Smith's simulator is quite versatile, it is great for a beginner and a professional athlete. You can also perform exercises on it, being injured. This is possible due to the distribution of the load on the target muscle groups.
Muscle involved
First of all, with a bench press, the working chest muscles are fully tensioned. If you raise the bench about 20 degrees, the entire chest will be involved, and the load on the shoulders will noticeably decrease.
With a wide grip, the entire load goes to the pectoral muscles, as well as to the biceps. The latter acts as a stabilizer. With a narrow grip, the load on the chest decreases, due to the fact that triceps is included in the work.
Also, the bench press in Smith helps to work out the legs, as well as the buttocks. If you widely spread your legs, then the inner side of the thigh will be best worked out. When working out the buttocks, you can do both squats and lunges.
Thus, this simulator is great for both women and men, as it allows you to work out different muscle groups. The availability of insurance and hooks is a great help for beginners, because the possibility of injury is greatly reduced.
Benefit or harm
According to a study by the American Academy of Physical Culture, the bench press in Smith's simulator reduces strength. This is due to the fact that when practicing on a classic bench, a large number of stabilizer muscles are involved. Also, during the exercise, the bar goes through an arc trajectory, and in Smith it is completely vertical.
On the other hand, Smith's simulator creates a paradox, since it is practiced with much more weight than on a bench. This is related to human psychology. When practicing on a bench, beginners take 10-12% less weight from their current capabilities, because they are afraid to drop the barbell on their chest. And with the press in Smith, such an outcome is completely excluded, so a person can take the load that is most suitable for him and engage without fear of being crushed by a barbell. This makes the simulator as suitable for beginners as well as injured.
Pectoral muscle exercise for men
First you need to set the correct tilt of the bench. It should be about 20-30 degrees. This is necessary in order to direct the load on the top of the chest, as well as relieve stress from the delta and triceps. Also, the bench should be exposed so that when lowering the bar down, its bar is touching the lower part of the chest.
After that it is necessary to take the correct position. It is very important that the legs are completely relaxed. If this condition is not met, the load from the pectoral muscles will be shifted to auxiliary ones, and the exercise will be ineffective. The back should completely touch the bench, the shoulder blades should be reduced.
Next, you need to choose the grip width. It should be such that, when lowering the bar, the forearms are parallel. With this setting of the grip, the entire load will be correctly distributed. It is extremely important to keep the hands in one position so as not to get injured.
Then, when you inhale, gently lower the bar down, touch the lower part of the chest, wait a couple of seconds. During this, you can not take your head off the bench, as you can be injured. After this, as you exhale, you need to raise the bar up and return it to its original position.
Smith Squat
You need to set the correct bar height. When a person is standing, it should touch the area between the neck and shoulder blades. Then you need to grab the bar, hands should be wider than the shoulders.
After this, you need to step forward and rest against the bar. This position allows you to use the muscles of the buttocks. The legs should be spread shoulder-width apart and the pelvis bent backward.
Then you should remove the bar from the mounts and perform squats. It is important that the correct load is selected and the execution technique is fully observed.
Once the basic technique has been mastered, you can proceed to more complex options, for example, to squat "plie".
To perform this exercise, you need to widely spread your legs, and also point the socks to the sides. The bar should lie on the trapezoid. Its height must be comfortable.
During the squat, the knees should be apart and bent at an angle of 90 degrees. The back should be bent, and the pelvis should be laid back. If the first time turned out to be comfortable, then the technique is correct, and you can continue to do the exercises further.
Pros and cons
Benefits:
- When you press in Smith, you do not need additional insurance, you can easily deal with one, and the likelihood of injury is greatly reduced.
- The ability to perform exercises with heavy weight, without violating the correct technique.
- There is no chance of not lifting the bar, so the athlete can give all the best.
- Specific muscle groups are being worked out, since the load does not go to stabilization.
- You can perform some exercises even injured.
Disadvantages:
- When you press in Smith, there may be problems with the joints and ligaments due to the trajectory of the bar.
- The muscles of the forearm, as well as stabilizers, are poorly developed.