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[Arnold jr]

I noticed that my lower back took a pounding from hacksquats, the compression involved isn't the same as with regular squats.

At least with regular squats your spine remains in its natural alignment, with hacks it's forces flat with no give which puts your lower back in a precarious position.

I don't recommend squats in the Smith Machine for the same reason.

It's not a natural movement.


DIV

Agreed, I hate Smith squats for that very reason.

[DIVISION]

Agreed, I hate Smith squats for that very reason.

I've been explaining that to bodybuilders for a long time, but they tend to love the Smith Machine.

I see it as a cheat and I don't use it with clients either.......



DIV

[Arnold jr]

I've been explaining that to bodybuilders for a long time, but they tend to love the Smith Machine.

I see it as a cheat and I don't use it with clients either.......



DIV

I've got a few clients that I use it with but only a few.

Typically these will be ones who have balance issues in the beginning because they are overweight, and I have one taht has some severe knee problems and it seems to be our only option.

In these cases though we're talking about women, and we're talking about only squatting with the bar on the smith machine until they get comfortable with the movement and we can then move to other things.

As for using the smith myself...I will use it for BB shrugs sometimes, and reverse grip BB rows.

[DIVISION]

As for using the smith myself...I will use it for BB shrugs sometimes, and reverse grip BB rows.

Shrugs with DB's are better for you, esp core balance.

When I see the Smith Machine, I think "cheat exercise"......



DIV

[abc123]

I really need to start working my legs harder.  Since my knee surgery about a year ago, I've never really gotten back into legs with 100% intensity.  They've already grown quite a bit just catching up after atrophying.  I guess I need to stop being a pussy and hit them hard.  I bet I could put 10 lbs on my legs easy if I just quit being a lazy fuck.

They are by far my least favorite body part to train.  What about you guys?

[Arnold jr]

Shrugs with DB's are better for you, esp core balance.

When I see the Smith Machine, I think "cheat exercise"......



DIV

Like I said, the smith is not typically the best option. But if you're strict about your form, IMO there are a few things that you can do with it that can be beneficial.

DB shrugs, I do them but prefer the bar...heavier weight and it just feels better to me.

I really need to start working my legs harder.  Since my knee surgery about a year ago, I've never really gotten back into legs with 100% intensity.  They've already grown quite a bit just catching up after atrophying.  I guess I need to stop being a pussy and hit them hard.  I bet I could put 10 lbs on my legs easy if I just quit being a lazy fuck.

They are by far my least favorite body part to train.  What about you guys?

Shoulders are my least favorite simply because they hurt to train more then anything else...I'm talking about that annoying bad hurt, not injury but the "shoulder nag" Very irritating!

[DIVISION]

Like I said, the smith is not typically the best option. But if you're strict about your form, IMO there are a few things that you can do with it that can be beneficial.

DB shrugs, I do them but prefer the bar...heavier weight and it just feels better to me.

Shoulders are my least favorite simply because they hurt to train more then anything else...I'm talking about that annoying bad hurt, not injury but the "shoulder nag" Very irritating!

I know what you mean.

When shoulders start "aching" the workouts can be devastating.

I've taken care of my body all these years so I don't have any real issues.

I recommend some deep tissue massage for those delts.

If she needs to use a meat tenderizer to get through that scar tissue, so be it.   



DIV

[Arnold jr]

I know what you mean.

When shoulders start "aching" the workouts can be devastating.

I've taken care of my body all these years so I don't have any real issues.

I recommend some deep tissue massage for those delts.

If she needs to use a meat tenderizer to get through that scar tissue, so be it.   



DIV

That's funny...last year when I was towards the end of my diet my legs were killing me so bad that I got a one hour massage just on my legs. When the girl got to the top of my glutes she felt several knots and asked me what in the world that was. I made some BS up about how when you work legs hard you get knots sometimes, lol!

[DIVISION]

That's funny...last year when I was towards the end of my diet my legs were killing me so bad that I got a one hour massage just on my legs. When the girl got to the top of my glutes she felt several knots and asked me what in the world that was. I made some BS up about how when you work legs hard you get knots sometimes, lol!

That's bullshit.

Those massage therapists can tell when you use AAS because the scar tissue knots that form are different from the usual type of scar tissue.

They've told me they know the secrets of the "Darkside".



DIV

[Arnold jr]

That's bullshit.

Those massage therapists can tell when you use AAS because the scar tissue knots that form are different from the usual type of scar tissue.

They've told me they know the secrets of the "Darkside".



DIV

She may have known but she didn't act like she did...if she knew she played dumb.

[DIVISION]

She may have known but she didn't act like she did...if she knew she played dumb.

I think they know and I won't deny it if they ask.

The Darkside has left several knots of scar tissue on my body.

Too many Tren injections.   



DIV

[tbombz]

division is all that and a bag of potatoe chips

[Luv2Hurt]

I will do close grip bench, shoulder presses and one in a while incline presses in the smith, but thats it.

Never liked squating in it, locks you into one plane does not let your body move naturaly IME.

I do like shoulder presses in it, cuts down on the chance for injury there.  DB shoulder presses are best IMO but they take lots of effort getting dbs in position just too risky when going heavy, I have hurt my back kicking up heavy DBs.

Yeah whenever i use the smith i look at it as a bit of slacking move, preffer free weights.  But machines have a place and when you can put a good tension on the muscle for a good time you will grow.

[DIVISION]

DB shoulder presses are best IMO but they take lots of effort getting dbs in position just too risky when going heavy, I have hurt my back kicking up heavy DBs.

The way I look at it, if you can't lock the DB's in to the set position, you shouldn't be lifting the weight.

Your quads are launching pads for the DB's......and your wrists should be strong enough to handle it.

As you get older, wrist straps might be mandatory, but you shouldn't use the Smith Machine as a crutch......it's not optimal for functional strength.

See alot of bodybuilders who live on it, but they don't lift heavy on DB presses or anything that requires true strength and time under tension.

This is where I differ with alot of lifters.......do less weight on a compound movement than more weight on a cheat machine.

Alot of bodybuilders I see are so obsessed with weight they forget about secondary muscle groups which are only worked in the compound free-weight movements.

Call is the "Kamali" complex........half-reps and bad form.

Are you controlling the weight or are you just controlling the concentric portion of the exercise?   





DIV

[Luv2Hurt]

The way I look at it, if you can't lock the DB's in to the set position, you shouldn't be lifting the weight.

Your quads are launching pads for the DB's......and your wrists should be strong enough to handle it.

As you get older, wrist straps might be mandatory, but you shouldn't use the Smith Machine as a crutch......it's not optimal for functional strength.

See alot of bodybuilders who live on it, but they don't lift heavy on DB presses or anything that requires true strength and time under tension.

This is where I differ with alot of lifters.......do less weight on a compound movement than more weight on a cheat machine.

Alot of bodybuilders I see are so obsessed with weight they forget about secondary muscle groups which are only worked in the compound free-weight movements.

Call is the "Kamali" complex........half-reps and bad form.

Are you controlling the weight or are you just controlling the concentric portion of the exercise?   





DIV

Yes control of weight in eccentric and isometric also, I'm too old to be bouncing weights around LOL, that would hurt me.  After years of training you learn how to feel the weight and work the proper ROM for exercises.  But I learn something new training all the time. 

[tbombz]

Yes control of weight in eccentric and isometric also, I'm too old to be bouncing weights around LOL, that would hurt me.  After years of training you learn how to feel the weight and work the proper ROM for exercises.  But I learn something new training all the time. 

pause and squeeze at the peak contraction point..  for example  with your hands close to gether at the bottom of cable crossovers..  just squeeeezzzeeeeeee...   ever do this ? burns like hell and the pump is crazy

[Luv2Hurt]

pause and squeeze at the peak contraction point..  for example  with your hands close to gether at the bottom of cable crossovers..  just squeeeezzzeeeeeee...   ever do this ? burns like hell and the pump is crazy

Yeah have got a good burn that way on crossovers!

[io856]

Its always great when your balls come close to their original size isn't it. 

This song is dedicated to all the users out there who are coming off or are off 

[abc123]

That's funny...shoulder's are actually my favorite bodypart to train by far.  But, it's probably because they are my best bodypart so it's fun to see them pumped. 

I just have to figure out how to get my head into training legs....so, I may go back to reps.  That has always worked well for me for some reason and is much easier/safer that heavy weight.

[io856]

nothing makes my quads feel more torn up than heavy ass full squats and full leg presses

[DIVISION]

nothing makes my quads feel more torn up than heavy ass full squats and full leg presses

Cortisol.......Cortisol. ..........

Squats are the worst.



DIV

[io856]

What??

I dunno man I have been religiously performing squats for years and my legs have gone from skinny to great.

But it does stress you out when you have to pump up for the lift and psyche up. Is that what you mean?

[DIVISION]

What??

I dunno man I have been religiously performing squats for years and my legs have gone from skinny to great.

But it does stress you out when you have to pump up for the lift and psyche up. Is that what you mean?

Squats take me forever to recover from.........cortisol, the stress hormone that tears down muscle tissue.



DIV

[Rimbaud]

I do them on a machine and I hate the hack squat machine that we have at my gym. It's the hammer strength brand one and it's one of the few hammer strength brand machines that I think is a piece of crap.

The first pic is the kind of hack squat we have. The second is the kind I like. I've noticed before that with the hammer strength brand hack squat machine it is easy to let your lower back and but come up and creat a space of air when you go all the way down, which is what I am guessing must have happened...I'm not sure if that's what happened or not because I didn't notice it until I came off of the machine.

For some strange reason I like the Hammer Strength Hack Squat Machine. It just takes some time getting used to it. I started doing this crazy exercise with it (I don't think I developed it but who knows) recently & I like the results. I don't use the platform I start with my feet on the floor & go uuntil my knees almost touch the platform (really slowly). I don't use a ton of weight but I defidently feel it in the quads. I hope all that made sense.

[Rimbaud]

I've been explaining that to bodybuilders for a long time, but they tend to love the Smith Machine.

I see it as a cheat and I don't use it with clients either.......



DIV

I don't care for the Smith Machine - sometimes I'll do light bench squats on them but that's about it. Every now & then I'll mix it up with a little close-grip benching or something but that's about it.