New PB on Bench Press...

Awesome, exactly what I was after.. Thanks ON.
Will try lowering the weight slower and make sure I am not locking out..

 

New PB on Bench Press...

@MissKaz yeah I use the smith machine.
Where I live, there are no 24 hour gyms and training by myself at 4am I find it suits me the best.
Find I can push out an extra rep or so, and if I can't get it back up, I just lock it in.. Saves me waking my wife up to come
and help when I've got a barbel a cross my neck, she's a grumpy woman at the best of times.
I am going to change things around soon and and try dumbells out for a while.

Thanks @ZAC1983 as well..

 

New PB on Bench Press...

Yeah never wake a sleeping wife.....! Lol

 

New PB on Bench Press...

Reading men's health makes my iq go down notches. As its targetted towards green tea latte drinking males who squat less than kaz does.

Smith machines don't allow a natural arc on the bench. The bench is not an up and down motion as most bros would believe. but more a angled motion.

 

New PB on Bench Press...

I drink green tea and also love coffee and cant squat much becuase i have a stuffed left knee hahaha . Seriously though I did test out my limits years ago on a smith and also found i couldnt get the same weight for 10 that i could on the bench. As we both mentioned if you saw my post, "the arc" isnt there in the smith as it is on the bench. Ive helped several people also up their bench and mainly becuase they were lifting to high up nearer the neck and very wide grip making it harder for them and less core support. Sure enough aye bring in the grip width a bit, elbows in a bit for support strong core and touch near nippleline or just below at sternum with a negative arc and the lifts go up to what they should be able to get .
ZAC

 

New PB on Bench Press...

Helped my mate get up to a 140kgx3 touch and go lift. Partner started benching 25kg for 12reps at the beginning and worked up to a 59kg 1rep max touch and go before losing interest in it. I have around 5 people come around every sat thats our bench day. I love the bench and always will, just need to start eating more and running less lol
ZAC

 

New PB on Bench Press...

A Comparison of Muscle Activation Between a Smith Machine and Free Weight Bench Press

Schick, Evan E; Coburn, Jared W; Brown, Lee E; Judelson, Daniel A; Khamoui, Andy V; Tran, Tai T; Uribe, Brandon P
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Abstract

Schick, EE, Coburn, JW, Brown, LE, Judelson, DA, Khamoui, AV, Tran, TT, and Uribe, BP. A comparison of muscle activation between a Smith machine and free weight bench press. J Strength Cond Res 24(3): 779-784, 2010-The bench press exercise exists in multiple forms including the machine and free weight bench press. It is not clear though how each mode differs in its effect on muscle activation. The purpose of this study was to compare muscle activation of the anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, and pectoralis major during a Smith machine and free weight bench press at lower (70% 1 repetition maximum [1RM]) and higher (90% 1RM) intensities. Normalized electromyography amplitude values were used during the concentric phase of the bench press to compare muscle activity between a free weight and Smith machine bench press. Participants were classified as either experienced or inexperienced bench pressers. Two testing sessions were used, each of which entailed either all free weight or all Smith machine testing. In each testing session, each participant's 1RM was established followed by 2 repetitions at 70% of 1RM and 2 repetitions at 90% of 1RM. Results indicated greater activation of the medial deltoid on the free weight bench press than on the Smith machine bench press. Also, there was greater muscle activation at the 90% 1RM load than at the 70% 1RM load. The results of this study suggest that strength coaches should consider choosing the free weight bench press over the Smith machine bench press because of its potential for greater upper-body muscular development.

 

New PB on Bench Press...

^amen^ free weights for life!

 

New PB on Bench Press...

there are studies and then there is the real world.
Yes i totally agree free weights for most things especially isolation work with shoulders etc.

But when you get to the heavy dumbells sometimes its much safer to set up the smith machine.
i remember shoulder pressing the 50kg's dumbells and throwing them up can just hurt your back. ever tried trowing 100kg from your knee's to your shoulders?
its dangerous, then the added benefit on the shoulder press is for those people that take it to the extreme you can go heavy behind the neck shoulder press.
I wouldn't dare do this with a free bar this is why people say dont do it as you can easily injure yourself.

then on the other hand when it comes to bench press, when you get to the higher end of the scale in terms of what weight you are lifting its nice to be able to know you can try for that last rep and if you stuff it up and cant push the bar back up you can roll the bar and lock it into the machine. Just the fact that you know in the smith machine you are safer under that 100kg+ weight you will try for that extra rep and there has been many a times i have had to lock it out and slide out the back off the bench. This is pushing all the way to failure and you need not fear it getting stuck on you in the smith.

Yes you dont use all the stabiliser muscles but you are safe to lift something for as many reps to failure as possible.
on a normal flat bench you wouldn't try for that 1 more rep for fear of not being able to get the weight off you.

I rotate between smith and dumbells week to week, but when the dumbells dont go high enough you choose the bench and when the bench doesn't feel safe you choose the smith.
small weights comparing smith and flat bench the flat bench is always going to show more muscles involved and energy used but when going heavy i know where i would rather be benching.

 

New PB on Bench Press...

Good info, thanks..