Smith Machines and Beyond – Options for Self Spotting
If you’re interested in weight training but don’t have a regular spotter or personal trainer, you may hesitate to challenge yourself during workouts because you’re afraid of dropping weights or getting stuck during an exercise. Fortunately, there are several weight training equipment options are out there to help you if you need to spot yourself, three of which we describe below. Consider using any of these pieces of weight training equipment to allow you to challenge yourself at home or at the gym while minimizing your risk of injury.
Option 1: Traditional Smith Machines
The most common piece of equipment used for self spotting is the Smith machine. A Smith machine is a piece of weight training equipment that encloses a barbell in a frame or cage and uses a guide rod to force the barbell along a predetermined path while the user performs an exercise. Smith machines provide added safety and stabilization versus regular barbells because the guide rod prevents the user from dropping the barbell forward, backward, or sideways, and you can typically lock the barbell at any start or stop point along the guide rod track by simply twisting the bar. The guide rods of early generations of Smith machines forced you to perform exercises along a vertical track, while later iterations of the machine set the straight track at a fixed 5 degree or 7 degree angle. The video below shows how a traditional Smith machines works:
The main benefit of performing an exercise with a Smith machine is that you can work out safely without the aid of a spotter. Unfortunately, because the fixed vertical track limits the horizontal motion of the barbell during an exercise, you won’t be able to develop the stabilizer muscles that are strengthened during free weight exercises, so the weight you’re able to lift on a Smith machine won’t translate to lifting free weights. Even more unfortunately, the unnaturally straight lift motion forced by traditional Smith machines can actually cause injuries that are unlikely during free weights exercise. For this reason, many weight lifters disdain the Smith machine and discourage home gym buyers from purchasing one.
Option 2: 3D-motion Smith machines
The range-of-motion problem with traditional Smith machines may turn many prospective weight lifters off from using them, but the importance of safety is still key for everyone working without a spotter. Is there a way to get the safety benefits of a Smith machine as well as the strength and ergonomic benefits of free weights? Several equipment manufacturers have attempted to solve this problem, and within the last few years several improvements on the traditional Smith machine have appeared. The major improvement that’s been made to the traditional Smith machine is allowing the barbell to move along a guided track with a complete range of motion both horizontally and vertically during the exercise. This is accomplished by mounting the vertical guide rod on a second horizontal track.
The two highest-quality examples of a Smith machines that allows a full range of horizontal and vertical barbell motion are the Bodycraft Jones Smith Machine and the Hoist Smith Machine. Some videos showing the Bodycraft Jones Smith Machine in action are included below.
Option 3: The Free-Spotter
If you’re on a tight budget, the hefty price tags of most Smith machines may put this equipment out of reach. In addition, you may be reluctant to invest in such equipment knowing the benefits of free weights training. In this case, you may be delighted to discover a simple piece of self-spotting equipment that can be used in conjunction with free weights: the Free-Spotter. The Free-Spotter is a set of high-tension ropes and clamps that can be suspended from the ceiling or a power rack to provide safety catch points during your exercises while still allowing you a complete range of motion. The ropes and clamps can be used in conjunction with regular barbells or dumbbells. The video below shows the Free-Spotter in action:
Whether you’re a weight lifting beginner or an experienced bodybuilder, the importance of a safe workout is key. Consider whether a traditional Smith machine, 3D motion Smith machine, or other weight support system can improve the safety of your workouts while you work toward your fitness goals.