Smith Machine Pros and Cons…Your Newest Home Gym Addition?

Smith Machine Pros and Cons…Your Newest Home Gym Addition?

Thinking about adding something new to your training routine?

Perhaps you’re considering adding a centerpiece to fill out your home gym setup.

Whatever you happen to be dreaming up, we’re going to assume that the item you have in mind is a Smith Machine.

Good choice, if you ask us. However, we understand that you’re probably interested in getting to know this modern gym staple a bit better before getting involved with one.

Let’s get started with the major Smith Machine pros and cons before looking at just how…advanced this gear can really get.

 

Smith Machine Pros and Cons

We probably have a slight bias for Smith Machines…and that’s gonna come out in our discussion of their pros and cons. By the time we’re through, though, we’re pretty sure you’ll be on board, too:

 

Smith Machine Pros

EVOLPOW M2B SMITH MACHINE

  • Safe Lifting

Without a doubt, the biggest pro of Smith Machines is their inherent safety mechanisms (Muçalliu, Bytyqi, & Hoxha, 2023). The Smith Bar is always perfectly balanced. Numerous racking areas make offloading the weight easy if you hit failure and the risk of stumbling with the weight is miniscule.

If you plan on doing a lot of solo lifting and want to greatly reduce your risk of injury, Smith Machines deserve a look.

  • Perfect Form
The Smith Bar is always perfectly balanced and always moves in a perfectly vertical angle. These two qualities significantly contribute to promoting perfect form, whether you’re squatting, pressing, or rowing Good form not only results in better outcomes, most notably strength and muscle gains, but also reduces risk of injury (this area greatly overlaps with the “Safety” pro) (Haugen et al., 2023).
  • Heavy Weight
When you feel safe under the bar and your form is solid, you become more confident in your ability to handle heavier weights. This opens up entirely new fitness focal points to include greater strength and power development as opposed to pure hypertrophy sessions.


Smith Machine Cons

  • Minimal Stabilization
When the bar is perfectly balanced for you, it takes a lot less effort to stabilize the weight. This makes for a more comfortable lifting experience, but doesn’t do much to strengthen your core muscles or to help you to get better accustomed to managing weight without the Smith Machine’s assistance (Schwanbeck, Chilibeck, & Binsted, 2009).
  • Less Crossover Appeal
Smith Machine squats, bench presses, and standing presses are excellent alternatives to their barbell counterparts. However, if you’ve only ever performed Smith Machine exercises, there is going to be a learning curve to executing unassisted free weight movements.
  • Not as Versatile
You can do a lot of different exercises on even a basic Smith Machine; you can do a lot more exercises with a barbell and a few bumper plates. The Smith Bar is attached to the Machine and only moves along a single, vertical plane. Unless you have access to one of the more advanced Smith Machine Variations discussed below, you may find yourself a little limited to what you can do with yours.


Smith Machine Variations

We just mentioned that one of the main Smith Machine cons is a lack of versatility in exercise selection. While this is generally true relative to power racks and barbells, Smith Machines themselves come in a variety of formats, each boasting its own set of features. Let’s take a look at how these stack up from most basic to most advanced: These are basic Smith Machines that only offer a Smith Bar running along a vertical track. Today, these might actually be the least common variation since most others have greatly evolved and are much better equipped. These Smith Machines allow you to rack a barbell and perform classic power movements like squats and bench presses with free weights. Many of these go a step further and include a basic cable pulley system, opening up an array of accessory movements, as well. Like Power Rack/Smith Machines, the “Expanded” version offers extensive functionality. However, these beasts possess one or more niche features (like a full pec deck machine or vertical leg press attachment) that make them live up to their “all-in-one machine” namesakes.It probably goes without saying, but as your gear gets more “advanced” the upsides of the Smith Machine pros and cons start to significantly outweigh the downsides.


 

EVOLPOW M2A SMITH MACHINE

 

Best Smith Machine Exercises

Smith Machines offer the ability to perform unique exercises as well as those that should feel familiar to most lifters. Some of the best Smith Machine exercises include:
  • Smith Machine Squats
A common variation of the “king of exercise”, the Smith Machine Squat is a quad-building juggernaut. The Smith Machine’s stabilizing capabilities make this variation much more comfortable and accessible than free weight squats, although you have less flexibility in terms of bar placement (you essentially have to perform “high-bar” squats).
  • Smith Machine Hip Thrusts 
Grab a yoga mat or other soft pad and a bench and drive your hips up and through the Smith Bar. Smith Machine Hip Thrusts are arguably more effective at building sheer hip drive strength and for overall glute hypertrophy than the free weight version.
  • Smith Machine Upright Rows
The Smith Machine Upright Row is a serious trap and delt-building exercise. The smooth bar movement combined with constant stabilization also makes it one of the safest exercises for notoriously sensitive shoulders.
  • Smith Machine Reverse Grip Bench Press
A unique twist on the preeminent chest exercise, reverse grip bench presses reps are much easier to control within the confines of the Smith Machine. An excellent upper pec and triceps builder…but without the shoulder strain common in other benching movements.
  •  Smith Machine Bent Over Row
The classic row may be the most effective Smith Machine posterior chain exercise. What this variation lacks in stabilizing muscle development it makes up for in lat and general back isolation, focus, and development.

 

Has the Scale Tipped in Smith Machines’ Favor…?

Between the extensive array of Smith Machine pros, variations, and exercise functionality, we think it’d be pretty tough to make a case against using a Smith Machine…at least for some of your training.

 

Heck, considering that most commercial gyms only have one or two, you’d be better off getting one of your own.

(We actually love sharing and taking turns…but waiting in line in a crowded gym kinda sucks)

.…and if you’re still on the fence, check out our article explaining how you can pec deck on a Smith Machine. Maybe we should have added that to our list of Smith Machine pros!

 

References

Haugen, M. E., Vårvik, F. T., Larsen, S., Haugen, A. S., van den Tillaar, R., & Bjørnsen, T. (2023). Effect of free-weight vs. machine-based strength training on maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 15(103) https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-023-00713-4.

Muçalliu, A., Bytyqi, L., & Hoxha, S. (2023). Understanding the distinction between machine-based vs free weight training and their correlation to mobility. KOSALB International Journal of Human Movements Science, 2(2): 63-70 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10428048.

Schwanbeck, S., Chilibeck, P. D., & Binsted, G. (2009). A comparison of free weight squat to Smith machine squat using electromyography. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(9): 2588-2591 https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181b1b181.