Just done some REAL Bench Presses

oHUTCHYo

oHUTCHYo

oHUTCHYo

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Im one of these people who originally starts out at the gym on all of the fixed machines, then realise that free weights are so much better and so then 'graduate' to free-weights.

Well - I thought I was doing well doing 3x10 100KG on the Smiths Machine until I finally tried a real bench press! I could only manage 40KG! It wasnt so much the weight that limited me, but trying to keep the bar balanced enough to keep good form.

I keep reading about stabliser muscles and I imagine thats where the problem is (under-developed), well, that and maybe practice makes perfect.

Oh well, least I know theres still muscles I havent used yet :(

Ive been on free weights for 6 month now and so, so wish I started on them when I first joined the gym 18 month ago! I think fixed machines have their place for isolations, but Ive learned a valuable lesson today.

EDIT: The title was meant to say "Just done some REAL Bench Presses" :rolleyes:
 
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Yeah I just joined a gym with a free bench for pressing, feels odd to begin with doesn't it? I've never really got on with the smith for chest work so I was glad to try something else. Takes a few sessions but you get there eventually.
 
I felt like a right prat on my first 3 sets, it looked like I was rowing a boat rather than bench pressing :D

I hit the Smiths like a duck to water, but what really helped me was the fact Ive been doing 100KG presses on an upright bench press machine thing since I first joined, you can really max out on that and be safe, theres simply a foot pedal to catch the weight if you get epic failure :p Im 3 more plates from maxing out the machine, looks impressive to the n00bs in the gym, hehe.

In fact, if your gym has one I would highly reccomend it, I still use it as well as the Smiths because you can adjust the seat height work lower, mid and upper chest. (Similar to doing incline bench press on the smiths I would guess)
 
About time people realised the benefits and reality of free weights. ;)

Glad you're giving free weights a go, it'll take a while to get to 100kg but take it easy and get used to it, make sure you have a good spotter and push yourself :)
 
I only use the smith for squats at the mo, hoping to move onto free-squats soon but I just don't have the balance or strength in my legs/back for it yet.
 
Seriously just make the move now. Try just the bar, if that's too heavy/unstable, just do it with no weight for a week or two till you get the balance right. It's much better, and overall easier too.
 
Same as you, i moved from smith bench presses to real bench presses probably just over a month ago. Was doing up to 50kg each side on the smith, but when i began doing the real bench presses i struggled with doing up to 40kg each side. Arms wobbling all over the place as well. Strangely, i'm right handed, yet my left arm always seems to push the weight up first and my right struggles to follow. Anyone else experience that? I'm also the same with dumbell curls...can normally bang them out no problem with my left yet struggle with my right and i'm right handed.....
 
daztrouk said:
Same as you, i moved from smith bench presses to real bench presses probably just over a month ago. Was doing up to 50kg each side on the smith, but when i began doing the real bench presses i struggled with doing up to 40kg each side. Arms wobbling all over the place as well. Strangely, i'm right handed, yet my left arm always seems to push the weight up first and my right struggles to follow. Anyone else experience that? I'm also the same with dumbell curls...can normally bang them out no problem with my left yet struggle with my right and i'm right handed.....
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I experience this. As the sets go on my left arm seems to really lag behind.

Pushing up points to triceps???

I use the smith these days as I lost my gym buddy so i'm scared of dropping to weight on me!!!:D
 
100kg smith machine press :o.
I can manage 65kg for about 6-8 reps but I tend to use dumbells now (no barbells available) and use 20-22kg dumbells for 6 reps.
 
daztrouk said:
Strangely, i'm right handed, yet my left arm always seems to push the weight up first and my right struggles to follow. Anyone else experience that? .
Click to expand...

yep, same here.

What I've noticed is that I'f you're right handed and just started going to the gym then it is highly likely that your right hand is a lot stronger than your left. The situation changes totally after a couple of months, I think because we tend to use our left hand a lot less outside the gym it tends to recover a lot better, thus grow more in terms of strength.:D
 
I was the same last year mate, doing about 90-100kg with ease on the smith, went to free weights expecting similar weights

Struggled with 40kg, took me until now to get back up to 100kg
 
TO a certain degree non free weight machines can help loads. especially when you hit a plateau. Imagine you get up to say 50kg on the bench press, but you really struggle to push past because maybe the combination of not quite strong enough support muscles aren't covered by slightly stronger capable main muscles. Jump on the smith machine, push your main muscles hard, get back to free weights and you can find pushing through the barrier much easier now.

Theres entirely nothing wrong with isolating a muscle group to push it forwards, it can be very helpful on many occasions. The only issue is if you exclusively use them you will almost without question be ignoring support muscles which will give you a lack of balance, its how people do rotator cuffs, pushing big muscles and the countering/support muscles are so weak you hurt your shoulder.

Remember for things like rotator cuff recovery, you can do the same exercises but using a VERY light weight makes your support muscle's kick in while your main muscles effectively aren't being called into use. Not used smith machines in AGES as I haven't been to the gym in years(exercise at home on the cheap), but you might find using a very very low weight on machines can have a similar effect.

Machines can be great, you just have to know how to use them. Freeweights aren't inherantly better, just different. Essentially its just doing several exercises in one, which is often great, but can be limiting sometimes also.

For me its this simple, EVERYTHING in the gym can help you, if you get stuck using only a few machines or a few weights and a few exercises you'll run into trouble eventually. Variation, forcing your body to adapt to new things, not convincing yourself theres a single and best answer, that will give you the best results ;)
 
I hate the smith machine, seriously, which exercise ever has a perfect vertical movement?

The only thing I dont mind doing on the smith is calf raises due to the smaller amount of movement.
 
Make sure your pressing all the way down to your chest as well. Otherwise it's still not real :P

As above, I had to use more machines after I buggered my rotator cuff doing DB shoulder presses (My spotter was chatting :/). They are fine for isolation but free weight do give a more "full" work out.
 
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