is it true smith machine wont add much mass from doing bench press???

[matty_2k6]

as it says above^^ i like doing bench on the smith machine simply because i find i have more control but is it true that using it wont add as much mass as just doing a regular bench with barbell, no flaming or nothing plz.

[WCC]

normal barbell bench press is better, yes. it involves stabiliser muscles, whereas the smith machine doesn't. the smith machine can also create imbalances, since you can easily work harder on one side than the other.
with a barbell, this won't happen - if you push harder on one side, the bar will lean to one side. so barbell bench can add more mass, and there's less risk of creating imbalances.

dumbell bench is even better for mass, because stabilisers are used even more. i do 3 types of bench press; decline, flat and incline. i use dumbells for 2 of them and the smith machine for one of them, to alternate between them.

i like to use the smith machine for close-grip bench presses; i do these for triceps, and i find it helps me isolate them a lot better.

[matty_2k6]

i might try DB press then instead of smith machine press thnx. and i also do close grip bench on the smith machine. thnx for the advice.

[PAmos wannabe]

The amount of mass you add is dependant upon calorie consumption.vs.calorie expenditure.

The exercises provide muscle stimulation to ensure that a good amount of this "mass" is muscle.

Due to the smith machine controlling the path of the bar fewer muscles are recruited as stabilizers, resulting in less stimulation than a freeweight barbell.

[Lintford]

This argument is the reason my gym has a free weight smith, you can hook the weight on, yet the path is less controlled.

[BattleHymns]

smiths are good for shrugs =d

[Trini_Boi]

as it says above^^ i like doing bench on the smith machine simply because i find i have more control but is it true that using it wont add as much mass as just doing a regular bench with barbell, no flaming or nothing plz.

yea its true like everybody else said b4 me. you don't use your stabilizer muscles as much. i think smith machine is good for getting use to an exercise rather than using it regularly on one. for example i used the smith to bench press and to do squats b4 i started doing it free weight. it kind of gets your muscles used to the motion.

[TBW]

I never touch the smith machine for flat bench, not many people do in the gyms I have used. If you want more control just drop the weight a bit. Hope you reliase that its likely your smith bar will weigh less than the bar for the bench. In my current gym the smith bar is 15lb where as the olympic bar for benching is 40lb thats quite a bit of difference.

[milo]

The amount of mass you add is dependant upon calorie consumption.vs.calorie expenditure.

The exercises provide muscle stimulation to ensure that a good amount of this "mass" is muscle.

Due to the smith machine controlling the path of the bar fewer muscles are recruited as stabilizers, resulting in less stimulation than a freeweight barbell.

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what he said.

[milo]

I never touch the smith machine for flat bench, not many people do in the gyms I have used. If you want more control just drop the weight a bit. Hope you reliase that its likely your smith bar will weigh less than the bar for the bench. In my current gym the smith bar is 15lb where as the olympic bar for benching is 40lb thats quite a bit of difference.

olympics are 45 I believe