Smith Machines May Look Intimidating, But They Boast Some Serious Benefits for Cyclists
Strength training is integral to your long-term cycling game. Not only can it improve your speed and form, but it can also help prevent injuries by strengthening your muscles and evening out imbalances. But the weight room at the gym (if you’re able to get to one safely right now) can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re unfamiliar with certain machines like a Smith machine.
What Is a Smith Machine?
The Smith machine is a piece of fitness equipment commonly found in most gyms that features a barbell fixed to a squat rack, limiting movement to one single plane. “Because the bar is attached to the rack, fewer stabilizing muscles are needed, which makes Smith machine exercises slightly easier than the same exercise done using free weights,” says Jason Fitzgerald, a USATF-certified coach and creator of Strength Running.
Join Bicycling All Access today to become a stronger, faster cyclist.
The machine also has some elements that increase the safety of some exercises. “You can set up bottom springs on the machine, which allows you to limit the range of motion, and there are locking mechanisms, so you don’t need a spotter,” explains Noam Tamir, certified strength and conditioning specialist and owner and head trainer at TS Fitness in New York City.
Exercises You Can Perform on a Smith Machine
Basically, any exercise that requires moving a barbell up and down can be performed on a Smith machine, with squats and bench presses being the most common, says Fitzgerald. But there are some other exercises you might not think of that can be done in an unconventional way.
“You can use it to overhead press, deadlift, do hips thrusts, side bends for the core, pull-ups if you lock it in a high position, and even lie on the floor and push it up [with your feet] to use it for a leg press,” says Tamir. “I like it to improve your push-up. Most people can’t do a proper push-up, and this simulates doing a push-up against a wall if you have it in a low position—you can progress, moving the bar lower and lower over time.”
Tamir also likes the Smith machine for practicing squats. “I’m not a big fan of doing huge backloaded squats because of the pressure it puts on the spine, so with the Smith machine, it does take off some of that pressure,” he says.
Depending on how you position your feet when doing certain exercises, you can also hit specific muscles. “If you have your feet very narrow, you can target muscles like the VMO [Vastus Medialis Oblique—the quad muscle above the inner knee], and then if you turn your feet out, you can hit the adductors [the inner muscles],” explains Tamir. “It allows people to do exercises that they might not be able to do with a barbell on their back.”
Benefits of Using a Smith Machine for Cyclists
Since the barbell is locked into a track on the Smith machine, it requires less stabilization and can make exercises slightly safer, making it a good option for beginner lifters. “The Smith machine can help [cyclists] new to the weight room perform lifts like the squat more easily and safely,” says Fitzgerald.
You might also use the Smith machine as a building block toward more dynamic movements with free weights. “It’s great for building strength and getting comfortable with static movements like a split squat, because a lot of people will just go right into exercises like reverse lunges and dynamic moves like that, and they end up butchering it because they either don’t have the strength in their feet, they don’t have the stability in their joints, or they don’t understand the set-up or positioning for the exercise and don’t have a coach to show them,” says Tamir. “And you can push yourself a little further because you have the locking system to fall back on, so it’s good for endurance strength, which is great for athletes.”
Plus, lifting solo will no longer be a limitation. “For those who don’t have a lifting partner to spot them, a Smith machine can provide the next best thing with a slightly safer option,” says Fitzgerald. “More advanced athletes can use it for very heavy lifts or advanced workouts.”
Downsides to Using a Smith Machine
Yes, the Smith machine does offer many unique benefits for cyclists including stability and safety, but there are also some downsides to having a barbell stuck on a fixed track.
The stabilization of the barbell by the machine “is a double-edged sword because it makes it easier for beginners, but it doesn’t build as much strength, athleticism, and coordination,” says Fitzgerald. As a coach, he would rather see beginners learn the fundamentals with a barbell unfixed to a machine.
The Smith machine also limits range of motion because functional movement is not always a perfectly straight line, says Tamir. Plus, the tracking system can be different from machine to machine, so you need to monitor your rate of perceived exertion to keep your workouts consistent, like when you’re traveling or using a different gym.
Want to give the Smith machine a go? Get familiar with it by trying this circuit workout created by Tamir.
Smith Machine Workout for Cyclists
Circuit 1
Perform the moves in order, with 1 minute rest between moves. Repeat circuit 3 times through.
Squat: 8-10 reps
Underhand Bent Over Row, 10-12 reps
Single-Leg Hip Thrust on Bench, 12-15 reps on each leg
Circuit 2
Perform the moves in order, with 1 minute rest between moves. Repeat circuit 3 times through.
Deadlift, 8-10 reps
Standing Overhead Press, 10-12 reps
Split Squat, 12-15 reps on each side
You Might Also Like
