Smith Machine Vs. Free Weight

Maximize your muscle development by including a variety of weights and machines in your strength workouts. Two of the most popular ways to train are with the Smith machine and with free weights such as dumbbells and barbells. Understanding the benefits and drawbacks of both modalities helps you design a workout that's best for your goals.

Features

The Smith machine is made up of two vertical tracks upon which an Olympic bar can slide up or down. The bar's weight is increased by adding weighted plates. The bar can be set to stop anywhere along the vertical track by adjusting the stoppers. The user must rotate the bar and unlock it to release it from its fixed position. The Smith machine is popular for exercises such as squats, lunches and bench presses. Free weights consist of plate-weighted Olympic, Z-bar and standard barbells, as well as dumbbells ranging from 1 lb. to over 150 lbs.

Benefits of the Smith Machine

Lifters often find they can hoist more weight with the Smith machine because its vertical track affords more stability and safety. Solo trainers can work with heavy weights without the fear of losing control and potentially injuring themselves. The Smith machine also allows for better isolation of primary muscle groups--especially the pectorals in a bench press and the hamstrings in a squat. The Smith machine may also provide additional isolation of muscle groups at the end of a workout, when muscles are fatigued and need extra guidance to complete a workout.

Benefits of Free Weights

Free weights provide you the ability to work through a full and natural range of motion. They force the body to activate the primary muscle group and a number of synergist muscles in order to complete an exercise, therefore providing the body with a full-body workout. A study in the December 2009 issue of the Journal of Strength Conditioning Research illustrated that when compared with the Smith machine squat, a free-weight squat activated muscles an average of 43 percent more. The study used elctromyography to measure muscle activation in six healthy people.

Drawbacks

The Smith machine fails to activate stabilizing and synergist muscles as effectively as working with free weights. The Smith machine doesn't contribute to balance training and the ability to react under unstable conditions. The Smith machine may also give you the illusion that you can lift more weight than is appropriate for your strength level. If you try to lift the same amount with free weights that you do under the supported system of the Smith machine, you risk injury. Beginners may find free weights difficult to manage and could benefit from the guiding aspects of the Smith machine to learn proper form.

Considerations

Despite the potential compromises to your lifting routine, Flex magazine recommends you choose the Smith machine as a solo trainer to optimize the safety of your routine. Beginners might benefit from the support and guidance provided by the Smith machine. Athletes looking to train for agility and function benefit most from free-weight training that better emulates real-life conditions and trains for balance and core stability. Bodybuilders may be best served by the Smith machine when trying to isolate certain primary muscles to develop symmetry.