“The Smith Machine is for Dorks”

I spent most of the 90s under the tutelage of a renowned, Olympic Strength Coach. I spent many, many hours with this Canadian and absorbed as much information as possible from his tremendous knowledge base and experience. At one of the many international strength symposiums I attended that featured this mentor of mine as the main presenter, a question about the effectiveness of the smith machine was posed. Coach’s response was quick and concise; “the Smith Machine is for dorks that do not know how to train”. This answer was in complete agreement with my personal opinion at the time.

In the course of my now 40 year career involving lifting weights and strength training, I have still found no value in including smith machine exercises in my daily workouts.

The Smith Machine Leads to Injuries

Whenever the topic of the Smith Machine comes up, I cannot help but think of a guy named Mike.  Mike was a member at a gym I used to belong to at the tail end of the 90’s.  I would see Mike often.  Mike was a bench press specialist, but only on the Smith Machine.  Mike beamed with pride on the day he eked out 405 pounds (“4 plates!”) on the Smith Machine for 1 ugly rep.

For the uninitiated, 405 on the bar is four 45-pound plates loaded to each side of the bar.  This is a cause for celebration among most gym rats.  Lots of high fiving with his fellow lifting buddies ensued – “Great work, Mike!”.

The only problem is that 405 lbs. on the Smith Machine will never translate to 405 lbs. on the (free weight) bench press.  A few weeks later, for a change of pace, Mike decided to try maxing out on the regular (free weight) bench press. He could only manage to grind out 1 rep (barely!) at 275 pounds.  I witnessed this first hand.  I’m not even sure that he legitimately did the rep himself, because his spotter put his hands on the bar to “guide him” through the mid range.  Not so good, Mike.  Humbled, he retreated to workouts spent almost entirely on the Smith Machine again.  Later that year, I happened to be squatting in the power cage right next to the Smith Machine, when Mike ripped his pectoral muscle clean off the bone.  His screaming actually startled me.  Brutal injury.  It appeared to be very painful.  He had his lifting partner promptly drive him to the local ER.  A few months later, I saw Mike return to the gym.  He was about 20 pounds of muscle smaller and told me that he could no longer do press work with a barbell.  “Dumbbells only” was the new plan.  Smart thinking, Mike.  Some people only learn the hard way.

The Hard Way

I have done my fair share of learning the hard way.  This year (2023) marks my 40th year of experience with free weights.  My experience with lifting weights includes competitive experience in Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, and Weightlifting (Snatch, Clean & Jerk).  I have had a lot of time to learn the hard way – by trial and error.  Trial and error, combined with intense formal and self-directed educations, and keen observation of other successes and failures, has yielded my current philosophies and attitudes in regard to exercise in general, and strength training in particular.

An ideal strength training program for beginner and intermediate trainees should include a large pool of exercises to allow for comprehensive physical development and to help perfect motor learning.  This large pool of exercises will include lots of bodyweight, free weight barbell and dumbbell movements, such as presses and pulls, pushes and rows, the many variations of the squat, hip extension and hip flexion,  and loaded torso rotation.  Strength stations and machines should be employed only for very specific objectives, and/or when an equivalent free weight exercise is not optimal or practical.

It is important to remember that nearly all machines were constructed to aid in isolation and hypertrophy of specific muscle groups, intentionally excluding other muscle groups.  In short, machines are for bodybuilding.  But, even in programs designed exclusively for bodybuilding, it is necessary to precede machine work with lots of big, basic, free weight exercises.   The only place I could potentially write the Smith Machine into an exercise program is as a high rep, secondary/accessory type movement.

Still, I see little to no value in incorporating Smith machine exercises into daily workouts.  There are simply too many better options.  This sentiment is not only backed by my personal experience but also by various research studies, which highlight the drawbacks of using the Smith machine for strength training:

Five Reasons to Get Off the Smith Machine

1. Restricted Range of Motion: The Smith machine’s primary drawback is its limited range of motion, which can cause muscle imbalances and decreased activation of stabilizing muscles. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research revealed that, compared to free weight squats, Smith machine squats led to lower muscle activation in the hamstrings, glutes, and erector spinae muscles, vital for lower body strength (1).
2. Non-Functional Training: The Smith machine’s stable, fixed movement pattern doesn’t replicate real-life movements or sports-specific activities. Research in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed that free weight exercises like squats, bench presses, and deadlifts resulted in more significant athletic performance improvements than machine-based exercises (2).
3. Diminished Core Activation: The Smith machine’s fixed motion path can decrease core muscle activation, essential for stability and strength during movements. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that free weight squats activated the rectus abdominis and obliques more than Smith machine squats (3).
4. Unnatural Movement Pattern: The Smith machine’s fixed path can create unnatural movement patterns, putting unnecessary stress on joints and muscles. A study in the Journal of Athletic Training discovered that free weight squats produced more natural joint kinematics than Smith machine squats, resulting in altered knee and hip movement patterns (4).
5. Safety Issues: Although the Smith machine is often promoted as a safer alternative to free weights, it can increase injury risk due to its restricted range of motion and unnatural movement patterns. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that Smith machine squats generated higher peak forces and torques at the knee joint compared to free weight squats, potentially increasing knee injury risk (5).