smith machine weight

[cyberstefke]

Does anyone know what the load is of the bar on a smith machine? It's off course a 20kgs barbell that's worked into the machine, but how much am I actually pressing? I kinda need to know to calculate my 1 rep max.

[T-Man007]

Re: smith machine weight

If it's the Body Master or Cybes Smith machine then the bar alone is about 15 pounds. Some others ones have a different counter balance and it changes the weight of the bar. But, those two are about 15 pounds.

[daved150]

Re: smith machine weight

mine is just a bar with slides. i put a scale under the bar, on top of the bench and it read 25lbs. can you try to do it like i did?

[cyberstefke]

Re: smith machine weight

No since it doenst lower that far. It is a cable assisted thingy from Life Fitness. The locks are about 40 cm of the ground. It could put the scale on a bench of course. I'm very sure the bar itself weighs 20 kgs, or 44 lbs, but since off off course it is stabilized and there are cables I don't think you are lifting that amount.

I'm also suspecting that the weight could possibly vary since the restraint from the cables is always the same, but the more weight you add, I assume this resistance is lowered.

[6p6]

Re: smith machine weight

you need to contact the manufacturer, or ask your gym manager

[T-Man007]

Re: smith machine weight

No since it doenst lower that far. It is a cable assisted thingy from Life Fitness. The locks are about 40 cm of the ground. It could put the scale on a bench of course. I'm very sure the bar itself weighs 20 kgs, or 44 lbs, but since off off course it is stabilized and there are cables I don't think you are lifting that amount.

I'm also suspecting that the weight could possibly vary since the restraint from the cables is always the same, but the more weight you add, I assume this resistance is lowered.

It has nothing to do with being stabilized, it's the counter weight that reduces the overall weight. There should be weights attached to teh end of the cable that slide up and down with the bar. This is why the bar is so light by itself when you lift it, the counter balance is being pulled down by gravity. I'm almost certain that it's between 15 and 25 lbs or it's of no use. The whole purpose of the smith machine is to provide that type of movement. Without it, you would have to move metal against metal and it would actually be tougher due to the drag. Try the bench with a scale thing and see what it says.

[kite]

Re: smith machine weight

If you're tryin to calculate your 1rm the sm isn't gonna be much use IMO. I've known lots of guys who said they could do this or that with the smith machine but with free weights they weren't any where near capable of what they did on the smith.

[T-Man007]

Re: smith machine weight

If you're tryin to calculate your 1rm the sm isn't gonna be much use IMO. I've known lots of guys who said they could do this or that with the smith machine but with free weights they weren't any where near capable of what they did on the smith.

So true, so true. I got up to 275 military press on the smith and when I switched to free weights, I was down around 225. That's a huge difference. And, if I didn't hit the ROM just right, it's like I would give out. It very limited in ROM. I like to use it as a substitute exercise but every time I use it I change the angle. So, if I'm doing chest, I change the degree of the bench every time. Also, when you get really strong in a limited ROM it increases your chances of injury because you try to exert that same force in a slightly different ROM and you find out the hard way you don't have it. For me, it's a 'once in a while' machine, but not one of my core ones.

[supasaiyan99]

Re: smith machine weight

If you're tryin to calculate your 1rm the sm isn't gonna be much use IMO. I've known lots of guys who said they could do this or that with the smith machine but with free weights they weren't any where near capable of what they did on the smith.

Very true! Stick to free weights if you want to know your 1RM.

[cyberstefke]

Re: smith machine weight

Yes but I don't have a partner and I'm often alone in the gym. I wanted to use shawn phillips bench press scheme again, but if I miscalculate and use slightly to much weight, there will be no one around to get me from under it

[daved150]

Re: smith machine weight

I USE A SMITH MACHINE EVERYTIME BEFORE MAKING A JUMP UP IN REGULAR BENCHING WEIGHT. 1) NO SPOTTER. 2) IT MAYBE PSYCHOLOGICAL, BUT FOR SOME REASON, AFTER I HIT A TAGET ON THE SMITH, I USUALLY WILL HIT IT ON THE BENCH. THE SMITH I USED DOES NOT HAVE A COUNTER WEIGHT, IT JUST IS A GUIDED BAR, THAT DOSENT EVEN HAVE BALL BEARINGS. THAT MAYBE THE DIFFERENCE.

[kite]

Re: smith machine weight

Yes but I don't have a partner and I'm often alone in the gym. I wanted to use shawn phillips bench press scheme again, but if I miscalculate and use slightly to much weight, there will be no one around to get me from under it

Well in the absence of a partner or power rack, the smith is pretty much your only option. If I were you, I'd tweak the Phillips bench program to include a good bit of dumbell work so that your stabalizers don't suffer.