Originally Posted by
Coldo
Are people using a smith machine with 2 plates a side here? Or a proper olly bar with 2 plates on a side?
Seems to be alot of people pressing 100kg or more which is surprising tbh.
I can lift more on the normal bar and reading up so can lots and lots of others. Apparently a lot of it is to do with not being able to cheat and having to use good form. A quick quote:
One of the main controversies between proponents and detractors of the Smith machine is whether or not it is inferior to free weights. While there seem to be benefits of free weights over Smith machines, they may be overstated. Researchers at Drake University, Iowa tested the premise[citation needed] and found that lifters were able to lift greater amounts on free weights than they were on a Smith machine. As reported in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research[citation needed], bench press strength was about 16% higher for the free-weight bench press as compared to the Smith machine bench press. However, squat strength was about 4% greater for the Smith machine as compared to the free-weight squat.
For those who concerned
Benni.
Last edited by Benni; 07-10-2009 at 06:02 PM.