Smith Machine Home Gyms and Power Racks

Smith machine home gyms have become the centerpiece of the workout room ever since fitness guru Jack LaLanne invented the equipment. Bodybuilder Rudy Smith took the design and improved on it 50 years ago, and it still bears his name. Smith home gyms as well as power racks, a close cousin, can be an integral part of your personal training room.

What Are Smith Machines?

A traditional Smith Machine uses a sleeved barbell attached to a vertical carriage riding on linear bearings on a frame. The user lifts the weight up and down on the glides during squats and presses. The main attraction of Smith machine home gyms is that of safety; there is no need for a spotter since the bar is prohibited from falling lower than the self-spotting pins. If the weight is too heavy or you lose your grip, the bar won’t come down on top of you.

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The drawback of a Smith home gym is that the bar uses a fixed plane of motion and you are limited in the number of exercises you can do. Unlike a power rack, the Smith Olympic bar cannot move in an arc, so exercises such as curls are not possible, nor are dead lifts. Moreover, many lifters dislike the limited mobility of doing bench presses in a Smith machine.

Tips on Choosing a Smith Machine

Depending on your intended workouts, you should carefully consider your options before buying a Smith machine, a power cage, or a squat rack. If it’s part of a multi home gym, opt to get a system that comes with stations such as lat pull downs and low pulleys added to the front of the frame. For Smith machines, get a design with linear bearings -- it will perform much more smoothly and last longer than one made with bushings. Other features to look for include a 7-degree reverse pitch carriage, built-in plate storage holders, and attachments such as leg developer and preacher curls.

Power Racks, Squat Racks

A close kin to Smith machine home gyms are power cages which usually have racks on the front and back of the frame with multiple lift-off positions to rack the barbell on.

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The cage or rack has sidebars to catch a dropped bar. Another home gym apparatus is the squat rack, which is a smaller freestanding frame which allows the user to load and unload a barbell from an elevated position. This rack doesn’t have the self-arrest feature of a Smith machine; you will need to either use a human spotter or restrict lifting to a weight you can handle safely. Since the lifter is not limited to a guide path of motion, these racks allow for a greater range of mobility.

Body Solid Powerline Squat Rack

A Look at Your Options

These machines can be used for various exercises including squats and presses. Take a few minutes to review some of the Smith machine home gyms on this site, including top brand makers such as Bodycraft, Body Solid, Gold’s Gym, Hoist, Life Fitness, Nautilus, Weider, and Yukon. If you’re going to be working out alone with heavy weights, Smith machines are ideal for improving your core, and building strength and endurance.

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