Negatives on a Smith Machine?

[David]

Basically what it says.

I've never tried it but i was wondering if it would be a good idea or not.

thanks in advance!

p.s. the reason why i would use the negatives on a smith machine are that i train alone, so i cant do negatives on a regular bench.

With the smith machine i could do one negative and then get off the bench and lift the weight, and then do it over again.

[YatesNightBlade]

no no no .... I wouldn't do negative without a spotter even on a smith machine. If you can't get a spotter then try doing other methods, like rest pause or drop sets.

[ElaborateBurn]

I train alone too, so performing negatives (with heavy weights) can be dangerous (assuming you have no access to a power rack). I have previously done negatives on the smith machine which has worked well (benching) but I would not advice you to do this too often as the smith machine restricts the natural movement of the press. When performed to negative failure this restriction can be amplified to a greater degree thus causing protential injuries. I would personally stay clear if you have any shoulder aches or pains, especially considering how the con's could out-weigh the pro's.

I'm no expert on this but just going from personal experience, it's always good to share.

[Large And In Charge]

I totally agree, do not do nagatives without a spotter! The nagative phase (eccentric) of the lift is much more demanding on your muscles than the possitive phase (concentric.) Now I know what you're thinking, the smith machine is good because it's like a built in spotter, but nagatives are so demanding on the body that you really need a live person to do them with. If you can do nagatives without a spotter on the smith machine and fully get the weight back up by yourself, then you are not doing nagatives right. If you want to turn up the intensity, do some drop sets, supersets, or giant sets. if you don't have a spotter.

[Edited by Large And In Charge on 02-07-2001 at 09:07 AM]

[The Cobra]

Not only do Smiths put you in a locked ROM, they also don't always work right. A few years back I saw a guy get hurt pretty bad when one toppled over on him. Lucky for him there wasn't a WHOLE lot of weight on the pins, but geez, the smith itself weighs quite a bit. I think he just broke a leg. He was lucky. If your gym doesn't have their smith machine BOLTED TO THE FLOOR, like they're supposed to, then make sure that there's lots of 45s on the pins opposite the bar, or you too may have a flip problem. Just something interesting about my smith experiences I thought I'd share.

[chris mason]

You cannot perform negatives properly on a Smith without a partner because you would only be able to perform one rep. The style you are discussing would be too cumbersome and allow for too much rest between reps. Doing only one rep would not allow you to go to failure because the definition of failure on a negative is when you can no longer control the descent of the weight. How would you know exactly how much weight to use? This problem, combined with the danger involved in not having someone get you out from the bar (I know you can twist it, but if you are stuck under an extremely heavy weight even this may be impossible). A safe exercise to perform for the chest, delts, and triceps without a spotter is negative dips. Most dip bars have a step you can use to get in the top position and then slowly lower yourself down. If you do this, use it as your only chest movement and perform only 1-2 sets. The negatives will really fry you. My next article will be all about negative training, so check it out when it gets posted.

[Edited by chris mason on 02-07-2001 at 10:34 AM]

[The Cobra]

I agree with Chris on this one. One thing about negative dips, though. You must be careful with this exercise. Most people don't have the flexibility to go down ALL the way without discomfort. If you can, go for it. If you can't get bottomed out, keep your feet right above those little steps for the duration of the exercise. If you don't, you risk some serious elbow problems from dropping too low and pulling something.

[David]

Hi fellas, thanks for the great advice!!

I'm not even going to try doing negatives on a smith machine now, boy would that have been stupid!!

p.s. looking forward to reading your new article chris mason!