Why Are Smith Machines Bad? (How to Make Them Good Instead)

People often ask if smith machines are bad because they tend to get a bad reputation among gym goers. Let’s explore the reasons behind this perception and discuss ways to use them effectively.¹

Truth be told, some people use the smith machine to compensate for poor form on free weight barbell movements and yes, this can lead to imbalances. But in other cases, lifters disregard the smith machine because they view it as cheating since certain smith machine lifts require less stabilization due to the fixed bar path.

At a glance this sounds like the smith machine are bad, but they actually have their place in gyms across the globe because the fixed bar path and easy racking mechanisms make it a versatile machine when free weight barbells aren’t an option, or when training in specific modalities.

So forget what that gym bro told you; learn how to make smith machines good again by practicing proper technique and using the fixed bar path to your advantage.

Are Smith Machines Dangerous?

To understand if a smith machine is dangerous or not, it must first be understood that a smith machine is an apparatus used in strength training; it consists of a barbell attached to a rail system which allows the bar to move up and down but not in any other plane.²

They are popularly used for squats (smith machine squats) but can also be used for bench presses, shoulder presses, calf raises, shoulder shrugs, and anything else that can be done with a traditional barbell.

Despite the common belief, smith machines are not inherently dangerous—not much more than free weights and of course, all free weights and smith machines both pose safety risks if misused. Fortunately, smith machines have a locking feature that can be used with a turn of the wrist and this serves as the first line of defense in protecting someone once failure is reached.

In addition, just like squat racks, most smith machines have safety rails to catch the bar in case anything happens such as the the locking mechanism fails or the lifter forgets to lock it.

Do Smith Machines Negatively Impact Squatting? Can They Harm Your Knees?

Smith machines are not inherently bad for squatting; the potential risks come from the way the lifter uses the apparatus, as the bar path is fixed and vertical. When someone is squatting with a smith machine, they are constrained by the bar path, and since the bar cannot move forward or backward, a risk of injury becomes inevitable.

If a lifter doesn’t lean forward to some extent, the body is placed at a mechanical disadvantage, which can strain both the back and the knees. Smith machines are not bad for your knees but may damage them when misused.

When lifters use smith machines when squatting, there is less recruitment of the hamstrings than when using free weights.³ The hamstrings play a primary role in ensuring the knee joint is stable during a squat—while this may not cause injury, it does increase the risk for it.

If the lifter places the feet forward in the front of the body, this will ensure that the knees are not in front of the toes—when the knees go past the toes excessively, they become susceptible to injury.⁴

Smith machines are available as straight and angled at 7-12 degrees to mimic the bar path with free weights. Simply put, squatting with a smith machine should not be the same as squatting with free weights as this would place additional stress on the joints due to the fixed path. It should be noted the smith machine was not designed for lower body workouts but rather upper body workouts.

Is a Smith Machine Bad for Bench Pressing?

Smith machines are not bad for bench press; on the contrary, they provide a great addition to chest training by adding variation.

Is Using Smith Machines Harmful or Beneficial for These 4 Things?

• Training plateaus— lifters can overcome training plateaus from other regular bench presses or even dumbbell presses by adding variations to techniques stimulating the muscles differently.
• Heavyweights—since smith machines have safety hacks, lifters can often add more weight without fearing injury due to weight crashing. The smith machine significantly increases the 1 rep max for lifters due to higher muscle force.⁵
• Activation of pecs—the smith machine stabilizes the weight for the lifter, allowing them to concentrate on the pecs, making it a great addition to encourage hypertrophy. Since the stabilizing muscles are not engaged, more stress could be placed on the pecs.
• Spotter—due to the smith machine’s safety hacks, there is no need for a spotter allowing for greater flexibility.

To ensure that the smith machine remains safe for bench pressing, the lifter should sample or try the movement using an empty bar first. By moving the bench around, someone would want to mimic the barbell bench bar path as close as possible. The goal is to ensure the bar is oriented towards the head and not away.

Reasons Why Smith Machines Are Less Effective

Smith machines have some cons that make them less effective. These include eliminating the use of stabilizing muscles, restricting the range of motion, and making exercises much more effortless.

Only Trains the Prime Movers

Source: Trisha Rahman’s Images via Canva.com⁶

When the human body executes a movement, 4 muscles are involved—prime movers, fixator, synergist, and antagonist. The prime mover is responsible for most of the load in the movement. In a squat, it’s the quads, and in the bench press, it’s the pecs.

The antagonist muscles will oppose the prime movers and help stabilize the joint; in a squat, these would be the hamstrings, and in a bench press, they would be the lats. The synergist would aid the primer; they would be the glutes in the squat and shoulders in the press.

The smith machine effectively renders the squat a leg extension since it only isolates the prime mover, the quad.

Neglects Stabilizing Muscles

Since the barbell of the smith machine moves only in the vertical plane and not any other, the lifter needs not be concerned about stabilizing the weight due to moving either forward or backward. This implies that the stabilizing muscles are not engaged or at least less engaged, making exercises on the device less effective as they recruit fewer muscles than the barbell bench press.⁷

Restricts Range of Motion

As the range of motion (ROM) is restricted by movement along one plane, it may be unnatural for a lifter to squat or bench press because of the fixed ROM. For example, bench press improvements include tucking the shoulder close together which will determine the path of the bar. With smith machines, the lifter must modify their lift to match the fixed path of the bar while the converse is true for free barbells.

Makes Workouts “Easier”

Eliminating the need for stabilization of the lifts using a smith machine is much easier than with free weights. While this makes smith machines excellent for beginners, novice lifters may view this as a drawback.

Lifters often find they can lift heavier weights on smith machines than they would with free weights but they can still make it difficult with enough effort.

Stress to the Joints and Risk of Injury

Smith machines do not allow the lifter much in the bar path due to the fixed nature of the bar’s attachment to the rails. If a lifter attempts to lift the weight the way they would with a free barbell, they will place unnecessary stress on their joints, leading to injury down the line.

Athletic Training

Smith machines are not great tools for carrying out athletic training for individuals since they do not allow movement pattern practice. There are 7 main movement patterns the human body is capable of, including pushing, pulling, lunge, squatting, and rotation.

There is no development in mobility, balance, and coordination on exercises on a smith machine which are essential for athleticism. Learning these skills through practice is needed for adequate athleticism. Smith machine movements are not ideal for honing sporting skills, and there is no carry-over from the smith machines to other exercises.

For example, someone doing Bulgarian squats can carry over to barbell squats and get better at them.

Why Are Smith Machines Easier?

As mentioned, smith machines do not move in any other plane other than the vertical one. The bar is attached to a rail system, and the lifter is involved in only one movement. As a result, individuals will not engage the stabilizing muscles needed to keep the weight balanced and stable. The barbell travels on rails and the only effort the lifter inputs is moving the bar up and down the squat bar path.

Free weight back squat is much more challenging than on a smith machine because the body will be required to work extra more difficult to ensure that the bar does not lean forward or backward, which will also lead to more engagement of the muscles, translating to the strengthening of the muscles and hypertrophy.⁸

Are There Any Exercises I Should Completely Avoid on a Smith Machine?

Several exercises should be avoided entirely on a machine for safety reasons and ineffectiveness when done on a smith machine. These include deadlifts, biceps curls, tricep extensions, and upright rows.

• Deadlifts—deadlifts target both the back muscles and the hamstrings. This movement involves the torso being in forwarding flexion with no support. It is natural movement; however, when done on a smith machine due to its fixed nature, the risk for injury is high if posture is poor or a heavy load is involved.
• Bicep curls—bicep curls require the elbow to flex, and the smith machine restricts this due to the bar being straight and the fixed vertical path.
• Tricep extensions—as with bicep curls, these require elbow flexion, and the smith machine inhibits this very much even with a light load, which renders the device dangerous due to risks of injury.
• Upright rows—upright rows place stress on the shoulders, and since the fixed path of the smith machine restricts elbow flexion, which is a requirement for rows, lifters are at risk for injury and may not perform the exercise with efficiency.

When You Should Use Smith Machines

Smith machines can provide an advantage in certain exercises, increasing the chances of hypertrophy and gaining strength. Lifters should not view smith machines negatively but rather appreciate their versatility, which can help those who are tired of being fat and are looking to build muscle.

• Training plateaus—for lifters that have reached training plateaus using free weights, smith machines add a new dimension to working out since they effectively target quads or pecs in squats and bench presses respectively. They would thus allow lifters to advance in their training.
• Exercise variation—it is also beneficial for individuals to incorporate variation in the regimen and not do the same exercises over and over. This will ensure that overuse doesn’t set in due to one type of movement which will, in turn, stimulate hypertrophy.
• Physical therapy—those who have serious injuries may not be able to handle free weights. This is where smith machines come in by taking most of the lift of the exercise—they will allow individuals to slowly work their way back to training and help their muscles get stronger.
• Amateur lifters—individuals who are new to training will find smith machines as a great way to learn techniques of exercises. As the machine handles the stability, they can learn a form before they are more comfortable with free weights.

Exercises that can be used with smith machines are discussed below.

Inverted Rows

The smith machine improves the effectiveness of this exercise because it allows for adjustments to allow for an ideal height. It reduces the stress on the lower back and is an excellent gateway to pull-ups.

Split Squats

Smith machines will make split squats more stable during the movement, so the stride can be lengthened. This translates into increased hip flexion; the glute will also be stretched more as a result, and imbalances will be addressed. Split squats done on the smith machine put less stress on the back.

Back Squats

While doing back squats on the smith machine can set up for injury, when done with proper form can result in significant gains. Smith machines provided gains just as much as its counterpart done with free weight squats except for the calf muscles, femoris (rear part of the thigh muscle), and the inner part of the quads, which are stimulated better with free weights.⁹ The apparatus allows more weight to be hauled and improves stability.

Front Squats

Front squats are usually limited by the upper back and core but not the legs. However, with the smith machine, the legs become the factor because both the core and back are not being recruited thus isolating the legs. As a result, the quads are targeted effectively.

Behind-The-Back Shrugs

This variation of back shrugs with the bar behind is made easier with a smith machine since someone can move the bar higher and be placed further away from the back. As a result, the traps can be efficiently targeted, particularly the middle traps that maintain shoulder stability. The shoulders are also prevented from rounding.

Push Ups

Beginners who are not accustomed to doing push-ups can use a smith machine to acclimate themselves since, most of the time, they may not have the ability to do a full range of motion when on the floor. The bar can be placed in a high position to make the exercise easier and incrementally lowered as the amateur gets stronger.

Bent Over Rows

This is excellent for the back muscles; the smith machine allows the lifter to lift heavier weights, and since the stabilizers are not at work, the traps, lats, and rhomboids are recruited more than they would with free weights.

Incline Chest Press

Using the smith machine for incline chest press results in gains as they would for free weights except for the medial deltoid—this part of the shoulder has better recruitment under free weights.¹⁰ Smith machines allow the lifter to haul more weight minus the risk of injury.

Seated Shoulder Press

The smith machine allows for an adjustment that can result in a variable range of motion and the fixed bar path makes the exercise easier to learn. A varied range of motion will make it easy to address weaknesses in various aspects of the press, and all three delts are worked when using the smith machine.

Hip Thrust

The hip thrust is an ideal exercise that targets the glutes. The smith machine is a great substitute for free weights to complete these; moreover, the lifter can place relatively large loads. This type of thrust is also easier to perform.

One-Arm Negative Bench Press

This is an excellent exercise to address any imbalances in the bench press but is a very challenging exercise to complete. The smith machine eradicates the need for a spotter, which makes this possible for lifters training alone; this exercise will carry on to the barbell bench press.

Calf Raise

The smith machine allows the lifter to load heavy weight on this exercise. It also allows a larger range of motion and provides adequate stretching, which is great for calf raises.

Kaz Press

The Kaz press, named after the famous world’s strongest man competitor, Bill “Kaz” Kazmaier is a close grip bench press and tricep extension combo; heavy weights can be used since the factor of stability has been taken out.

How to Use Smith Machines Effectively in Compound Lifts & Make Them Good

Source: Ibrakovic via Canva.com¹¹

Smith machines, when utilized correctly, can serve as an effective supplement to free weights. However, they often receive criticism for certain drawbacks.

Compound movements are generally preferred to be performed with free weights to engage stabilizer muscles and mimic everyday movements—smith machines can however be a great addition to what is achieved with free weights.

In addition to the movements above, here are some ways how to make them good instead to mitigate any risks of injury.

• Bench presses—For a straight machine, the bar should be aligned with the nipple line, and the direction the body faces does not matter If it is an angled machine, the bar should line up with the mid-chest. Individuals should complete 5-10 reps with an empty bar to ensure the correct body position.
• Squats— Squats should be done with feet about 3-6 inches more forward than they would be during an ordinary barbell squat. Angled machines are better than straight machines as they are closer than the natural barbell squat. The bar should be level with the shoulder and not the neck.
• Romanian deadlifts—Romanian deadlifts, when done on the smith machine, target the hamstrings, and the fixed path prevents the lifter from assuming a full lean backward. The device does not allow the starting position to be on the floor. Heavy weights should not be used, nor should there be jerking as this could injure the back.
• Overhead press—the fixed path will allow the lifter to adjust the range of motion. The bench should be set with the back support to be positioned behind the bar. The bar should be set higher than the shoulders.
• Bent over rows—in this exercise, the bar should be placed as low as possible, and the bar should be grabbed with hands slightly wider than the shoulders. The back should be kept straight with the knees bent slightly.
• Inverted rows—the lifter should place the barbell at the waist, and they may proceed to lie on the floor on their backs. The barbell should be grabbed overhand grip slightly wider than the shoulder width.
• Hip thrusts—hip thrusts did on a smith machine are easier since stabilization is not on the cards. The bench should be set up behind the bar; the upper back should be placed on the bench, and the bar placed above the hip crease. The feet should be placed slightly more than width apart, and the bar grabbed using an overhand grip.

Despite the criticism of Smith machines, many lifters find various ways to turn their drawbacks into advantages, using them to complement free weight exercises.

Frequently Asked Questions