Angled Smith Machine screwed up my shoulders!!

[Spacemanjupiter]

I injured my shoulders pretty bad about 2 months ago. I did nothing different other than riding my mountain bike pretty hard to the gym, and pretty hard on the way back home. I haven't used my bike for a couple of years. I thought for sure this was the cause. I worked hard at the gym, but no differently than usual other than using an angled smith machine for bench. I got a membership at Planet Fitness because I'm on a budget right now and unfortunately they don't have free bench. I couldn't hardly even move my arms for 2 or 3 weeks, let alone work out. I was afraid I permanently damaged them somehow. After several weeks they began to heal a bit so I went back to the gym and did very light weight with dumbbells. Everything was ok. I began to realize that somehow I damaged my tendons or ligaments. I'm guessing tendons. But, they were healing. Went to the gym a few days ago and did some bench on the smith machine. Next day, to my horror, my shoulders started feeling the same as my initial injury. I then highly suspected it was that damned machine. I did shoulders today with fairly heavy weight, but dumbbells, and I feel great. Those angled tracks are just not natural in the strain they put on your shoulders. I've learned something valuable and will never be using an angled smith machine again, for anything. Dumbbells from here on out. I hope this helps anyone else that may have injured their shoulders while using such a machine and never figured out what on god's earth was doing it. I didn't suspect that at all in the beginning. After doing some research online, I found out that indeed, angled smith machines can damage your shoulders!

[deadwoodgregg]

[daniel327]

I injured my shoulders pretty bad about 2 months ago. I did nothing different other than riding my mountain bike pretty hard to the gym, and pretty hard on the way back home. I haven't used my bike for a couple of years. I thought for sure this was the cause. I worked hard at the gym, but no differently than usual other than using an angled smith machine for bench. I got a membership at Planet Fitness because I'm on a budget right now and unfortunately they don't have free bench. I couldn't hardly even move my arms for 2 or 3 weeks, let alone work out. I was afraid I permanently damaged them somehow. After several weeks they began to heal a bit so I went back to the gym and did very light weight with dumbbells. Everything was ok. I began to realize that somehow I damaged my tendons or ligaments. I'm guessing tendons. But, they were healing. Went to the gym a few days ago and did some bench on the smith machine. Next day, to my horror, my shoulders started feeling the same as my initial injury. I then highly suspected it was that damned machine. I did shoulders today with fairly heavy weight, but dumbbells, and I feel great. Those angled tracks are just not natural in the strain they put on your shoulders. I've learned something valuable and will never be using an angled smith machine again, for anything. Dumbbells from here on out. I hope this helps anyone else that may have injured their shoulders while using such a machine and never figured out what on god's earth was doing it. I didn't suspect that at all in the beginning. After doing some research online, I found out that indeed, angled smith machines can damage your shoulders!

Dear diary.................

[thedickus]

You're preaching to the choir OP. I badly strained one of my dorsal proximal stabilizers doing one legged Hungarian overhead jumping split squats on an angled Smith Machine in a Planet Fitness in Sheboygan. The only thing that helped was using the Sonicator Plus 940 Combination Ultrasound and Muscle Stimulator by Mettler Electronics. Now all is good, but I stay away from angled Smith Machines whenever I'm in Sheboygan.

[ffrink]

You're preaching to the choir OP. I badly strained one of my dorsal proximal stabilizers doing one legged Hungarian overhead jumping split squats on an angled Smith Machine in a Planet Fitness in Sheboygan. The only thing that helped was using the Sonicator Plus 940 Combination Ultrasound and Muscle Stimulator by Mettler Electronics. Now all is good, but I stay away from angled Smith Machines whenever I'm in Sheboygan.

I think I have seen those SP940-CUMSbyME on EBay. Glad you are feeling better!!!!!

[ironwill2008]

After doing some research online, I found out that indeed, angled smith machines can damage your shoulders!

Please post the links to that online research. I'd be very interested to see an actual clinical study on this issue rather than the usual anecdotal gibberish posted in every Smith tread that comes up.



Maybe your research sources will also answer the age-old question of exactly why a Smith, with it's locked-in ROM, is so dangerous when all the other gym equipment that operates in exactly the same way (Leg press, Hack machines, just about everything HammerStrength builds to work every body part imaginable, etc) always gets a "pass."





Thanks.

[aclockworkoi]

Couldn't POSSIBLY have been his form.

[keyboardworkout]

Couldn't POSSIBLY have been his form.

More likely genetics.

[ironwill2008]

Please post the links to that online research. I'd be very interested to see an actual clinical study on this issue rather than the usual anecdotal gibberish posted in every Smith tread that comes up.



Maybe your research sources will also answer the age-old question of exactly why a Smith, with it's locked-in ROM, is so dangerous when all the other gym equipment that operates in exactly the same way (Leg press, Hack machines, just about everything HammerStrength builds to work every body part imaginable, etc) always gets a "pass."





Thanks.

Bump for OP's reply posting the links to the research he's managed to uncover.

[irongrandpa]

Does this mean I need to sell my smith machine & Hammer Strength equipment because of being locked into a fixed ROM?

[daniel327]

Bump for OP's reply posting the links to the research he's managed to uncover.

I wouldn't hold my breath.

Op has started 4 threads on this forum, and has only ever bothered to reply to 1 of them.

Anyhow op:

[ffrink]

Does this mean I need to sell my smith machine & Hammer Strength equipment because of being locked into a fixed ROM?

Unload them before the medical bills pile up. I will stop by this weekend to assist.

[irongrandpa]

Mike you're welcome to stop by anytime, don't hold your breath waiting on the HS stuff to leave with you!

[dskoo65]

You're preaching to the choir OP. I badly strained one of my dorsal proximal stabilizers doing one legged Hungarian overhead jumping split squats on an angled Smith Machine in a Planet Fitness in Sheboygan. The only thing that helped was using the Sonicator Plus 940 Combination Ultrasound and Muscle Stimulator by Mettler Electronics. Now all is good, but I stay away from angled Smith Machines whenever I'm in Sheboygan.

oh wow. you almost gave me a heart attack, until I realized the machine ive been using is in Cheboygan (MI) and not Sheboygan (WI).

[ironwill2008]

Bumping for links to studies.



Surely opie will deliver.