smith machine bench press alternative

We are reader-supported. If your workout calls for Smith machine overhead presses, you can perform barbell or dumbbell shoulder presses instead. The Smith machine overhead press works your shoulders and triceps. Well, with these exercises you can skip the queues and get to work building that bigger chest, with these effective bench press alternatives. A personal trainer, run coach, group fitness instructor and master yoga teacher, she also holds certifications in holistic and fitness nutrition. Terms of Use The bulk of Planet Fitness members are brand new to exercise and have little to no experience with free weight barbells. 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. and Smith Machine Bench Press Benefits — Doing What is Best For You. 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. The bench press … Leaf Group Ltd. Whether that means light … Incline Barbell Bench Press. You just have to be willing to get a little creative and give up the standard bench press that you know too well. 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. As an added benefit, this exercise also involves your core. As such, this type of equipment also comes with substantial insurance policies that would nearly ruin the steady stream of income that Planet Fitness pulls in every year. When you have a bench press or a squat rack in any gym, you’re also going to draw in a crowd of serious lifters. Any movement that involves pushing weight overhead also targets these muscle groups. You can also do the bench press with a standalone barbell, two dumbbells, a Smith machine, or a bench press machine. Planet Fitness Caters to the Non-Athletes, Bench Press Alternatives at Planet Fitness. Why Doesn’t Planet Fitness Have a Bench Press? The fixed nature of the barbell makes heavier weight easier to control than dumbbells or a barbell. 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. 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. 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. Deadlift and leg press … 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. The Smith machine is weight training equipment that consists of a barbell which is fixed within steel rails. Most guys opt for the dumbbell bench press in place of the standard bench at PF. Lower the bar down in a straight line toward your chest until your arms hit about a 45-degree-angle. A seated position, even when using free weights, affords you more control. Bend your elbows and point them down toward the floor and hoist the bar so that it is parallel to your collarbone. The bench press is one of the critical compound exercises that target the upper body “push” muscles, specifically the chest, shoulders, and triceps. 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. 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. The barbell overhead press is identical to the Smith machine overhead press, except the barbell is not fixed. Here are some bench press alternatives for a good workout at Planet Fitness. If for some reason you cannot work on Smith machine, this exercise has several alternatives, equally effective replacements with other squats: Jefferson; Zercher; classic – with a barbell; on one leg; hack squats. You might use the Smith machine to perform overhead presses, especially if you are trying to lift very heavy weight without a spotter. diagnosis or treatment. These machines keep you in a fixed plane of motion, which is helpful for beginners trying to learn proper form and control. The solution to avoiding this predicament, of course, is to use much less weight than you would in a conventional bench press, and to use a spotter. Smith machines also take … Though Planet Fitness doesn’t have loadable barbells like your run-of-the-mill gym, most locations do have a small rack of pre-loaded barbells. 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. The Smith machine overhead press can be done from a standing or seated position. $10/month for a gym is cheap and having this equipment makes it a “steal.”. The smith machine bench press is a safe and secure way to progress your lifting capabilities. • The one-arm Smith-machine bench press is a compound move for chest and is best done toward the beginning of the routine. This increases injury risk. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the LIVESTRONG.COM Sure, you could put your legs on a raised surface to mix up the angle for push-ups, but you can also just use an incline bench … used as a substitute for professional medical advice, advertisements are served by third party advertising companies. … Choose dumbbells that are heavy enough to fatigue you in eight to 12 repetitions. The material appearing on LIVESTRONG.COM is for educational use only. any of the products or services that are advertised on the web site. . Smith Machine in Strength Training: Pros & Cons What is the Smith machine? 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. In my gym there is no incline barbell bench press. 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