[Bluto]

replace bb with db so you wont risk getting stuck underneath the bar. if your gym got a squat rack/cage use it for squatting. smith is ok but free weights are usually better because smith uses a fixed pattern of movement that doesnt suit everybody and every exercise.

[negative51]

Years ago I had a fear of choking to death on incline press.  Finally got stuck and discovered if you just let the bar rest on your chest for about 10 secs you WILL get the rep up (assuming you are doing 4 to 8 reps weight).  The reason is the body recovers about 75% of the str in the muscle after just 10-15 secs.  More than enough str to if you get stuck.

Try it and you'll rarely need a spot.  Even works with 225 lbs stuck on incline.  Conquer the fear and take the muscle to the limit.  Get the...hehehe....negative .

[JPM]

By training alone I'm not sure if you mean at home or at a gym but if at a gym than use a power rack (if they have one). The smith machine is not always a 100% guarantee that you will be in a safe mode or everything will go all right. If a Smith machine is the only option, than that's the only option for you I guess. Might try dips for upper body mass for a change of pace and see what happens, might be surprised.

With due respect to negative51: that would be considered very bad advice. Your assuming too much in a point of failure situation. Not a question of overcoming fear as it is applying common logic to what could become a very dangerious outcome.  Good Luck.

[Cavalier22]

just ask people for spots. if they arent shitheads tehy wont mind.

[Jr. Yates]

i wouldn't want to just use the smith machine all the time cuz i was afraid of gettin pinned. don't use clamps and just challange the weight and if you did get stuck to the point of having to worry call the person working or someone if your hardcor that won't embarase you and you'll keep going.

[Arnold jr]

I have to train alone a lot, and no I'd rather have a consistant partner, but a good one is very hard to find.  I would say in the last year alone I have had more guys jump in with me and quit than any previouse year.  But with that said, I know you can still make good gains training alone, like these others guys have already said, just ask for a spot when you need one, it's not that hard.

[240 or bust]

225 on the smith is NOT the same as 225 on the regular bench.

Mix them up.  Ask for spots. Use DBs. Dips are terrific too, especially with weight hanging from your waist.

[blaster]

Not my suggestion,

but I always get a better pump from heavy benches rather than the smith machine. I don't like it much, unfortunately, my training partner does cause he's lazy. I find some upright machines are ok for chest rather then the smith. Those machines where the movement goes in at the end.

[Bear03]

i wouldn't want to just use the smith machine all the time cuz i was afraid of gettin pinned. don't use clamps and just challange the weight and if you did get stuck to the point of having to worry call the person working or someone if your hardcor that won't embarase you and you'll keep going.

i feel like with some dumbbell exercises, you tend to hit an unconscious mental block, since it's not dangerous to get stuck at the bottom and just drop the weights.

[Jr. Yates]

yeah forsure same wiht the smith your not so worried about getting pinned so you can focus more....same thing with having a spot even if your spot does nothing for you, you can at least concentrate on the lift.

[oldtimer1]

Get a power cage.  I see them in Iron Man mag for a reasonable price.  Then you can bench and squat in safety.  I train alone but I use adjustable racks when I bench and squat.  I haven't seen these racks I picked up anywhere.  Ironmind might have something similar. 

[blaster]

Get a power cage.  I see them in Iron Man mag for a reasonable price.  Then you can bench and squat in safety.  I train alone but I use adjustable racks when I bench and squat.  I haven't seen these racks I picked up anywhere.  Ironmind might have something similar. 

I still find these safety things don't help that much, I mean, if u get stuck at the bottom and the bar is on ur chest, but racked, ur still pinned aren't u?

U just have to know ur limits and be careful.

[oldtimer1]

You can alway move your body out if the barbell is resting on the pins.  I can touch the bar to my chest for every rep without touching the safety bars.   If I get stuck the bar will sink to the safety bars.  It's easy to pull in my chest and pull my body out.  No you're not pinned.

[bmacsys]

hi guys
I was wondering if it was smarter for me to stasrt using more on the smith machine? I workout totally on my own these days.  im just talking about doing  bench/incline/shoulder presses. im still doing the db presses  and other exerise with free weight bar exerises that i wont get stick on. well this slow down my growth??

tanks

For doing flat and incline benchpress dumbells are the way to go. Better range of motion and the coordination needed to balance the weight are the big things in favor of using dumbells. Plus I hurt my pecs using the olympic bar a few times. Never got hurt using dumbells.

[candidate2025]

hi guys
I was wondering if it was smarter for me to stasrt using more on the smith machine? I workout totally on my own these days.  im just talking about doing  bench/incline/shoulder presses. im still doing the db presses  and other exerise with free weight bar exerises that i wont get stick on. well this slow down my growth??

tanks

ive never had a training partner...and never asked some one to spot me..... not becaus im ig and bad..but rather because i lift only weeights that i know i can do ..and i stop repping them out when i know i cant do the next rep.
and i dont max out..ever.


the only time i use the smith machine is sometimes i substitute using it  for shrugs, instead of using the hammer strangth bench press machine for them.

[dontknowit]

One of the baddest experiences during training is with the smith, and not only ounce, but three times.

One time doing press, the shitty system makes to rotate the damn barbell to lift it out, and put it back. During last rep on hand slipped away during the rotation. It was just above my chest, but damn, 280 lbs dropping for two inches does hurt.
The other time was with the smithsquat, or so its been called. Small injury in lower back.
Last time was with neckpress, or so it's called.

If you're used to free weights, dont make the change to smith. It will hurt you cause the motion is unnatural.

[micky55024]

Just use a power rack.  Slide the bench in and lay down.  Find the hole you can pin the safety bars in that allows you to lower the bar to your chest or just above it.   If you get a in a position where you need to bail, you can just lower the bar to the safety bars and then slide out.  Just make sure the bars are secured before you start your lift.

[pumpster]

The Powertec and Body Solid leverage equipment is easily as good as a rack and free weights and is even safer, IMO.

Smith machines are generally not nearly as good, and are harder on the joints. They're better for a few specific moves such as close grip benches and press behind necks. Easier to pump out reps close to failure, with less risk and better focus without worrying about balance.