Smith Machine

Smith Machine

Among the many different machines designed to aid one's gym workouts, is the Smith Machine. This is essentially a machine that has a vertical slider and locking system for people who do weighted squats or bench presses alone; the Smith Machine acts as the spotter. There are various locking or stopping mechanisms for the barbell, some can be stopped by twisting the barbell with one's wrists others have pegs that activate at a certain predetermined height.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Smith Machine

The major advantage is that one can do their workout without a spotter. Due to the limited range of motion ones stabilizing muscles do not get engaged as much so more intensity can be applied to the primary muscles. The same lack of range of motion due to the 'bar-path' can also cause damage as the posture for squatting changes a bit. The Smith Machine doesn't allow one to tilt forwards while squatting this can cause more stress for the back and knees. It may also allow one to lift more weight at the cost of engaging lesser muscle mass overall. 

In the case of bench pressing, if one does get pinned under the weight they cannot just tilt the barbell off themselves as it is locked in. This can be cause for serious harm.

Cautions

Due to the supported nature of the weight in a Smith Machine, people tend to feel a false sense of confidence and perhaps end up lifting more than they should. This has, previously, caused people to suffer from severe injuries related to the back.

The price of a Smith Machine is from the higher-end.