Smith Machine Bench and squat Vs Free weight?

[Dom!]

Hi all,
I've just started properly going to the gym (I've been doing body weight, weighted vest and <20kg dumbbell work at home) and since I have to workout quite late a lot of the time and none of my friends go to my gym, I don't have a spotter.

At the gym there's a smith machine which I used quite recently and really liked it because:
1) I can push myself to almost failure, knowing that I'm not risking dropping the weights on myself.
2) I don't need a spotter

But I realise that free-weights use your stabilizer muscles more and so are probably better.


What I want to know is:
1) Will the smith machine give me functional strength (I don't care about size)?
2) How can I stimulate the stabilizer muscles in a low-risk way?
2.5) If I do smith machine work and then other stuff to stimulate my stabilizer muscles, will this be as good as doing benching with free weights?


thanks

[ctgblue]

if you work heavy on the smith, then work heavy incline db presses, you should be fine
I don't use a regular flat bench for two reasons
More people get hurt on flat bb bench press than any other exercise, and I need the smith so I can reposition my hands due to a rebuilt wrist
so I do smith incline, HS wide press, heavy DB inclines and flies
if you are by yourself, and set the stops, and have the brains to set yourself up properly under the smith, you are going to get a great workout
massive guys use them everyday, especially on DC style programs

[HardKore79]

if you work heavy on the smith, then work heavy incline db presses, you should be fine
I don't use a regular flat bench for two reasons
More people get hurt on flat bb bench press than any other exercise, and I need the smith so I can reposition my hands due to a rebuilt wrist
so I do smith incline, HS wide press, heavy DB inclines and flies
if you are by yourself, and set the stops, and have the brains to set yourself up properly under the smith, you are going to get a great workout
massive guys use them everyday, especially on DC style programsI totally agree with CTG! I too, avoid the flat bench at all costs. I already had some sort of impingment from it and took me out for about 2 months.

[Skidmarx]

Oh no...another lightweight worried about stabilizer muscles. :D

Lift heavy and get big on whatever you use, worry about stabilizers later.

[Dom!]

Woah thanks all 3 of you for the tips:
Skidmarx: Can you elaborate on why I shouldn't worry about stabilizers now?

Would this be a decent tricep/pec workout?
- 20kg dumbbell incline press (don't want to do a very high weight)
- 62.5kg (just started) benchpress on smith machine
- Explosive press-ups (just for explosive power)

thanks

[ctgblue]

I would do the opposite for now, warm up and go as heavy as you can on incline DB, then burnout on the smith bench, in two weeks switch

my gym only goes to 45kg db's so I have to burn out on the smith or HS wide press first, otherwise I just wind up doing sets of 15-20 reps with the DB's

[Dom!]

I would do the opposite for now, warm up and go as heavy as you can on incline DB, then burnout on the smith bench, in two weeks switch

my gym only goes to 45kg db's so I have to burn out on the smith or HS wide press first, otherwise I just wind up doing sets of 15-20 reps with the DB's

Ok I'll try.
But DB bench press (heavy) is a problem for me because my DB bicep curl is definitely weaker than my DB incline press.
What's the best way to lift up the two dumbbells to start pressing?

thanks

[rplass]

Smith machine is fine for presses. Don't worry about your "stabilizer" muscles, whatever those are supposed to be. Just lift heavy and focus, you'll do just fine and get beginner's gains. Mix in db's too just for variation.

To get the db's up into position for incline presses, stand over the bench with a db in each hand, put the flat part of the db against the fronts of your thighs and sit down, then roll back onto the bench and kick up your knees and let the momentum of your roll and your knee kicks lift the db's.

[HardKore79]

What's the best way to lift up the two dumbbells to start pressing?

thanks

Power Hooks

[ctgblue]

What's the best way to lift up the two dumbbells to start pressing?

thanks

The knee up method
You knee one to the shoulder, as soon as you put that foot down, the other comes up, you lean back and press them up, them reverse to put them down

hint: posers dump their dumbbells, proving they cannot handle them to begin with