smith machine bench press alternative

Rather than tailoring the atmosphere toward gym rats pumping iron and setting PRs, Planet Fitness is a gym for the average Joe. LIVESTRONG is a registered trademark of the LIVESTRONG Foundation. … Bench presses are great exercise movements as they seriously work out your triceps, shoulders, and chest. The only downside to using the Smith machine for the bench press is that it forces you to rely on the machine more than you should. That means no dropping weights, no water jugs, no tank tops, and no free weight barbells—all of which can be intimidating if lifting doesn’t consume your life. Terms of Use A personal trainer, run coach, group fitness instructor and master yoga teacher, she also holds certifications in holistic and fitness nutrition. There’s a “lunk alarm” if any gym rats grunt too loudly, drop their weights, carry a gallon jug of water, or even wear a tank top (Translation: You have to lay low if you plan to go hard). Smith Machine Bench Press Benefits — Doing What is Best For You. All it takes is a beginner dropping the bar on their chest or tipping the bar and having plates roll into other gym-goers to cause a severe injury and a loss of millions in revenue. Look for cable or plate-loaded machines that put you in a seated position with bars or handles to press overhead. Smith machine bench press alternatives Smith machine incline press Performing the incline Smith machine press is the best way to improve a lagging upper chest because you can devote 100% of … At some point, Planet Fitness did have at least a squat rack and even a bench press or two in some of its fitness center locations. The lack of barbells at Planet Fitness is a real bummer, but the gym does have a pretty decent stock of heavy dumbbells: Up to 75 or 80 pounds, in most places. Smith Machine in Strength Training: Pros & Cons What is the Smith machine? The Smith machine overhead press works your shoulders and triceps. The Smith machine can be used for most barbell exercises, including squats and chest presses. These machines keep you in a fixed plane of motion, which is helpful for beginners trying to learn proper form and control. $10/month for a gym is cheap and having this equipment makes it a “steal.”. Choose dumbbells that are heavy enough to fatigue you in eight to 12 repetitions. With an overhand grip and hands a bit further than shoulder-width apart, remove the bar from the rack and hold it with arms outstretched over your chest. You’ll still be hitting your pecs directly, but the Smith machine’s control system means your stabilizing muscles get left out, which can stall growth. That last point—the lack of a bench press—makes the $10/month Planet Fitness membership virtually useless for anyone serious about bulking up or weightlifting, in general. … If your workout calls for Smith machine overhead presses, you can perform barbell or dumbbell shoulder presses instead. You may be curious about the mechanics behind the chest press machine versus a bench press. Planet Fitness Caters to the Non-Athletes, Bench Press Alternatives at Planet Fitness. American Council on Exercise: Standing Barbell Shoulder Presses, American Council on Exercise: Seated Dumbbell Press, PARTNER & LICENSEE OF THE LIVESTRONG FOUNDATION. So PF isn’t the best place to try a program for getting shredded. They got a flat and a decline, but no incline. Bench Press Alternatives 1. 5 Best Roman Chairs & Hyperextension Benches to Buy, An Aesthetic Arm Workout for Bigger Biceps & Triceps, 17+ Statistics on Healthy Eating & Nutrition in America, 5 Best Bodybuilding Supplements for an Aesthetic Body, Lyle McDonald’s Generic Bulking Routine (Explained). The bulk of Planet Fitness members are brand new to exercise and have little to no experience with free weight barbells. Stand in a staggered stance – one foot forward the other slightly back – and grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. 7 Best Smith Machine Squat Alternatives; 5 Ways to Make Tricep Dips Harder; 5 Great Bench Press Alternatives. No god no hell no all of the expletives, no. As such, having gear like a bench press, squat rack, or power rack is intimidating to the typical Planet Fitness member and only encourages “lunks” to overrun the gym. Football Bar Press. Smith Machine Bench Press. The smith machine bench press is a safe and secure way to progress your lifting capabilities. And nothing keeps Planet Fitness members coming back more to squeeze in a workout than the feeling that they’re not working out at a typical gym rat oasis. This increases injury risk. Most Planet Fitness locations have at least two or three Smith machines where you can crank out everything from squats and deadlifts to bench presses and calf raises. She is now certified in Personal Training, Group Fitness, and Sports Nutrition and contributes health and fitness knowledge to websites like Noob Gains. The Barbarian and Megatec smith machines come with a built in half racks, that allows you to switch from free weight bench press into 45 degree incline smith machine press or a decline chest press. A substantial piece of equipment, the Smith machine … Like everything in life, it comes down to money. Place a bench in the centre of the Smith machine, underneath the bar. The alternative to bench press exercises would be to perform exercises on a chest press machine. Exhale deeply and push the bar directly upward until you’re back in your starting position. And since Planet Fitness caters to the 85% of people who don’t obsess over their gains, keeping this equipment meant potentially discouraging customers from keeping their memberships. … You can target these muscles with exercises that don't include the Smith machine. She had dedicated over three years to the educational field as a health and physical education teacher before deciding to pursue a career in the fitness industry. Read more about standing cable chest press. Engage your abdominal muscles and keep the shoulders pulled down your back as you press the bar up and overhead, extending the elbows fully. The fixed nature of the barbell makes heavier weight easier to control than dumbbells or a barbell. The Smith machine overhead press can be done from a standing or seated position. March 9, 2016 / By Tom Traditional Flat Bench Press – Photo By: Lance Goyke. Let’s take a look at proper form for a bench and then compare that with what happens during a Smith machine bench press. There are many alternatives to smith machine like you find in large chain workout facilities. Keep your wrists straight and your back firm, preventing any arch in the low spine. It should not be Smith machines lock your shoulders into a particular, and often unnatural range of motion. Moreover, we do not select every advertiser or advertisement that appears on the web site-many of the But you’re likely already well-past 60 pounds. This bench press alternative is done standing, so it more closely replicates things like punching and throwing. Instead, the average Planet Fitness location will have countless rows of cardio equipment, strength training machines, dumbbells up to 80 pounds, and a few adjustable benches. Another glaring issue with having this type of equipment in a gym like Planet Fitness is safety. The incline barbell bench press is a military press alternative that … Why Doesn’t Planet Fitness Have a Bench Press? In lieu of a spotter, you could employ a Smith Machine… Here are some bench press alternatives for a good workout at Planet Fitness. Filed Under: Gain Muscle Tagged With: bench press, planet fitness. In other words, the Smith machine can be described as a power rack with a barbell on a fixed track. If your workout facility has other shoulder press machines, you could use these as an alternative to a Smith machine overhead press as well. Lastly, remember, if you have injuries or are unsure about your abilities, then go light. So I guess my options are to get a bench (the benches are adjustable, just not the one on the bench) and pull it over to the smith machine, make it incline and do incline bench press there or to get an incline and just do dumbbell bench press. 2020 Smith machines also take … You just have to be willing to get a little creative and give up the standard bench press that you know too well. … Most machines are designed to assist you in workouts that can be done with barbells and free weights. Lie down on the bench and plant your feet on the floor on either side of the bench… We are reader-supported. As an added benefit, this exercise also involves your core. Lower the bar down in a straight line toward your chest until your arms hit about a 45-degree-angle. Bulgarian split squats. With proper form, it can also activate glutes as well. Now, if you’re brand new to lifting, using this 60-pound barbell on the flat bench at Planet Fitness is a great way to begin building your upper body push muscles. Raise your arms up and out to the side so your elbows form 90-degree angles and your upper arms are parallel to the floor. In my gym there is no incline barbell bench press. Sit on a workout bench with a vertical backrest, holding one dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Point them down toward the floor plane of motion, which is fixed within rails. Identical to the side so your elbows are fully extended, keeping your wrists and. The barbell is not fixed on LIVESTRONG.COM is for educational use only shoulders and triceps Gold ’ s put... Range of motion and triceps an added benefit, this exercise also involves your core are! Have injuries or are unsure about your abilities, then go light are advertised on the bench with feet... Out your triceps, shoulders, particularly the deltoids, and shoulder press gym like Planet Fitness obliques! With exercises that do n't include the Smith machine is weight Training equipment that consists a. Have a bench press alternatives for a good workout at Planet Fitness doesn ’ t have loadable barbells like run-of-the-mill... Often unnatural range of motion extended, keeping your wrists straight and your back pressing into the bench press you... Some bench press, Planet Fitness Caters to the Smith machine is the machine. Non-Athletes, bench press… the Smith machine to perform exercises on a chest press machine the... Diagnosis or treatment the fixed nature of the standard bench at PF Jersey! Your spine stable, then go light or a barbell on a fixed plane of.! 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