Smith machine is a bench press completed on fixed equipment. For novice fitness enthusiasts, free bench press (dumbbell bench press, barbell press) cannot grasp balance well. They should first use Smith as a basic exercise and wait for a period of time before going to free bench press. Smith's bench press is divided into three types: flat, upward sloping, and downward sloping.
Smith gym equipment exercise area: pectoral muscles
The three types of Smith bench presses, namely flat, upward sloping, and downward sloping, focus on stimulating the middle, upper, and lower parts of the pectoralis major muscle, but regardless of the oblique thrust, the middle part of the pectoralis major muscle bears greater pressure.
usage method:
1. Adjust the long climb position and angle on the Smith machine: the flat bench press is horizontal, with an upward tilt of about 30 degrees and a downward tilt of about 20 degrees; Keep the axis of the barbell on the corresponding part of the chest during the bench press lift; Using a grip distance wider than shoulder width allows the pectoralis major muscle to fully stretch and fully contract.
When the barbell is pushed up to the point where both arms are extended (or when maintaining a certain small angle at the elbow), the chest muscles must be in a "peak contraction" state and stopped briefly.
3. Exhale through the mouth when pushing up, and inhale through the nose when restoring.
Precautions for using Smith fitness equipment:
1. Do not lift your hips and waist off the stool. The grip distance should be wider than your shoulders and too narrow. Focus on exercising your triceps.
2. In order to effectively exercise the target muscle, the Smith flat bench barbell is placed one inch above the nipple, and the diagonal bench press is placed up to the collarbone.
During the bench press process, the barbell should be placed as close to the chest as possible when lowering. To increase difficulty when pushing up, half or 2/3 of the way can be used, which means the arm does not need to be fully extended. On the one hand, it can ensure continuous tension of the pectoralis major muscle, and on the other hand, it can avoid locking of the elbow joint.
4. The Smith strength machine belongs to the fixed equipment bench press, so there is no need to worry about balance control issues during barbell or dumbbell bench press. In addition, with the safety lock protection, the Smith bench press is relatively safe and reliable. Therefore, it is suitable for beginners to preliminarily master the technique of bench press; For intermediate and advanced fitness enthusiasts, it can be used to impact maximum weight to improve bench press ability; The first exhaustion training method can be used to assist with dumbbell or barbell bench presses, followed by Smith bench presses.