Ultimate Smith Machine Guide: Benefits, Features, Exercises

If you’ve spent any time in a gym, you had to have seen the Smith machine – a super versatile piece of equipment that can improve your strength training routine. There’s a range of benefits to it, regardless of your fitness level, from increased safety to the ability to do a lot of different exercises. 

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the Smith machine, like the key features and the best exercises to do. 

Ready to learn how to make the most out of this powerhouse machine? Let’s jump right in!

What is a Smith Machine: Its History, General Characteristics, Muscles Worked

The Smith Machine is a training tool that enables athletes to perform different exercises, like squat and press variations with a fixed range of motion. It’s equipped with a barbell that runs along a steel rail, allowing you to train without a spotter.

A minor angle of the Smith machine can bring an additional challenge for muscles. There’s no difference in what your fitness level is, the Smith machine is the perfect equipment to work out and isolate specific muscles. That’s why experienced lifters use this tool to exhaust particular muscle groups. 

The major goal of this gym machine is to bring an athlete additional support, control, and stability when exercising, especially with heavier loads. Some Smith machines include multiple workout stations being all-in-one trainers, while others are basic Smith machine units.

The Origin of the Smith machine 

Let’s dive into the Smith’s machine history that starts in the 1950s when a sports and nutrition expert Jack LaLanne decided to create equipment that will help people to squat safely without anyone’s support.

He told bodybuilder and gym owner Rudy Smith about his intention, who finally crafted a machine by changing the initial design, with the help of Vic Tanny and Paul Martin who made the proper design for the future Smith machine that appeared in the fitness gyms.

Nowadays, the Smith machine is a popular gym tool for various lifts without a spotter. This equipment is a great option both for commercial and home gyms to perform exercises such as bench presses, squats, deadlifts, rows, lunges, etc.

What Muscles are Worked Out During the Smith Machine Training?

Smith machine is a highly versatile equipment that can become an effective tool to build lean muscle mass and boost your strength. You can perform numerous exercises on it, almost the same way as with a standard bar.

That makes it possible to target all major muscle groups, i.e., quadriceps, glutes, back muscles, as well as the supporting such as hamstrings and spinal erectors, and stabilizing muscles that are abdominals and calves.

The Smith machine targets the following muscles: 

• Back muscles. Lower back muscles (lumbar region) will be strengthened while squatting with a proper form. Spinal erectors will be activated to keep your back straight and engaged in the movement. For instance, performing a Romanian deadlift targets the entire posterior chain muscles. Smith machines shrugs work out well your trapezius, while bent-over rows are appropriate for isolating your traps, lats, and rhomboids. Upright rows will be good for your traps too.
• Chest. Bench presses are highly effective for building up a group of muscles such as chest, front delts, and triceps. Incline bench presses are also effective in developing defined chest muscles.
• Arms. Deadlifts can be useful for strengthening your forearms, while a shoulder press is good for your triceps. Bicep curls are perfect for biceps, brachioradialis, and forearm flexors.
• Core. Your core works to stabilize your movements. Your abs will work at a much less rate (approximately 40-50% less). Smith machine crunches, sit-ups target rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and oblique side bends are good for obliques.
• Legs. Your quads, especially your front thighs, will be more activated with a narrower and deeper position. The glute muscles will receive a greater load the wider you place your feet. Hip adductors (inside of your thighs) will be involved the lower you squat. The hamstrings are involved in knee flexion and hip extension. You can perform such conventional yet effective exercises like back squats, split squats, lunges, Bulgarian split squats, etc.

How to Use the Smith Machine: Tips and Precautions

A Smith machine can do a lot for your workout routine, but you need to know how to use it correctly to get all the benefits without the risks. Here’s what you need to know. 

1. Adjust It Properly

Before you start, make sure to adjust it – it needs to suit your height and body mechanics. For exercises like squats or bench presses, position the bar at an appropriate height to avoid unnecessary strain when you’re racking or unracking the bar. 

2. Warm Up Thoroughly

Always start your workout with a good warm-up. This will prepare your muscles and joints for the load you’ll be working with and reduce the risk of injury. Dynamic stretches and light cardio are always good options. 

3. Form

Good form is everything. Although you get extra stability from the Smith machine, this doesn’t mean that your form is less important. Keep your back straight, core engaged, and focus on the correct technique for each exercise. Don’t rely too much on the machine’s support to do movements you wouldn’t be able to do with free weights. 

4. Use Safety Stops 

Smith machines have safety stops that can be set at different heights. Use them to your advantage to catch the bar if you can’t complete a lift. This feature is especially useful for exercises like squats and bench presses. 

5. Don’t Rely On It Too Much

Although a Smith machine is excellent for adding variety and safety, it shouldn’t completely replace free weights. Free weights engage more stabilizing muscles and help improve balance and coordination. Use a Smith machine as a complement to your free weight routine, not as a substitute for it.

Why Buy the Smith machine? 

If you want to pump up your muscle size and strength capabilities safely, a Smith machine will allow you to do it. This tool brings more pros compared to free-weight training and other resistance machines such as lat pulldown, leg press, or shoulder press machines.

Although, don’t prioritize training just with the Smith machine over other equipment and free weights. Keep your training regime diverse and balanced in focus on all muscles, by using various gym tools and machines to provide your body with a universal workout that targets the whole body.

✅ Building Muscle Mass Gradually 

No matter whether you’re a novice or a seasoned lifter, this gym machine will come in handy to build and enhance muscle tissue’s gradual growth without injuries. Additionally, you’ll be able to learn proper weightlifting movement techniques: you’ll know how to execute squats, presses, and lunges correctly.

By working out on the Smith machine you’ll be able to train the key lower and upper body muscles, but with a fixed vertical range of motion without falling backward and forward.

✅ Deloading the Stabilizing Muscles 

Since the Smith machine comes with a fixed-path resistance mechanism, the bar is locked in a fixed position, namely, it moves just in a straight line. So, you don’t have to activate your muscles-stabilizers just like with a free-weight workout. All the load comes to the primary muscles without involving smaller supporting ones. 

✅ Lifting Greater Weights for a Longer Time 

With a Smith machine, you can work out with heavier loads because this tool has a barbell fixed in a one-motion line and slides up and down and you don’t have to activate small stabilizing muscles to perform barbell back squats or barbell bench presses.

The weight is fixed in one position which eliminates the need to involve all your strength and power to do these exercises, unlike with free-weight ones.

✅ More Focus on the Exercise Itself

Thanks to the fact that the barbell is located securely on the slide rail and moves up and down, an athlete can concentrate on the proper exercise technique. There’s no need to worry about maintaining balance while holding the weights since the bar is totally fixed, which also brings you better stability, especially if you’re a starter at lifting weights.

✅ Maintaining Proper Posture

As a barbell is fixed and you don’t have to involve stabilizing muscles to lift the weight, you can focus on your technique and keep your back straight with a slight incline. Hence, you can control your posture with each rep and form through all the possible ranges of motion. It enables you to move naturally and reduces the possibility of injury.

✅ High Rate of Safety 

The Smith machine is equipped with multiple hooks at different heights to rack a barbell securely if an athlete can’t lift the loads anymore and wants to quit the exercise.

This is a good safety mechanism for those who train on their own or don’t want a spotter to look at their performance technique. Also, it’s an opportunity for them to push themselves harder to increase strength and avoid getting the weights back.

How to Pick a Smith Machine?

Professional lifters and avid bodybuilders know the essence of the Smith machine and adore it for its versatility. What’s more, even beginners and intermediate gym attendees learn new exercises eagerly on this gym equipment.

Let’s shed light on this gym machine and outline the key features you should know when looking for a high-quality Smith machine, or if not buying it, simply what points to focus on when choosing it at the local gym to work out.

1. Dimensions 

If you want to complement your home gym with such a functional machine, the first thing you should pay attention to is its size. The Smith machine shouldn’t be too hefty, but more compact not to take the spare place in your gym room and the living space left.

Mind the footprint especially if you find a Smith machine that unites several trainers in one piece of equipment, becoming a multipurpose workout station.

2. Functionality 

Many of the Smith machine models are equipped with benches, power rack stations, various attachments for low rows, pull-ups, dips, suspension trainers, etc. These options make the machine a universal all-in-one trainer for working out different muscles. So, apparently, there’s no need to join the gym.

3. Weight Ratio

Generally, all Smith machines come with pulley systems with varying weight ratios – 1:1 and 2:1. The first option means that the loaded weight is the exact weight you will feel while lifting. A 2:1 ratio is when you’ll lift half of the real weight. For example, with a 2:1 ratio, if you load 200 pounds, you will lift 100 pounds.

4. Good-Quality Linear Bearing 

The majority of Smith machines move in a vertical line, so linear bearings are highly important because they ensure that the steel bar won’t vibrate or get stuck during lifting weights. In general, you can find linear bearing sleeves on both sides of the tool which are attached to the bar. This point greatly affects bar smooth motion since this mechanism assists athletes to pull heavier weights.

5. Safety Mechanism

The Smith machine is a perfect tool for those who just started training with weights. It can help in resistance and free weight training by enabling inexperienced athletes to rack the bar at any moment during the set.

Such a safety mechanism can look like locking pins that prevent the bar move below a specific depth; spring clamps to secure the weight plates during the workout; catch rods fastened inside the frame at the bar glide pathway to ensure you can stop doing lifts when you’re enough; hooks and bar catches.

All these attachments are important since they can prevent injuries and add some confidence to an athlete while exercising with greater loads.

6. Availability of Counterbalance System 

The fact is that not all Smith machines come with a counterbalance system. What is it? A counterbalance system may come with diverse attachments, i.e., pulleys, cables, rods, extra bushings, and counterweights that can be placed within the frame/ rack situated to the bar.

So, when pulling the bar during the exercise, it decreases its weight. The key target of this system is to reduce the bar weight and get a lighter weight at the start. This option is useful for working out small or weak muscles.

The tool comes with two 8-position safety catches that ensure additional support throughout the workout. These hooks act as a spotter and assist athletes to avoid injuries in case of occasional bar drops.

The knurled barbell is included in the package: it has 12.5” loadable sleeves and band pegs on each side to add more resistance while lifting weights, as well as you get a firm grip. Also, there’re 2 adjustable J-hooks you can easily attach to the bar.

The machine’s frame comes with 8″ Olympic-weight storage posts. It also consists of a counter-balance function to promote your training and help you to lift more weight.

Overally, this is the best Smith machine for home gym that provides a great training experience, despite the fact that there’s no option to add an extra pulley system to this machine.

The weight storage pegs make it easy to grab a plate to add on during the workout; you get smooth bar motion on linear ball bearings, while the rack itself is heavy and wide which allows for a wide stance for tall athletes. The Titan Smith machine is very sturdy and durable with wide foot pads, so you can move it on a rubberized floor without worrying you’ll scratch the surface.

Top Exercises to Perform Using the Smith Machine

Imagine this bulky piece of equipment that looks like a rack with a fixed barbell on the steel rails gliding up and down. It can be quite a hefty and daunting gym machine, but actually, it’s elementary to work out and get benefits from it.

If you’re using this gym machine for the first time, you should adjust it to your height and choose the proper weights according to your capabilities to reap the benefits of training. The first thing you should do is place a barbell at an appropriate height that will be convenient for performing particular exercises.

Also, if you need to use a bench, you should fix it right, i.e., adjust the seat height and change the backrest position – set it angled for doing a chest press or chest fly exercises, or leave the back pad flat for bench press training. The rest of the Smith machine’s accessories can’t be adjusted manually since this is a single construction with built-in components.

So, to get a Smith machine that fits your height and room space, consider its dimensions before the purchase.

You can use the Smith machine for dozens of exercises to challenge your whole body with any weight, yet get extra support and balance. These exercises are common ones that you can make a good thing of:

For legs:

• Back squats

First, you’ll succeed to target the quadriceps, glutes, and also engage the core muscles. Secondly, being a conventional exercise, you’ll improve your squatting technique by keeping your back straight and being able to control the squat depth. Also, you’ll get extra stability. 

How to perform: place the bar on your shoulders and traps, keep your feet 3 inches in front of the bar hip-width apart. Keep your back straight and core tight, slowly hinge your hips back until your thighs become parallel to the floor.

Keep your feet flat and push yourself back through the heels up to the start position. Don’t round the back, avoid knee inward collapse, don’t lift the heels off the floor, and look too high.

• Bulgarian split squats

Here you’ll work out your glutes and quadriceps well. The Smith machine will help you not to wobble occasionally if losing your balance, so you’ll manage to lean on a bent leg securely.

How to perform: place a bench behind the bar. Put the bar on your traps and shoulders, elevate one leg behind you on the bench, with a standing leg 3-4 inches in front of the bar. Lower your back knee to the floor slowly, with the front knee bent to 90 degrees.

Push yourself back by involving your glutes and front leg and return to the start position. Keep your back straight and core tight. Bring the load to the front leg and push it with your strong glute muscles. 

For arms and chest:

• Close grip bench press

You’ll train mainly pectoral muscles and triceps. If you’re a beginner at lifting weights and have weak chest muscles or arms, the Smith machine will be useful in this case.

How to perform: lay on a bench, hook the bar with a close grip with your arms fully lengthened. Lower the bar toward your chest slowly and stop it 1 inch from your chest. Then press the bar back to the initial position. Keep your elbows tucked to your trunk while lowering and pressing the bar back. Don’t overextend the arms at the top point, keep elbows slightly bent.

For back and shoulders:

• Upright row

During this exercise, the deltoids and trapezius muscles are targeted most.

How to perform: stand with your feet at shoulder width, and the bar is hooked on the rack at the waist height. Using an overhand grip and leading with your elbows, pull the bar to your chin. When the bar reaches the clavicle line, stop for several seconds and return the bar back down to waist height, with your arms fully straight. When lifting the bar, keep your elbows higher than your wrists. 

For the core:

• Crunches

You’ll train your upper rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis.

How to perform: lie on a bench with your feet together. Place the bar over your upper abs and hook it with a shoulder-width grip. Draw your belly button towards your spine. Crunch up with the bar by activating your abs. Your shoulder blades should come off the bench. Keep your abs tight for a second and then lower the bar under control by stretching your abs. 

FAQ

Is The Smith Machine Good For The Home Gym?

Yes, the Smith machine can become useful equipment for your home gym since it brings the opportunity even for an athlete beginner to perform safe lifts due to the availability of multiple hooks and rods located on the steel frame for placing the bar at any moment during the workout.

Although, when selecting the Smith machine for the home gym, consider its dimensions and footprint, as well as adjustability, to meet your needs.

Are Smith Machines Worth Using?

The Smith machine can become handy for everyone at any fitness level to improve their physical condition, strength, resistance, and performance technique of such exercises as deadlifts, squats, pull-ups, lunges, presses, etc. You’ll improve your general condition, tone up muscle form and power.

Is It Ok To Squat On The Smith Machine?

Yes, this gym machine is widely used for squatting, however, compared to free-weight squats, Smith squats differ a bit. The thing is that a Smith machine brings your support and it helps you to control the depth of squats and also helps to pull out more weights than a standard squat.

Conclusion

The Smith machine is a great tool for both beginners and advanced lifters because it gives you a unique blend of support, stability, and versatility. Its fixed bar path gives a lot of stability, and if you use it to do a lot of different exercises, you’ll target all of the most important muscles safely and effectively. 

Take your time to get familiar with it, start with light weights if you’re a beginner, and don’t rely on it too much; free weights should always have a place in your routine, no machine can substitute them.

If you want our recommendation, go for the Titan Fitness Smith machine. This Smith machine is perfect to increase your general strength and build muscle while increasing the safety and balance of weight training workouts thanks to its high-level functionality and workout versatility.

Overally, you get an all-in-one gym machine to work out the major muscles, become stronger, and stay active without wasting time on a gym membership.

Are you curious about what are other ways to use the Smith machine and which exercises to perform to gain lean muscle mass and generally become fitter? Leave your comments below and we’ll answer your questions as soon as possible by explaining the slightest details of proper usage of this type of gym machine.

Also read:

• Smith Machine vs Free Weights
• Best Folding Squat Racks
• Best Half Racks For Home Gym
• Best Squat Rack
• Power Rack Vs Squat Rack
• Power Tower Exercises

References:

1. Comparison of Muscle Force Production Using the Smith Machine and Free Weights for Bench Press and Squat Exercises // Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net /publication/8027999 _Comparison_of_Muscle_ Force_Production_ Using_the_Smith_Machine _and_Free_Weights_ for_Bench_Press_and_ Squat_Exercises
2. Back and abdominal muscle function during stabilization exercises // Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/223081770 _Back_and_abdominal_ muscle_function_ during_stabilization _exercises
3. A Comparison of Free Weight Squat to Smith Machine Squat Using Electromyography // LWW: https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2009 /12000/A_Comparison _of_Free_Weight_ Squat_to_Smith_ Machine.23.aspx
4. Effects of Training With Free Weights Versus Machines on Muscle Mass, Strength, Free Testosterone, and Free Cortisol Levels // LWW: https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2020 /07000/Effects_of_ Training_With_Free _Weights_Versus. 6.aspx
5. Trunk Muscle Activity Increases With Unstable Squat Movements // Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net /publication/7881749_Trunk _Muscle_Activity_Increases _With_Unstable_Squa t_Movements
6. Maximal Strength, Muscle Activation, and Bar Velocity Comparisons Between Squatting With a Traditional or Safety Squat Bar // Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net /publication/339082795_ Maximal_Strength_Muscle_ Activation_and_Bar_ Velocity_Comparisons_ Between_Squatting_With _a_Traditional_or_ Safety_Squat_Bar
7. Photos made by Torokhtiy Media Team.