Bench Press Free Weights Vs Smith Machine

The smith machine can be used for several types of exercises but is mainly used for doing squats and presses.

Bench press free weights vs smith machine.

A standard bench press barbell weighs 45 pounds. Provides stabilized weight many smith machines include a self balancing barbell. The two pillars of weight training. The smith machine offers several advantages.

The smith machine is designed to make the bar glide up and down and the apparatus on the sides of the machine that allows it to slide also can make the bar lighter. From personal experience and what studies tell us there s no real competition between free weights and smith machines. Many smith machines reduce the bar s weight by 10 15 or 20 pounds. Equipped with guide rods you don t have to worry about balancing the barbell.

The path of the bar is different for each bench press. However in the smith machine the weight is often lighter. For those who are unfamiliar barbell bench presses involve olympic flat benches and free weights whereas the smith machine bench press used a bar that is attached to the machine. Benefits of smith machines.

Machines and free weights. Machines refer to fixed standalone pieces of equipment that use pins pulleys cables and weight stacks. Free weights are proven to have more benefits. In all cases less effort is required to stabilize the weight making the lift easier.

However the intention with smith machines was never to overtake free weights. They require more effort recruit stabilisers and help you build more muscle. Each side greatly praises the benefits of each and conveniently downplays the cons. This includes machines like the leg press leg extension chest press lat pulldown and machine curls just to name a few.

Really the bench press has a lot of versatility to it. In addition a 2005 study in the journal of strength and conditioning research found that the average one rep maximum on a free weight bench was 16 percent higher than that on a smith machine. In some cases the smith machine itself has a counterweight that reduces the weight of the bar and often there is no way to know by how much. You can use free weights or a smith machine.

No weight lifted on any machine is the same as using free weights. Different weights can be used.