The Smith machine is a weight machine used for weight training. It consists of a barbell that is fixed within steel rails allowing only vertical or near-vertical movement. Some Smith machines have the barbell counterbalanced. The machine can be used for a wide variety of exercises though it is most commonly used to perform "Smith machine squats".
Behind each vertical post (runner) is a series of slots on which the barbell can be hooked. This means that unlike an ordinary barbell, the Smith machine need not be re-racked after a set of repetitions: it can be secured at any point. This is intended to make it safer for those who lift without a spotter, as one only needs to twist the wrist in order to lock the barbell in place in the event that the weight becomes too great. Most models also incorporate blocks, pegs, or other devices which can be adjusted to automatically stop the barbell at a predetermined minimum height. [1]
This does not fully eliminate the inherent danger in having a heavy weight on one's back, however, and may instill a false sense of confidence. In 2001, a Smith machine user became quadriplegic when the apparatus crushed his spine. [1] Bench pressing while alone is dangerous in general, but even more so in a Smith machine; if one gets trapped under the bar, it cannot be rolled or tipped sideways off one's chest or neck, which has led to at least one fatality. [2]
Use of the Smith machine is frowned upon by many strength training devotees as it forces the user to adopt an unnatural straight-up-and-down "bar path". This unnatural movement can cause shear stress on the knees and/or back when squatting or shoulders (if pressing). [3] [4] [5]
The constrained movement of the bar also reduces the role that stabilizing muscles play versus an exercise using free weights. This may allow heavier weights to be lifted, at the expense of engaging less muscle mass overall. It is also hard to keep an accurate training log because manufacturers do not usually indicate bar weights. [6]
As with other exercise machines, the Smith machine is often preferred by casual or inexperienced strength trainees who do not know how to safely perform free weight exercises involving heavy weights. [7] [8] Many gyms cater to casual trainees and thus may provide Smith machines instead of power racks, which are a piece of equipment critical for safely performing squats and other barbell-based free weight exercises.
The Smith machine does have some advocates amongst experienced trainees, however. The "bar path" issue is minimized for exercises involving a short range of travel such as calf raises and shrugs. It is potentially good for performing exercise variations when progress has slowed using other exercise forms, although care must be taken to avoid joint stress issues. The removal of stabilizing muscles as a factor can also allow one to increase the intensity applied to primary muscles. [9] [10]
A conventional Smith machine has one degree of freedom – the bar can move up and down in a straight line along a vertical track. (Rolling the bar is also typically used to activate the safety locks.) Some variant designs allow an additional degree of freedom – forward and back – while still keeping the bar from rotating or moving side to side. These machines are sometimes called "3D Smith machines" or "Jones Smith machines".
A few designs, such as Shermworks' "Free Spotter" or TuffStuff's "XPT Training System", permit almost all degrees of freedom while still incorporating user-activated safety catches (as opposed to the passive, pre-set safeties of a power rack).
The Smith machine was invented by American Jack LaLanne, who rigged up a sliding apparatus in his gym in the 1950s. It was spotted by Rudy Smith, who commissioned Paul Martin to improve it. [11] [12] Smith then installed the modified model in a gym he was managing at the time, Vic Tanny's gym in Los Angeles. [13] By the end of the 1950s, Rudy Smith was an executive in Tanny's chain of gyms, and the Smith machine was being manufactured and sold more widely. [11] [12]
Research published in December 2009 reported that free weights triggered 43% more activation of the muscles than a Smith machine when performing squats. [14]
Powerlifting is a competitive strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athlete attempting a maximal weight single-lift effort of a barbell loaded with weight plates. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as "odd lifts", which followed the same three-attempt format but used a wider variety of events, akin to strongman competition. Eventually, odd lifts became standardized to the current three.
Calisthenics or callisthenics is a form of strength training that utilizes an individual's body weight as resistance to perform multi-joint, compound movements with little or no equipment.
The clean and jerk is a composite of two weightlifting movements, most often performed with a barbell: the clean and the jerk. During the clean, the lifter moves the barbell from the floor to a racked position across the deltoids, without resting fully on the clavicles. During the jerk, the lifter raises the barbell to a stationary position above the head, finishing with straight arms and legs, and the feet in the same plane as the torso and barbell.
The bench press or chest press is a weight training exercise where a person presses a weight upwards while lying horizontally on a weight training bench. The bench press is a compound movement, with the primary muscles involved being the pectoralis major, the anterior deltoids, and the triceps brachii. Other muscles located in the back, legs and core are involved for stabilization. A barbell is generally used to hold the weight, but a pair of dumbbells can also be used.
A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman, consisting of a long bar, usually with weights attached at each end.
A squat is a strength exercise in which the trainee lowers their hips from a standing position and then stands back up. During the descent, the hip and knee joints flex while the ankle joint dorsiflexes; conversely the hip and knee joints extend and the ankle joint plantarflexes when standing up. Squats also help the hip muscles.
The deadlift is a weight training and strength training exercise in which a loaded barbell or bar is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips, torso perpendicular to the floor, before being placed back on the ground. It is one of the three powerlifting exercises, along with the squat and bench press, as well as a frequent lift in strongman. It is also occasionally used in armlifting.
An isometric exercise is an exercise involving the static contraction of a muscle without any visible movement in the angle of the joint. The term "isometric" combines the Greek words isos (equal) and -metria (measuring), meaning that in these exercises the length of the muscle and the angle of the joint do not change, though contraction strength may be varied. This is in contrast to isotonic contractions, in which the contraction strength does not change, though the muscle length and joint angle do.
Plyometrics, also known as jump training or plyos, are exercises in which muscles exert maximum force in short intervals of time, with the goal of increasing power (speed-strength). This training focuses on learning to move from a muscle extension to a contraction in a rapid or "explosive" manner, such as in specialized repeated jumping. Plyometrics are primarily used by athletes, especially martial artists, sprinters and high jumpers, to improve performance, and are used in the fitness field to a much lesser degree.
A power rack is a piece of weight training equipment that functions as a mechanical spotter for free weight barbell exercises without the movement restrictions imposed by equipment such as the Smith machine. Its general design is four upright posts with two adjustable horizontal bar catches on each side. Many power racks also have accessory attachments, such as a chin-up bar, pulldown cable attachment, or pegs for storing weight plates.
In weight training, a kettlebell is a cast-iron or cast-steel ball with a handle attached to the top, resembling a cannonball with a handle. It is used to perform many types of exercises, including ballistic exercises that combine cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training. Kettlebells are the primary equipment used in the weight-lifting sport of kettlebell lifting.
Exercise equipment is any apparatus or device used during physical activity to enhance the strength or conditioning effects of that exercise by providing either fixed or adjustable amounts of resistance, or to otherwise enhance the experience or outcome of an exercise routine.
Spotting in weight or resistance training is the act of supporting another person during a particular exercise, with an emphasis on allowing the participant to lift or push more than they could normally do safely. Correct spotting involves knowing when to intervene and assist with a lift, and encouraging a training partner to push beyond the point in which they would normally 'rack' the weight.
Universal Gym Equipment was an American manufacturer of exercise equipment, in particular weight machines. It was founded by Harold Zinkin in 1957. In 1998, it was acquired by Flexible Flyer. In 2006 it was acquired by Nautilus, Inc. The Universal Gym brand was subsequently discontinued except for a line of selectorized dumbbells.
A health club is a place that houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to exercise:
Weightlifting or weight lifting generally refers to physical exercises and sports in which people lift weights, often in the form of. People engage in weightlifting for a variety of different reasons. These can include: developing physical strength; promoting health and fitness; competing in weightlifting sports; and developing a muscular and aesthetic physique.
Louie Simmons was an American powerlifter and strength coach. He was active as a powerlifter and coach for more than fifty years. Simmons was the founder of Westside Barbell and has developed several training protocols, including the "Conjugate Method". He is also credited with inventing training machines for reverse hyper-extensions and belt squats. In the US powerlifting community he was referred to as the "Godfather of powerlifting".
Power training typically involves exercises which apply the maximum amount of force as fast as possible; on the basis that strength + speed = power. Jumping with weights or throwing weights are two examples of power training exercises. Regular weight training exercises such as the clean and jerk and power clean may also be considered as being power training exercises due to the explosive speed required to complete the lifts. Power training may also involve contrasting exercises such as heavy lifts and plyometrics, known as complex training, in an attempt to combine the maximal lifting exertions with dynamic movements. This combination of a high strength exercise with a high speed exercise may lead to an increased ability to apply power. Power training frequently specifically utilises two physiological processes which increase in conjunction with one another during exercise. These are deep breathing, which results in increased intra-abdominal pressure; and post-activation potentation, which is the enhanced activation of the nervous system and increased muscle fibre recruitment. Power training programmes may be shaped to increase the trainee's ability to apply power in general, to meet sports specific criteria, or both.