Smith machine

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A Smith machine can be used for a variation of a squat.

The Smith machine is a weight machine used for weight training. It consists of a barbell that is fixed within steel rails allowing for only strict vertical movement. Some Smith machines have the barbell counterbalanced. The machine can be used for a wide variety of exercises including but not exclusive to; squats, the bench press, the shoulder press, good mornings and deadlifts.

Use as a self-spotting device

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Behind each vertical post (runner) is a series of slots on which the barbell can be hooked. This means that unlike an ordinary barbell, the Smith machine need not be re-racked after a set of repetitions: it can be secured at any point. This is intended to make it safer for those who lift without a spotter, as one only needs to twist the wrist in order to lock the barbell in place in the event that the weight becomes too great. Most models also incorporate blocks, pegs, or other devices which can be adjusted to automatically stop the barbell at a predetermined minimum height.[1]

This does not fully eliminate the inherent danger in having a heavy weight on one's back, however, and may instill a false sense of confidence. In 2001, a Smith machine user became quadriplegic when the apparatus crushed his spine.[1] Bench pressing while alone is dangerous in general, but even more so in a Smith machine; if one gets trapped under the bar, it cannot be rolled or tipped sideways off one's chest or neck, which has led to at least one fatality.[2]

Advantages and disadvantages

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Use of the Smith machine is frowned upon by many strength training devotees as it forces the user to adopt an unnatural straight-up-and-down "bar path". This unnatural movement can cause shear stress on the knees and/or back when squatting or shoulders (if pressing).[3][4][5]

The constrained movement of the bar also reduces the role that stabilizing muscles play versus an exercise using free weights. This may allow heavier weights to be lifted, at the expense of engaging less muscle mass overall. It is also hard to keep an accurate training log because manufacturers do not usually indicate bar weights.[6]

As with other exercise machines, the Smith machine is often preferred by casual or inexperienced strength trainees who do not know how to safely perform free weight exercises involving heavy weights.[7][8] Many gyms cater to casual trainees and thus may provide Smith machines instead of power racks, which are a piece of equipment critical for safely performing squats and other barbell-based free weight exercises.

The Smith machine does have some advocates amongst experienced trainees, however. The "bar path" issue is minimized for exercises involving a short range of travel such as calf raises and shrugs. It is potentially good for performing exercise variations when progress has slowed using other exercise forms, although care must be taken to avoid joint stress issues. The removal of stabilizing muscles as a factor can also allow one to increase the intensity applied to primary muscles.[9][10]

3D Smith machine

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A conventional Smith machine has one degree of freedom – the bar can move up and down in a straight line along a vertical track. (Rolling the bar is also typically used to activate the safety locks.) Some variant designs allow an additional degree of freedom – forward and back – while still keeping the bar from rotating or moving side to side. These machines are sometimes called "3D Smith machines" or "Jones Smith machines".

A few designs, such as Shermworks' "Free Spotter" or TuffStuff's "XPT Training System", permit almost all degrees of freedom while still incorporating user-activated safety catches (as opposed to the passive, pre-set safeties of a power rack).

Manufacturer-specific variants

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Some manufacturers market “Smith”-labelled machines that depart from the classic fixed vertical bar. Italian manufacturer Panatta sells the Power Smith Dual System, in which two independent carriages travel on linear guides and are used with an adjustable bench to perform flat or decline chest-press patterns; a related Power Smith Dual System Upper version is configured for incline and shoulder-press movements. Trade material describes a convergent path of motion and hand-operated safety hooks on each carriage.[11][12][13]

In the UK, JAWS markets a “Smith row” apparatus that constrains a rowing motion on linear guides and can be set up for bilateral or iso-lateral use.[14] The design is registered with the UK Intellectual Property Office as UK Registered Design No. 6451381.[15]

These designs combine elements of plate-loaded lever machines with guided rails, and their classification as “Smith machines” varies by vendor.

Origin and history

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The Smith machine was invented by American Jack LaLanne, who rigged up a sliding apparatus in his gym in the 1950s. It was spotted by Rudy Smith, who commissioned Paul Martin to improve it.[16][17] Smith then installed the modified model in a gym he was managing at the time, Vic Tanny's gym in Los Angeles.[18] By the end of the 1950s, Rudy Smith was an executive in Tanny's chain of gyms, and the Smith machine was being manufactured and sold more widely.[16][17]

Effectiveness

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Research published in December 2009 reported that free weights triggered 43% more activation of the muscles than a Smith machine when performing squats.[19]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Smith Machine Lawsuit Ends with $14.4 Million Decision". Club Industry. September 1, 2003. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  2. ^ "Ben's generous last gift of life". www.couriermail.com.au. October 1, 2017.
  3. ^ "4 Reasons to Bypass the Smith Machine". dovemed.com. July 23, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  4. ^ Bret Contreras (July 16, 2013). "Machines Vs. Free Weights: More Research Is Needed". bretcontreras.com. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  5. ^ Stuart McRobert (February 12, 2008). "The Brothers Grimm". Iron Man. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  6. ^ David Kiesling (January 20, 2019). "How Much Does a Smith Machine Bar Weigh?". tworepcave.com. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  7. ^ Inspire Women to Fitness. IDEA Health & Fitness Association. 2003. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-887781-29-9.
  8. ^ Tom Banham (August 19, 2014). "Should I use weight machines?". Men's Health. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  9. ^ John Meadows (January 9, 2012). "Why I Love the Smith Machine". t-nation.com. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  10. ^ Paul Carter (July 12, 2016). "The Most Hated Machine in the Gym". t-nation.com. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  11. ^ "Power Smith Machine Dual System". Panatta. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  12. ^ "Power Smith Machine Dual System Upper". Panatta. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  13. ^ Team MD (May 2023). "Power Smith Dual System Upper" (PDF). Muscular Development. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  14. ^ "JAWS Legacy Bi-Lateral Smith Row". The Gym Revolution. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  15. ^ "Design number 6451381". UK Intellectual Property Office. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  16. ^ a b Black, Jonathan (2013). "The Machine Age, 1960s-1970s". Making the American Body: The Remarkable Saga of the Men and Women Whose Feats, Feuds, and Passions Shaped Fitness History. University of Nebraska Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-8032-4370-5.
  17. ^ a b "Obituary: Smith, Rudolph". Deseret News. July 12, 2010. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  18. ^ John Wood (February 8, 2013). "The Smith Machine". oldtimestrongman.com. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  19. ^ Schwanbeck, S; Chilibeck, P. D.; Binsted, G. (December 2009). "A comparison of free weight squat to Smith machine squat using electromyography". The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 23 (9): 2588–2591. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181b1b181. PMID 19855308.