Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Gym
squirrell79
Posts: 154 Member
Ok, it was actually at the gym, and while it's not laugh-out-loud hysterical, I thought it might provide some amusement here.
BACKGROUND: I've been working through Chalean Extreme, an introductory strength training DVD program. Yes, I know it's not Stronglifts or NROLFW, etc....but it's worked for me. I'm now very comfortable with dumbbells and have made good rookie progress. Thanks to MFP, I've become interested in learning more about "heavy lifting" and Stronglifts and all that good stuff--e.g., where to go after my DVDs are finished.
TODAY: I normally do my weights at home (we have a good range of dumbbells), but today I went to the gym. After reading stuff and watching many YouTube videos on proper form, today I decided to try an actual deadlift with an actual barbell. I used ONLY the barbell because (A) I wanted to go slow, (B) concentrate on good form, and (C) not kill myself (the barbell is heavy for me). Hey, we all have to start somewhere, right?
I did a few of these and then put the barbell away. A middle-aged guy asked me what I'd been doing (he couldn't see from where he was originally). I said I was trying to learn to deadlift. His eyes lit up and he said, "Ah! You should be using this machine over here. Let me show you." He then walked me over to the Smith machine and told me all about how great it was and how it would keep my back straight and not let me injure myself. "See, if you want to make it heavier, just put some weights on the ends!"
He was actually very friendly, and I didn't mind it because I knew that he meant well. We went our separate ways, and it was all good. No harm done. But honestly, I was just trying not to laugh because I knew exactly what 99% of the MFP population would have said to him!
BACKGROUND: I've been working through Chalean Extreme, an introductory strength training DVD program. Yes, I know it's not Stronglifts or NROLFW, etc....but it's worked for me. I'm now very comfortable with dumbbells and have made good rookie progress. Thanks to MFP, I've become interested in learning more about "heavy lifting" and Stronglifts and all that good stuff--e.g., where to go after my DVDs are finished.
TODAY: I normally do my weights at home (we have a good range of dumbbells), but today I went to the gym. After reading stuff and watching many YouTube videos on proper form, today I decided to try an actual deadlift with an actual barbell. I used ONLY the barbell because (A) I wanted to go slow, (B) concentrate on good form, and (C) not kill myself (the barbell is heavy for me). Hey, we all have to start somewhere, right?
I did a few of these and then put the barbell away. A middle-aged guy asked me what I'd been doing (he couldn't see from where he was originally). I said I was trying to learn to deadlift. His eyes lit up and he said, "Ah! You should be using this machine over here. Let me show you." He then walked me over to the Smith machine and told me all about how great it was and how it would keep my back straight and not let me injure myself. "See, if you want to make it heavier, just put some weights on the ends!"
He was actually very friendly, and I didn't mind it because I knew that he meant well. We went our separate ways, and it was all good. No harm done. But honestly, I was just trying not to laugh because I knew exactly what 99% of the MFP population would have said to him!
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Replies
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I'm lost what would they have said??0
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Well, most of the lifting folks on MFP would have laughed at the guy and said, "Thanks, but no thanks!"
And they probably would have been thinking things not suitable for printing in a family paper. :-)0 -
Well, most of the lifting folks on MFP would have laughed at the guy and said, "Thanks, but no thanks!"
And they probably would have been thinking things not suitable for printing in a family paper. :-)
So smith machine = no good?0 -
Haha that's funny! A similar thing happened to me one of my first times at the gym. I was waiting on a squat rack and one of the trainers came up to me and said "we have more on the other side of that wall that usually aren't occupied, if you want to go over there!" Excited, I walked around the wall to the other side... only to see that there were no actual squat racks, only smith machines :grumble: I snuck back over to the squat racks later when the trainer wasn't looking!0
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Deadlifts on a smith machine...that's a new one on me.0
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Smith machine = injury machine. Forces you into unnatural movement patterns that will eventually cause injury.Well, most of the lifting folks on MFP would have laughed at the guy and said, "Thanks, but no thanks!"
And they probably would have been thinking things not suitable for printing in a family paper. :-)
So smith machine = no good?0 -
Smith machine = injury machine. Forces you into unnatural movement patterns that will eventually cause injury.Well, most of the lifting folks on MFP would have laughed at the guy and said, "Thanks, but no thanks!"
And they probably would have been thinking things not suitable for printing in a family paper. :-)
So smith machine = no good?
I see0 -
The 'Smith' machine could be better for you though since you're just starting out and you even mentioned that the bar itself is heavy (45lbs) so I personally think you should go that route until you achieve perfect form and your ideal weight, he did mean well and being a weight lifter myself I wouldn't have said anything mean/offensive towards him at all, just simply 'thanks for the tip!' And then keep doing what I was doing. I have that happen more often than people would think and most of the time they are great tips!!
Congrats on taking the next step, changing up your routine will end in results!!0 -
Haha that's funny! A similar thing happened to me one of my first times at the gym. I was waiting on a squat rack and one of the trainers came up to me and said "we have more on the other side of that wall that usually aren't occupied, if you want to go over there!" Excited, I walked around the wall to the other side... only to see that there were no actual squat racks, only smith machines :grumble: I snuck back over to the squat racks later when the trainer wasn't looking!
Good for you! I see that you're a female. I think that your episode and mine were/are at least partially due to the fact that of being a female. In my case, I'm fairly short. I doubt the guy would have approached my husband and led him eagerly to the Smith machine.0 -
Ugh, sounds like a terrible idea. Truly bad.0
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Deadlifting in a smith machine is a terrible idea. The range of movement that the machine allows is totally wrong for pretty much any lift, but it's really bad for deadlifting, not even getting into the fact that I doubt the machine allows the bar to drop low enough to be in the proper starting position. The OP can start with a lighter bar, a much better idea than the Smith machine.The 'Smith' machine could be better for you though since you're just starting out and you even mentioned that the bar itself is heavy (45lbs) so I personally think you should go that route until you achieve perfect form and your ideal weight, he did mean well and being a weight lifter myself I wouldn't have said anything mean/offensive towards him at all, just simply 'thanks for the tip!' And then keep doing what I was doing. I have that happen more often than people would think and most of the time they are great tips!!
Congrats on taking the next step, changing up your routine will end in results!!0 -
Haha that's funny! A similar thing happened to me one of my first times at the gym. I was waiting on a squat rack and one of the trainers came up to me and said "we have more on the other side of that wall that usually aren't occupied, if you want to go over there!" Excited, I walked around the wall to the other side... only to see that there were no actual squat racks, only smith machines :grumble: I snuck back over to the squat racks later when the trainer wasn't looking!
Good for you! I see that you're a female. I think that your episode and mine were/are at least partially due to the fact that of being a female. In my case, I'm fairly short. I doubt the guy would have approached my husband and led him eagerly to the Smith machine.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that has something to do with it! I'm petite as well and definitely didn't look like I belonged with all the bros lifting heavy, haha. At least we both knew the smith machines weren't a good option!0 -
The thought of trying to deadlift with the smith machine just hurts my brain.0
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I use the smith machine for ALOT of exercises. Its especially good if you are starting out and you want to learn and keep good form. Plus if you dont have a spotter its a good thing to use.
I do push ups, pull ups, donkey kicks, squats, deadlifts, lunges. rows chest press, tricep presses in the smith machine. Plus you can add weights safely.
Dont discount it.0 -
Well, the Smith machine will take away several things from your deadlift: 1) development of stabilization muscles, 2) awareness of the proper mechanics, aka, the 'groove' and what it feels like, 3) it may even force you into bad habits. I'm sure that guy meant well, but he didn't seem to know enough to know that he was a beginner with some misconceptions.
I would encourage you to find a personal trainer who can help you translate what you learned on video into real-time work in the gym. The deadlift is a rather technical lift. Done properly, the deadlift will help your posture, strengthen your core muscles and even help rehab a back injury. Done incorrectly it can be an injury waiting to happen.0 -
But what happened on the way to the gym?0
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I use the smith machine for ALOT of exercises. Its especially good if you are starting out and you want to learn and keep good form. Plus if you dont have a spotter its a good thing to use.
I do push ups, pull ups, donkey kicks, squats, deadlifts, lunges. rows chest press, tricep presses in the smith machine. Plus you can add weights safely.
Dont discount it.
Yikes. It does the opposite of teaching good form. It's the worst thing to use for any beginner. Especially a deadlift, what's the point of using a smith machine? There's no danger involved in deadlifting, it's not like you can drop the weight on yourself. There is absolutely zero reason to use a smith machine for deadlifting (or just about any other exercise, honestly). A bar and some weights is all you need.0 -
I use the smith machine for ALOT of exercises. Its especially good if you are starting out and you want to learn and keep good form. Plus if you dont have a spotter its a good thing to use.
I do push ups, pull ups, donkey kicks, squats, deadlifts, lunges. rows chest press, tricep presses in the smith machine. Plus you can add weights safely.
Dont discount it.
DO discount it. Seriously. It's the opposite of good form because in most exercises your body doesn't move the bar in a single plane. So instead the bar moving naturally your fold your body into the straight up and down motion and add stress to joints that you do not want. There are a handful of movements an advanced lifter might use it for that involve very short ranges of motion.
But for most people....AVOID0 -
Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Gym
We're still waiting for that story. I'm dying to know what happened on the way there. Why would you tease us like that and never tell us?0 -
I use the smith machine for ALOT of exercises. Its especially good if you are starting out and you want to learn and keep good form. Plus if you dont have a spotter its a good thing to use.
I do push ups, pull ups, donkey kicks, squats, deadlifts, lunges. rows chest press, tricep presses in the smith machine. Plus you can add weights safely.
Dont discount it.
Feel free to keep using it, but there actually ARE a lot of valid reasons to avoid the Smith machine. Check out these articles if you're interested in learning more.
http://www.2buildmusclefast.com/2011/02/smith-machines-good-or-bad.html
http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/avoid_lifting_injuries/The_Smith_Machine.php
http://www.changing-bodies.com/blog/2010/12/3-reasons-why-the-smith-machine-sucks0 -
We're still waiting for that story. I'm dying to know what happened on the way there. Why would you tease us like that and never tell us?
Sorry -- I was trying to be clever and riff off that old movie, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." My drive to the gym was actually quite pedestrian (har, har).
I will say, I was surprised at how the Smith machine felt. I've seen them referenced thousands of times here on MFP but never tried one in person. It felt spring-loaded, like I could put 100 lbs on there and the machine would help me lift them easily.
I definitely understand the perspective that it might be good for a beginner; however, I'm fortunate in that my gym is currently running a special on training sessions, and I plan to sign up for a few sessions in order to get real live instruction on deadlifts, squats, etc. I did my best to imitate the videos, but of course a trainer would be able to identify things that I wouldn't. I think it will be a good purchase, since I am a novice and would like to do things correctly from the start.0 -
Ok, it was actually at the gym, and while it's not laugh-out-loud hysterical, I thought it might provide some amusement here.
BACKGROUND: I've been working through Chalean Extreme, an introductory strength training DVD program. Yes, I know it's not Stronglifts or NROLFW, etc....but it's worked for me. I'm now very comfortable with dumbbells and have made good rookie progress. Thanks to MFP, I've become interested in learning more about "heavy lifting" and Stronglifts and all that good stuff--e.g., where to go after my DVDs are finished.
TODAY: I normally do my weights at home (we have a good range of dumbbells), but today I went to the gym. After reading stuff and watching many YouTube videos on proper form, today I decided to try an actual deadlift with an actual barbell. I used ONLY the barbell because (A) I wanted to go slow, (B) concentrate on good form, and (C) not kill myself (the barbell is heavy for me). Hey, we all have to start somewhere, right?
I did a few of these and then put the barbell away. A middle-aged guy asked me what I'd been doing (he couldn't see from where he was originally). I said I was trying to learn to deadlift. His eyes lit up and he said, "Ah! You should be using this machine over here. Let me show you." He then walked me over to the Smith machine and told me all about how great it was and how it would keep my back straight and not let me injure myself. "See, if you want to make it heavier, just put some weights on the ends!"
He was actually very friendly, and I didn't mind it because I knew that he meant well. We went our separate ways, and it was all good. No harm done. But honestly, I was just trying not to laugh because I knew exactly what 99% of the MFP population would have said to him!
Okaaayyyyy....0 -
smith machines are not bad very good for certain workouts and also helps prepare you i would say they are like training wheels till your ready for the real thing whatever helps you make gains do it
CT fletcher
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there's never a good time to use a smith. You're just robbing yourself of important core work.0
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My number one use for a smith machine? Bar-tri's. That's a body weight exercise where you lower the bar all the way on the Smith machine and get in a plank position with your hands on the Smith machine's bar. Then use your body weight to do a tricep extension behind your head. You can modify the resistance by the position of your feet: moving your feet closer to the bar (or farther apart from each other) makes it easier. This exercise is a good way to work triceps because it allows you to train to failure without risk of injury.
My number two use for a Smith machine? Rope-tri's. That's a bar-tri (see above) where you hang a rope off the bar and grab your onto the rope when doing the tricep extension.
My number one use for a smith machine? Hang a towel over it.
For other uses of the Smith Machine some translation is required: See below:
Smith machine is good for squats. Translation: I'm a beginner and don't know what I'm talking about.
Smith machine Is good for bench. Translation: I'm a beginner and don't know what I'm talking about.
Smith machine is good for deadlifts. Translation: I'm a beginner and don't know what I'm talking about.
Smith machine is good for incline bench. Translation: I'm a beginner and don't know what I'm talking about.0 -
My number one use for a smith machine? Bar-tri's. That's a body weight exercise where you lower the bar all the way on the Smith machine and get in a plank position with your hands on the Smith machine's bar. Then use your body weight to do a tricep extension behind your head. You can modify the resistance by the position of your feet: moving your feet closer to the bar (or farther apart from each other) makes it easier. This exerci
se is a good way to work triceps because it allows you to train to failure without risk of injury.
My number two use for a Smith machine? Rope-tri's. That's a bar-tri (see above) where you hang a rope off the bar and grab your onto the rope when doing the tricep extension.
My number one use for a smith machine? Hang a towel over it.
For other uses of the Smith Machine some translation is required: See below:
Smith machine is good for squats. Translation: I'm a beginner and don't know what I'm talking about.
Smith machine Is good for bench. Translation: I'm a beginner and don't know what I'm talking about.
Smith machine is good for deadlifts. Translation: I'm a beginner and don't know what I'm talking about.
Smith machine is good for incline bench. Translation: I'm a beginner and don't know what I'm talking about.
I guess Arnold Schwarzenegger is a beginner in those pictures using. A smith machine0 -
I used the smith machine the first day I did stronglifts (this past wed) because I was scared I would fall on my butt with the regular rack lol then I came and asked if it was ok to use that machine, and was told its really hard to progress with things like the barbell squats with the smith machine, not to mention I completely did the exercise wrong haha I did it more as a "wall sit" type exercise bahahaha good thing I did it wrong on that machine first though otherwise I really would have fell on my butt! :laugh:0
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