Smith Machine Exercises – Safe Workouts without a Spotter

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Smith Machine Exercises: More Workouts Than You Realize

You may have heard that there are a limited number of Smith machine exercises that can be done. While it is a fact that there is a restricted range of motion to the machine, the safety factor when lifting alone makes the Smith Machine a worthwhile consideration.

The main advantage to these exercise machines is that compromise they offer between lifting heavy to build strength and endurance – and working out without a human spotter. The Smith machine workout can involve almost any exercise, especially when you add attachments to the frame.

These are some examples of Smith machine exercises and how to perform them:

Smith Squat: Get under the bar on the sliding track with your feet about shoulder width apart. With the bar on your traps, grip the bar, arch the back slightly, contract the abs, and remove the bar from the hook. Step back slightly to get clear of the hook and begin the squat. Bend the knees keeping them over the ankles as much as possible, and lower your butt as if you are about to sit in a chair. Lower yourself until your thighs are near parallel to the floor. Slowly rise up and return to the start position. This excellent compound exercise works the legs, glutes, lower back, and abs.

Smith Pull-ups: This is a pull-up done lying down. It’s a modified exercise that helps to develop the muscles in your back and arms until you are strong enough to do full body pull-ups on a chin-up bar. To perform Smith pull-ups: lie on your back on the floor with the bar above your chest. Use a wide overhand grip, keep your body straight, and exhale as you pull up and raise your body towards the bar. Inhale as you slowly lower your body to the start position. This is one of the Smith machine exercises that work many of the compound muscles of the upper body.

Smith Machine Home Gyms, Power & Squat Racks

Smith Push-ups: With the bar at the lowest rung, put your hands on the bar wider than your shoulders, keeping your body straight and back flat. Since these are angled push-ups more like wall push-ups, you should be able to do quite a few of them.

Triceps Dips: Use the bar at the lowest rung and sit on top of it. Reach down, grab the bar slightly under the hips, walk out your legs, and lower your hips in front of the bar by bending your elbows at 90 degrees. Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears, and keep the tension on your triceps.

Smith Press: By using a Flat-Incline-Decline Bench, you can do the following Smith machine exercises: bench press, military press, and shoulder press.

Bent Over Row: Use the bar at the lowest rung about shin level. Bend at the waist with your chest forward over your feet. Keep your knees slightly bent and your head up. Use an overhand grip with your hands about shoulder width apart. Keep your back stable as you lift (“row”) the bar up near the stomach area. The bent-over row is superior to the upright row in that it is safe to do and targets all the muscles of the upper back plus the biceps.

Reverse Lunge: Hold on to the Smith bar, look ahead and keep your back straight. Use a split stance to step back with one foot, and slowly lower your body into a lunge position. Bring the leg back to the start position and repeat with the opposite leg.

More Exercises with Attachments

To expand the number of Smith machine exercises that you can do, add attachments like a Lat Pulldown, Chin-up Bar, and a Pec Deck (for an example, see the Nautilus Cage/Smith System). Be sure to review some of the top makers such as Nautilus, Weider, Bodycraft, Body Solid, Gold’s Gym, Hoist, Life Fitness, and Yukon as these machines offer a variety of stations.

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