Smith Machine question?

cajuntank

I know Smith Machines are the devil from the standpoint of the StrongLifts program on squats, but what about the bench press?

Where I workout, we have a squat rack, so I can bail and not kill myself once I progress to that point, but I'm thinking also of when the time comes on the bench press. 9 times out of 10, I am the only one in the weight room and don't want to get in a bad spot.

T1mH

Is it a squat rack or a cage? If a cage does your gym have a bench to slide in?

Cognito1025

I can rarely find a spotter either and have had the same concerns. I have failed a couple times at 130 and 135 on bench and just simply rolled the bar down my chest, over my stomach and to my hips in order to sit up and slip out from under the bar. Just make sure your form is right and the bar isn't over your neck and you should be fine, assuming you're not lifting 250 lbs or more. Now that I'm more in tune with my limitations I just don't perform the rep if I feel like I will get stuck. I could likely be further along in my bench progression but I just take my time and deload when needed. I'm currently working back up to 135lb.

cajuntank

Duh... My bad. I don't know why I didn't think of that. I've never had to use it for that in that past I guess, so it was not the first thing to come to mind. Thanks.

danimalkeys

definitely no smith for bench! A bench rep doesn't go up and down in a straight line like a smith forces you to do. You should be touching low on your chest, at the bottom of your sternum, with your elbows tucked in some (your upper arms should make about a 45 degree angle from your body) and as you press up the bar will end up over your face at lockout.

Drag a flat bench into the squat cage. Set the safety rails so they are just below your chest level- you don't want the bar banging them at the bottom- that way if you need to bail the bar rests on the rails, and if you have a major issue and the bar falls, it won't crush your throat or face.

JNick77

definitely no smith for bench! A bench rep doesn't go up and down in a straight line like a smith forces you to do. You should be touching low on your chest, at the bottom of your sternum, with your elbows tucked in some (your upper arms should make about a 45 degree angle from your body) and as you press up the bar will end up over your face at lockout.

Drag a flat bench into the squat cage. Set the safety rails so they are just below your chest level- you don't want the bar banging them at the bottom- that way if you need to bail the bar rests on the rails, and if you have a major issue and the bar falls, it won't crush your throat or face.

Pretty much this. Smith Machines are generally too restrictive and can cause injury. There is a time and place for the Smith Machine but generally speaking, don't use it.

bgsbunny

When I got stuck without being able to push up the last rep. I moved the weight to my waist line, grabbed the feet of the bench with my feet, sat up, stood up from the bench like a squat, put the weight on the floor as if I was doing the deadlift and disassembled it from there

bostonwolf

Smith machines have always killed my lower back from the very first rep so I avoid them.

The squat machine at my gym is much better, but when I begin the program again in a few weeks I'm just going to use the squat rack and drop my weight until it's comfortable.

Or do as bgsbunny said, or lastly just roll it down your body if you get stuck on a bench. Just keep your abs tight when you do.