One of the most divisive pieces of gym equipment for strength training is the Smith machine. We want you to revise your memory and imagine yourself looking around at all the gym equipment available. And you see a cagy rack. Yes, that’s the Smith Machine, exactly the one that has a barbell in it. It always seems intimidating to try. At least not knowing how to use this Smith machine. We have been there too, ignoring it completely because we would rather not embarrass ourselves in a gym we just joined. Right?
In this very blog, we are out to change your perception of Smith machines. Precisely inform you about the best Smith machine exercises you can perform. And yes, then offer you our Top 10 picks if you wish to buy for your gym-arena or your home gym, a Smith machine.
Your perspective will either become your prison or your passport, Steven Furtick
What exercises are better on Smith machine, is it better than bench press?
The Smith machine barbell is designed for heavy lifts, allowing users to perform Smith machine exercises independently without a spotter. It follows a guided path, allowing for easy rotation of the bar back into the guides. Safety features like safety bar handles are also present for maximal lifters. The fixed plane of the barbell allows for more weight for exercises like squats and presses. It also stabilizes the barbell, reducing the need for balancing or activating stabilizer muscles, allowing for easier lifting of heavier weights.
Smith Machine Back Squats
The Smith machine squat is a popular exercise due to its design, allowing for heavy loads without a spotter. However, some strength training coaches advise against it, but as long as you perform squats and avoid excessive sets and reps, risks are minimal. Studies show that Smith machine squats can increase strength and activate more muscles than free-weight squats, resulting in a higher one-rep max.
Smith Machine Split Squats
For performing the split squat, the Smith machine is a great tool. Providing stability and allowing for heavier weights without losing balance. Stagger your feet with one foot 3-4 feet in front of the other, ensuring your front foot is far enough from your body. Place a bar on your upper traps and rotate it to unlock. Bend your front knee to drop into a split squat, ensuring your thigh is parallel to the ground and your knee is bent 90° degrees.
Smith Machine Romanian Deadlifts(RDL)
Smith machine workouts should include a must-have exercise targeting posterior chain muscles. To maximize workload, lower the bar to mid-shin level before returning to standing position. Set the bar at mid-shin height, grip the bar with palms facing down, unlatch the bar, press through heels, and lower the bar back down to mid-shin level. Maintain constant tension in glutes and hamstrings to maximize workload.
Smith Machine Good Morning
You can practice good mornings by bending your body forward at the hips while maintaining a straight back. You only slightly bend your knees during the motion. Holding a barbell over the upper back frequently adds resistance and makes the workout harder. A Smith machine bar is one alternative to adding resistance, though. Your power and strength on other hip hinge exercises like squats and deadlifts will rise thanks to the posterior chain exercise known as the good morning.
Smith Machine Seated Shoulder Presses
The Smith machine is a powerful tool for deltoids, allowing you to isolate your shoulders while seated. Place a weight bench in the vertical seated position, slightly higher than your shoulders. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, press it up overhead, and slowly lower it back down.
Smith Machine Calf Raises
Calf-Raises is a popular exercise for building size and strength in calf muscles. Yes these too can be exercised with a Smith Machine. To perform this exercise, stand on a sturdy box or platform with your feet hanging off the back, with your heels hanging off the back. Place the bar at shoulder height, grip it with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and press up until your heels are dropped below the box level as far as you can stretch.
Smith Machine Shrugs
An effective tool for trapping, Smith machine comes with the bar behind your back preventing your shoulders from rounding forward. Position the bar just below hip level, grip it with an overhand grip, and release it by twisting and lifting it upward. Shrug your shoulders, squeeze your traps and shoulders at the top position for a full breath before slowly lowering back down.
Smith Machine Bent-Over Rows
Bent-Over Rows is a great exercise for building back muscles, as it allows for heavier loads and less recruitment of stabilizer muscles. This exercise isolates traps, lats, and rhomboids, aiding in the development of the back. To perform this workout, lower the bar, grasp it with your hands, and pull the weight up towards your stomach, then slowly lower it back down until your arms are extended.
Important: Warm up with mobility and core work before heavy Smith machine moves, including ram-up sets as an extended warm-up to prepare muscles and joints for heavy weights.Most exercises that you can perform with a squat rack or a power cage (Smith machine). The barbell is attached to the Smith machine and moves along a predetermined path, which is the main distinction.
Best Smith Machines For Sale
Today, there is a handsome amount of Smith Machines available in the market, like Body Solid’ Smith machine. Choosing the best one for you can be a problem. Whether you are here looking to buy it for your commercial-home gym smith machine. Following are the very best Smith machines for sale.
Deltech Fitness DF4900 Smith Machine
| Brand | Deltech Fitness |
| Color | White and Black |
| Material | Alloy Steel |
| Tension Level | 700 pounds |
| Handle Type | Fixed |
Features
The Deltech Fitness DF4900 Smith Machine is a commercial strength and quality machine with a 700 lb weight capacity. Its frame is made of heavy gauge steel tubing with a powder coat finish, and it sits on heavy-duty rubber feet. The machine is fully upgradeable with optional lat and 200 lb weight stack attachment. The smith bar glides on 4 linear ball bearings, providing a smooth feel for free weight workouts. The machine also features solid steel guide bars, bar catch rods at 6″ intervals, and rear storage pegs for easy access.
MARCY Smith Cage Workout Machine
| Item Weight | 373 Pounds |
| Brand | MARCY |
| Color | Silver |
| Material | Alloy Steel |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 95 x 79 x 86 inches |
Features
Marcy’s Smith Cage is a compact, heavy-duty gym equipment that combines three strength building machines in one. It features a dual-action press arm system for various arm and chest exercises, a dual-function leg developer with six oversize rocker pads, and six weight plate pegs for easy accessibility. The cage also includes accessories like a lat bar, shiver bar, ankle strap, v-bar, triceps rope, and pulley cable handles. Its durable powder-coating finish ensures long-lasting use.
Mikolo Smith Machine
| Brand | Mikolo M3 |
| Tension Level | 2000 Pounds |
| Color | Red |
| Material | Alloy Steel |
Features
The Mikolo M3 Version is a home gym-quality workout machine with a heavy-duty steel frame and 2000 lbs weight capacity. It combines traditional weightlifting with cable exercises to target all muscle groups. The machine offers numerous attachments, including band pegs, smith bar, weight catches, J hooks, barbell holder, footboard, pull-up bar, T bar, lat pull-down bar, and cable bar, allowing users to customize workouts. The Mikolo Smith machine features a widened safety catch, padded dip bar, and adjustable footboard for a comfortable workout experience.
ER KANG Smith Machine
| Brand | ER KANG |
| Color | Red |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 74.2 x 86 x 87 inches |
| Handle Type | Fixed, Pulldown |
| Strap Type | Adjustable |
Features
The ER KANG smith machine is a versatile home gym equipment that offers a top band peg design for increased training difficulty and stability, and a zigzag design for longer rod longevity. It features leg attachment for comfortable pull-downs, 16 adjustable heights for various exercises, and multiple accessories like weight storage racks, footboard, and storage hooks. The machine also includes a battle rope anchor, pull-up bar, T bar, lat pull bar, cable bar, dip bars, j hooks, cable handles, and a 360° landmine. The H10 machine has a substantial storage capacity, featuring 4 plates pins and 2 barbell holders.
Valor Fitness BE-11 Smith Machine
| Brand | Valor Fitness |
| Color | Metallic Grey |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 53 x 85 x 80 inches |
| Handle Type | Fixed, Pulldown |
| Strap Type | Adjustable |
Features
The BE-11 is a 12-gauge steel frame, comes with a solid steel bar latch support, bar rotation, and linear bearings for strength and stability. It features case hardened rods and high-quality bearings for smooth performance at any weight. With a 3-degree pitch, it allows users to perform various workouts without a spotter, including bench press, squats, rows, upright rows, shrugs, and calf raises.
Altas Strength Smith Machine
| Brand | ALTAS STRENGTH |
| Color | Red |
| Material | Alloy Steel |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 79.13 x 58.27 x 88.19 inches |
| Handle Type | Fixed, Pulldown |
Features
The ALTAS STRENGTH 3058 is a compact multi-station machine that includes a power rack, functional trainer, smith machine, dip station, chin up station, core trainer, low row, and leg press. It’s ideal for those with limited workout space, who prefer a private, safe workout, or access to a commercial gym at home. The machine features 6 weight plate pegs for easy access, dual Action press arms for arm and chest exercises, and a dual-function leg developer for optimal body form during workouts.
IRON COMPANY Body Solid Smith Machine
| Item Weight | 168 Pounds |
| Brand | Body-Solid |
| Color | Black |
| Material | Nylon, Alloy Steel, Iron |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 77 x 45 x 81 inches |
Features
The PowerLine Smith Machine is a powerful and reliable machine that combines free weight power, resistance, and safety. Its ladder-type mainframe features 12 gauge square pillars with 14 lock-out points, and comes with a standard bar for 1″ regular plates. It features adjustable safeties, jumbo pop pins, and long-life patented super-glide nylon bushings for frictionless movement. The machine’s performance is enhanced by 2″ square, high polished chrome guide bars.
Commercial Home Gym – Smith Machine
| Brand | Commercial Home Gym |
| Color | Blue |
| Handle Type | Fixed Handle |
| Maximum Weight Recommendation | 160 Kilograms |
| Product Dimensions | 49″D x 79″W x 90″H |
Features
This commercial-grade multi-functional smith machine offers 16 height cable workouts, including arms, chest, back, legs, lat pull downs, bench press, and squats. It features a 5-way grip pull up bar, J hooks for dips, and 2*80 kg stack weights for cables exercises. The machine comes with two safety spotster bars, a weight limit of 990 lbs for racks and 770 lbs for the bar, and jammer arms and foot plate for rows. Only downside is, the standard edition does not come with a bench and plate weights.
Zeus Strong Cable Crossover Smith Machine
| Brand | Generic |
| Color | Red, Black |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Item DimensionsLxWxH | 64.8 x 76.8 x 88.8 inches |
| Handle Type | Fixed Handle |
Features
This complete smith machine is capable of provide a variety of exercises, from the squat to the cable fly. This rack is made of durable commercial-grade stainless steel that can withstand all kinds of weather. Installing in your gym or home gym is simple to do and just requires a few tools. There are numerous attachments and add-ons included with the rack. This rack can assist you in achieving your objective, whether you’re exercising for strength or endurance.
Body-Solid Pro Clubline Counter-Balanced Smith Machine
| Item Weight | 300 Pounds |
| Brand | Body-Solid |
| Color | Grey/black |
| Material | Other |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 50 x 86 x 84 inches |
Features
The SCB1000 is counterbalanced to a comfortable 6 pounds, allowing users of any size to start with the right amount of resistance and easily handle up to 1,000 pounds. You may move safely and effectively through routines. This can include bench press, chest press, military press, squats, lunges, curls, shoulder shrugs, and dozens of other muscle-building exercises. Thanks to its reverse pitch and silky smooth vertical carriage, which ensures freedom of biomechanically correct movement.
Our Verdict
Smith machines range from $1,500 to $4,000, with more expensive models available. All-in-one models with cable pulley systems and squat racks are more expensive. These machines are large, heavy, and require assembly steps. Making them not suitable for casual purchases. Do consider these factors before investing in a smith machine.
