what do you think about doing squats with a smith machine , will it be the same if i do them in a cage.
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Thread: squats with a smith machine
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04-02-2005, 12:40 AM #1
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04-02-2005, 12:41 AM #2
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04-02-2005, 12:42 AM #3
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04-02-2005, 01:20 AM #4
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you are much better off doing them with free weights
"Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom."
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04-02-2005, 01:41 AM #5
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04-02-2005, 01:48 AM #6
why would you want to isolate your quads when doing them with freeweights uses the stablizer muscles which makes for a way better leg workout... smith machine helps for certain things but squats is not 1 of them i will guarantee you that anyone who uses the machine and says they can do like 200lbs or whatever wont be doing that when they try freeweights they will be wobbling all over the place.. same goes for benching
No Pain..No Gain.. Remain The Same...
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04-02-2005, 01:52 AM #7
that's true, you won't do as much weight as you would with free weight, but like i said before it's a personal preference, and some people may feel more comfortable doing smithe squats instead.
basket, here's a link to another thread just like this. FYI.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...ghlight=smitheLast edited by PhearaZer; 04-02-2005 at 01:54 AM.
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04-02-2005, 02:32 AM #8
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04-02-2005, 02:51 AM #9
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04-02-2005, 04:22 AM #10Originally Posted by DCxNo Pain..No Gain.. Remain The Same...
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04-02-2005, 05:55 AM #11
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04-02-2005, 08:59 AM #12
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04-02-2005, 10:00 AM #13
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"
The difference between the smith machine and a free weight bench press is significant in terms of overall gains. There are several important neurological factors at play here:
balance proprioception: In every exercise you do there is an element of balance, or to put it more technically a feedback loop that constantly adjusts recruitment of agonist, antagonist and synergists in order to maintain the desired output. This is a facet of the CNS, so it's centrally controlled and can be improved by using primarily free weight exercises, and even more so by using CKCE exercise, closed kinetic chain exercises. Squats on the smith machine would be a very seriously bad idea, as squatting is THE exercise which improves balance proprioception to the greatest extent. For bench press it's less of a concern, but it's still a concern.
Other than the effect on the CNS, the fact is that using EMG study and simply common sense, a free weight bench press recruits more muscle fibres it's as simple as that. The body does not and cannot hypertrophy on the scale of an individual muscle, the synergists of that muscle must also hypertrophy or the body would be in a constant state of imbalance and injury.
force proprioception: force proprioception is another attribute that operates both peripherally and centrally, and boils down to this, how heavy does an exercise feel and in what is the specific adaption required to deal with that force? Many people erroneously think that the squat is the king of exercises because of hormone release, which obviously is completely wrong, the actual amount or change in hormone release whilst squatting is insignificant. If you want to release a lot of test go to bed, if you want to release a lot of GH go do some endurance training. The real power of squatting is that as a load bearing exercise is has an extremely strong effect on the force proprioception of the CNS.
Although you may be able to apply a RPE (rating of percieved effort) of 100% to both smith bench and free weight bench, or in other words you will be pushing with everything you have for both exercises. The actual response of the body will be quite different given the demands of the exercise. It just isn't true that load is load is load no matter what the source is, the body can tell a cable from a free weight from a machine.
In terms of injury I don't believe that it matters, it's not WHAT you do it's HOW you do it that determines injury rates. The body can adapt to cope with almost anything.
"<->
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04-02-2005, 10:34 AM #14
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Originally Posted by MrBRoc
Some of us do not use the squat as a bragging tool. Sorry. Same with the bench press. I am for working the muscle I am wanting to work and doing it the safest way possible. I use the Smith Machine most because I NEVER have a spotter. But even if I did use the free weights all of the time I would never go around telling people I can squat 200 or whatever. I don't care what I squat as long as the muscles are getting worked. If the numbers go up.... great. If not fine. I can tell when I am gaining muscle and it doesn't have to be by the numbers I am lifting either.
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04-02-2005, 10:40 AM #15
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Originally Posted by basket of soft
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...ht=smith+squat
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...ht=smith+squat
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...ht=smith+squat
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...ht=smith+squat
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...ht=smith+squat
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04-02-2005, 10:48 AM #16
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04-02-2005, 10:56 AM #17
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Originally Posted by cardioking
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04-02-2005, 11:04 AM #18
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04-02-2005, 12:06 PM #19Originally Posted by cardioking
Last edited by MrBRoc; 04-02-2005 at 12:08 PM.
No Pain..No Gain.. Remain The Same...
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04-02-2005, 02:20 PM #20Originally Posted by MrBRoc
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04-02-2005, 04:57 PM #21
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04-02-2005, 05:18 PM #22
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04-02-2005, 05:40 PM #23
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04-02-2005, 07:47 PM #24
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04-02-2005, 10:50 PM #25
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04-02-2005, 11:04 PM #26
I have a smith machine that I have in my garage and I have used it for several years. Every now for about three months every year (Jan through to the end of March) I get a pass at a local gym. I squat about 330 on the smith and I have absolutely no problem going as heavy or heavier with the free weights and on both I squat to about the point that a 90 degree andle forms with the upper and lower leg. I can go lower but a smith tends to put you in a bad position due to the range of motion. I don't lose my balance or feel like I am tipping at all. Aside from that I do not notice much difference in lifts. Currently I am repping about 405 on the free squat. So I don't buy the nonsense that smith's are no good. My lifts on bench are not really any different either. The key is to develop a balanced workout so you do train the stabalizers. For instance, I do alot of deadlifts and stiff legged deadlifts and walking lunges for my legs as well and I do a lot of dumbell presses and flyes and so on. A smith can be used in a well planned workout program to help you effectively achieve your goals.
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04-02-2005, 11:15 PM #27
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04-02-2005, 11:30 PM #28
<quote>I have a hard time believing this, sorry.<quote>
Well, it's true. Granted, sticking to smith squats (or bench, etc.) exclusively over a long period of time will make returning to the free weights quite strange. And yes, there is a difference in the amount of weight used (I rep 4 plates for squats in a smith, and 3 and a quarter on free weights). However, the smith has its advantages, the biggest of which is back stabilization. Being a taller person (6'1"), squatting heavy unlocks the hips during the descent, which can get scary, even in a safety cage-- it's still very easy to pitch forward too far and hurt the back when you're really pushing yourself. So I stick with the free weights, and continue to push hard on them, continually upping the poundages and reps. At the same time, squatting occasionally on the smith allows me to focus exclusively on the legs without having to worry about pitching forward. (And it's true that, if the stabilizer muscles are also worked hard, using the smith occasionally isn't a problem, as long as it doesn't become a crutch.)
-lifepulse
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04-02-2005, 11:38 PM #29
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04-03-2005, 09:47 AM #30Originally Posted by johnsbod
Benching 200 lbs on a smith doesn't mean you can barely get a plate on free weights, that is ridiculous. Also, if you read the post, I incorporate a lot of full range movements with dumbells etc. I have used a smith for years for all kinds of lifts and have not found it to cause me to be weaker on other lifts.
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