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What is everyone's opinion on Smith machines? I always used them but I guess that makes me a weakling so I don't how to squat anymore.

Merk wrote:What is everyone's opinion on Smith machines? I always used them but I guess that makes me a weakling so I don't how to squat anymore.

They make good towel racks.

To be honest, they encourage an unnatural, fixed movement. That works with some machine movements like cables and even most pressing machines but not with squats. The path of the bar places more load on your knees, taking your hip flexors and hamstrings out of a lot of the movement and front loading that weight onto your knees. It takes the dynamic balance benefits out of squat completely by leaning against a fixed path bar. I get angry when I hear a trainer recommend a smith machine to someone who says squats are painful on their knees, hips, back, whatever. Just teach them the proper mechanics of a squat because 90% of the gym-starting John and Jane Does couldn't squat correctly to save their children. If I use the smith machine, it's for pull up variations or inverted rows.

But... But what if I fuck up and drop the weight and can't put it back up on the rack? I don't want to bother the staff to ask them for a spot!

Merk wrote:But... But what if I fuck up and drop the weight and can't put it back up on the rack? I don't want to bother the staff to ask them for a spot!

I sense a bit of facetiousness, Merk! I'll address it anyways for the low, low price of this coffee I am consuming.

You can still wreck yourself on a smith machine, especially if you put too much weight up thinking, "Oh it's a smith machine so I can do 150% 1RM." You can get trapped under a smith bar way easier than a free weight barbell cause you have no way to dump the smith bar. Most smith machines do have catches you can set up but it's still a forced path that takes away a lot of the full body experience a squat is supposed to be.

Majority of squat racks are power racks and you can set the catch bars at a safe height that both allows you to go to full depth without deloading your shoulders (aka barbell hitting the supports) and to dump the bar safely if needed. I've had to dump my warmup weight before just because of tight hip flexors not activating when I hit the bottom of the movement. Every bodybuilder/powerlifter has had to dump the bar at one point, whether from a shitty setup or exhaustion. If you've never experienced it, I'd say your workouts aren't very challenging. A gym like Planet Fitness would probably kick you out because heaven forbid you work hard at something there. If you do end up dropping the bar and someone smirks, just do the Clay Matthews' sack celebration in response.

Spotting a squat properly looks pretty much like two burly dudes bumpin and grindin, but it's saved me before on a max day. Someone who spots a squat from the back without the squat motion is only setting up the person for injury. Really dude, you're gonna curl 350 if I can't squat it back up?

If you're worried about form, record yourself from the side and we'll go from there.

There's a philosophy in which you should never use supports or spotters. The reason being if you need a spot then the weight you're using is too heavy to lift explosively and powerfully. And you definitely don't need it for anything above a 5 rep max.

DAVE101 wrote:There's a philosophy in which you should never use supports or spotters. The reason being if you need a spot then the weight you're using is too heavy to lift explosively and powerfully. And you definitely don't need it for anything above a 5 rep max.

Not having spotters at a powerlifting meet would be dangerous negligence. Having a spotter allows you to push yourself to failure, which is something many successful bodybuilders utilize in their programs (Yates, Warren, Cutler, Platz, the list goes on and on).

Haha, you guys are awesome.

But seriously that is a legitimate concern of mine - not being able to lift shit far enough to put it back on a rack - which is why I've just used Smith machines in the past for squats. Everything else has been on free weights since I enjoy the natural motions of a lift more than being forced to do something a certain way like on a machine.

How bout that Thanksgiving, guys?!?!

Merk wrote:Haha, you guys are awesome.

But seriously that is a legitimate concern of mine - not being able to lift shit far enough to put it back on a rack - which is why I've just used Smith machines in the past for squats. Everything else has been on free weights since I enjoy the natural motions of a lift more than being forced to do something a certain way like on a machine.

How bout that Thanksgiving, guys?!?!

I'm psyched. Leftovers for a week.

SoDeepPolaris wrote:

Merk wrote:Hell yeah, thanks SDP, I'm glad someone is recognizing my efforts.

I am down to 210 now, I think I will barely be able to slip below 200 come 2012!

Time for an update, Merk.

Well? Did you do it?

April 18, 2011
Yo, does anyone want to put money down on whether or not I can lose 25 pounds by September 1st? I'll put down up to $20 per person.
I put down $10.

September 1, 2011
Lost the weight loss challenge to Chad Chadner and [redacted]. Does anyone want to bet if I can lose 20 pounds before the end of the year? It's literally free money.
I wager whatever I won last time. ($20)

I have $40 on this.

January 1, 2011->February 4, 2011 Went from 181 lbs to 170.8 lbs. Remember, junk food is the devil.

SoDeepPolaris wrote:

DAVE101 wrote:There's a philosophy in which you should never use supports or spotters. The reason being if you need a spot then the weight you're using is too heavy to lift explosively and powerfully. And you definitely don't need it for anything above a 5 rep max.

Not having spotters at a powerlifting meet would be dangerous negligence. Having a spotter allows you to push yourself to failure, which is something many successful bodybuilders utilize in their programs (Yates, Warren, Cutler, Platz, the list goes on and on).

Bodybuilding is stupid.

DAVE101 wrote:

SoDeepPolaris wrote:

DAVE101 wrote:There's a philosophy in which you should never use supports or spotters. The reason being if you need a spot then the weight you're using is too heavy to lift explosively and powerfully. And you definitely don't need it for anything above a 5 rep max.

Not having spotters at a powerlifting meet would be dangerous negligence. Having a spotter allows you to push yourself to failure, which is something many successful bodybuilders utilize in their programs (Yates, Warren, Cutler, Platz, the list goes on and on).

Bodybuilding is stupid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM7uyP6cXgY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI5bCcPQN1k

Most top-level bodybuilders can move a shit ton of weight (except Jay Cutler. Pretty sure my 180lb ass can deadlift more than he can). Most top power lifters could step on a bodybuilding stage if they went on a contest prep diet (Matt Kroc did it).

Some body builders are self-absorbed douches. You find that everywhere, though.

I will take that with a grain of salt.




j/k I'm on a sodium free diet lolol.

This thread is now about sweet potato fries.

SoDeepPolaris wrote:This thread is now about sweet potato fries.

Fantastic! Now I'll start paying attention.