Is Smith Machine Effective For Bench Press Over Barbells?

[Peter_Bishop]

Hey so I was reading another topic but I didnt want to add to it but how effective is Smith Machine as a bench press exercise over regular barbell flat bench press? Im thinking it might help me mentally cause Im always adjusting the bars in my hand to keep it even and the bench always seems slightly wrong angle when looking up at bar.

[bigtallox]

Im thinking it might help me mentally cause Im always adjusting the bars in my hand to keep it even and the bench always seems slightly wrong angle when looking up at bar.

Huh? Are you saying when you bench with a barbell, the bar doesn't go up parallel to the floor ( ie you don't lock out both side at the same time )? So what, don't worry about it. Its certaintly not a reason to start using the smith machine.

[zealot_paul]

Hey so I was reading another topic but I didnt want to add to it but how effective is Smith Machine as a bench press exercise over regular barbell flat bench press? Im thinking it might help me mentally cause Im always adjusting the bars in my hand to keep it even and the bench always seems slightly wrong angle when looking up at bar.

Barbell bench press is better, forces you to stabilize the weight on your own. Maybe your loading the bar too heavy, or simply starting off in an uneven position. Have a gym instructor, or a friend check your form to make sure your doing it right. If its just a strength imbalance, try doing dumbbell bench press for a few weeks, that should even you out, plus its always good to add variety.

[SuicideGripMe]

Smith machines are okay but for big compounds like flat pressing, Id much rather use DB's or a barbell. If I was deadset on using a smith machine, Id use it as an accessory movement, definitly not a primary one.

[Engineer_Guy]

Hey so I was reading another topic but I didnt want to add to it but how effective is Smith Machine as a bench press exercise over regular barbell flat bench press? Im thinking it might help me mentally cause Im always adjusting the bars in my hand to keep it even and the bench always seems slightly wrong angle when looking up at bar.

You shouldn't need to adjust your hands once the bar is unracked. Your hands should be in the proper position when you unrack the bar to keep it stable. Stabilizing the bar is part of what makes using free weights superior to machines. You need to learn how to properly bench press is all. Running to a machine is NOT the answer...

[Peter_Bishop]

Thanks everyone who replied considering all it took was a quick forum search to find this questions answered many times before. Im gonna try it once tomorrow to see how it feels. As for I mean about the bar being wrong its when your on the bench looking up the bar rather than looking straight is is a bit left to right angled so when your lifting it feels weird mentally.

[Farley1324]

Learn the freeweight barbell.

Make sure you hands are evenly placed before unracking. Use the same grip every time and it becomes pretty natural.

Start light. If you are having trouble getting form/technique down a heavy ass weight isn't what you need to be working with just yet.

You dont need to be, and probably shouldn't be, visually focusing on the bar as you are lifting.

[DominationStation]

Short answer: free-weight barbell.

Long answer: free-weight barbell, no doubt.

'Nuff said.

[Vigilante_Inc]

When I first started training all I used was the smith machine when I benched... I worked out alone at a 24 hour gym after 2 a.m. so literally I was the only person there almost every night. I never saw any real improvements... after I started using freeweights though completely different story. I think that the smith machine has it's place in a chest routine though... I still like to use it every once and a while to do things like heavy forced negatives where stabilizers arent really the issue and the fixed path is actually a good thing. But outside of that the only time I use it is for shrugs lol