Powerlifting At Planet Fitness: How To Bench Press In The Smith Machine (and save your shoulders!)
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- čas přidán 4. 02. 2021
- Peace everyone, and thanks for watching! One of my subscribers (shout out to Nicholas!) asked me to cover how to do the competition lifts for powerlifting in Planet Fitness. So, this is part 2 of a series on that topic. This video deals with bench press technique and set up in the Smith machine. If any of you would like me to share my thoughts on how to program training at PF for powerlifting, let me know in the comments or send me an email.
Here’s the link to part 1 on the squat: • Powerlifting At Planet...
For those who are new to my channel, I’ve been training at PF since June 2020. I competed in a USAPL meet on November 14. Here’s the story on that - “Proof That You CAN Train For Powerlifting At Planet Fitness”: • 2020 USAPL Meet Video:...
I’m registered for another meet on May 23!
Please take a second to help the channel by clicking 👍🏾, SUBSCRIBE, and 🔔. Thank you!
Thanks to my teenage daughter Aneesa for the new intro for my channel! Credit to James Howard Beats for remaking the instrumental (“Remember The Name” by Fort Minor). Check out the music on his page! / jameshoward2
Peace everyone! UPDATE:
Recently, I have experimented with doing bench presses in this machine facing the opposite direction of the way I am in this video. I’m finding it to be more comfortable for my shoulders. If you are in PF or anywhere else with a Smith machine that has a slanted track, then give it a shot. If you’re on a Smith machine with a completely vertical track, then you can face either way.
What I noticed is that "video setup" is good for flat and incline press. Opposite setup is optimal for decline press.
I just started training at planet fitness ,I'm 15, and this guy has already showed me so much ! So much love man!
Thanks for watching, and I’m honored to be helpful in your training journey. 💪🏾✊🏾
How it going Tyrone
@@kosher4772 Hey Kosher! So I had to stop going for a while because of some outside problems, but then this january I got a squat rack and equipment, and I've been doing really well Ive been 3 months consistent and seeing a well amount of gainz, im 16 now too, what about you?
you are a great resourc for information. Thank you!!!
Please tell me I’m not the only one to notice yellow shirt in the back doing the moonwalk on the elliptical for the first minute and a half of the video.
😂 You know what? I had noticed him in the middle of the video, when he’s in the middle of the screen. But I had not noticed him in that portion until you pointed it out.
Appreciate the tips brother!
Great tutorial 👌bro !! Thanks this was extremely informative
Thank you brother! Glad it helps.
Definitely a helpful video!!! 💪🏾
Thank you brother! Glad it helped.
This just helped me realize I was facing the wrong direction when I started doing these 😅
This is exactly what I was looking for. Form is everything for me and unfortunately I'm stuck with smith machines. Great video, very much appreciated.
You’re welcome! I hope it helps you make progress.
@@skywarz983 Smith machines at some PF say it’s 20 lbs, and at others it says 25 lbs.
I've been using the smith machine for flat & incline bench press, I make sure I use the safety.
I watched your video just before going to the gym to bench press, and I felt much better. Thank you.
Sounds like perfect timing. 😁 I’m glad it helped.
Same
FORTYfied Fitness & Strength good stuff bro I started out at planet fitness as well and got strong af I got up to a 490-500 deadlift over there 350 squat and 290 bench now I bench 325 and deadlift 605 and squat 415 as long as you have the drive and dedication that’s what matters
@@devthegod298 that’s some real progress - nice!
FORTYfied Fitness & Strength yea everyone doubts you when you workout at planet fitness but everyone starts somewhere that’s why I hate when people saying planet fitness is for pussies it takes time to grow and advance awesome channel btw
Great advice. It's also important to be aware of the bar weight on the Smith Machines. Most Smith Machines at Planet Fitness have bars that only weight 25lbs. This is obviously 20lbs less than a standard power bar. It's clearly important to count your plates correctly when using these machines so that you're actually hitting the weight you intend to hit.
Thank you! You’re correct - I have seen smith machines at PF that say 25 lbs, and others that say 20 lbs. Either way, it’s much less than 45 lbs or 20 kg.
This video was really helpful as I'm currently stuck at a PF after the gyms around me closed. Thanks a lot!
I’m glad you got something from it! That’s also how I ended up at PF. My old gym still hasn’t reopened, even though they’re allowed to. PF is the only other place in the same price range and distance from home. I’ve been making the best of it. I miss having ready access to barbells, but PF hasn’t been as bad as I expected.
@@MailmanMuscle I totally agree! , Its just that the free weights are limited
Same
Yo good looking OG 👏👏👏
I agree the adjustable bench has more grip and you can almost place your but in the hole were it bends.
That’s right where I end up when I’m on it. You’d think it would be uncomfortable or even painful, but it’s quite the opposite.
@@MailmanMuscle exactly the same for me and my buddy's were all 5'7 to 5'8
Love these videos at Planet Fitness! Any idea how much the bar weighs on the Smith machine at Planet Fitness?
Glad you’re enjoying them! I have seen 2 different Smith machines at different PF’s. Some machines say 20 lbs. Others say 25 lbs. The “20 lbs” bars are incredibly stiff and feel like at least 35. The “25 lbs” bars feel hollow and barely 10 lbs. That’s why I don’t trust those labels and just count the weight of the plates.
When you say not to touch your chest with the bar if you're looking for hypertrophy, is that because you should be focused on time under tension while making the 8 to 12 reps region? So touching my chest would basically break the T.U.T. I'm trying to focus on? Great videos BTW man. Very informative.
Thank you for the feedback! On touching the bar to your chest: doing these presses on a Smith machine means that the bar path is fixed. For some people, bringing the bar all the way to the chest might put their shoulders in a bad/uncomfortable/compromising position. I think it’s safer to leave give yourself some margin for error on the range of motion. I wouldn’t stop a foot above your chest 🙂 but a few inches should help keep your shoulders healthier while still hitting your chest hard. If you’re trying to mimic a powerlifting bench press, that’s a calculated risk you have to take. But for hypertrophy, it’s not necessary.
Your point about TUT is also a good one. Even though you want to stay tight when the bar is on your chest (you want to stay tight for everything in powerlifting), if you stop the range of motion a bit short then you don’t have to worry about losing any tension if you don’t touch, and also if you don’t lock out at the top of the rep. If you look at how a lot of top level bodybuilders bench, even with free weights, many of them don’t touch their chests with bench presses, and don’t lock out any reps but the last rep of a set.
@@MailmanMuscle Awesome thanks for the detailed information!!
Thanks, Great vid. I've seen people benching backwards on these machines. I'm guessing that's bad for the shoulders?
I’m glad you enjoy it! Recently, I’ve been experimenting with benching in the opposite direction, and I think that actually feels better. I may have to do an update to this video just for that, or maybe just post a pinned comment. Everything else has remained the same.
What is your grip width?
5:00 just noticed the dude behind him going backwards
Would you advise using the safetys...cause if you do you might be between clip sizes..meaning sometimes you cant hit your chest...you stuck between not hitting and the bar crashing through you
I see what you mean. Generally, I don’t use the safeties because on a Smith machine, you don’t have to get the bar up too far to be able to lock it into one of the hooks. It’s true that you can still get pinned to the bench if the bar is on your chest and you can’t budge it at all. My first thought is don’t add so much weight that you can’t move the bar at all, or go for a rep that you’re not absolutely sure you can get off of your chest. 🙂 But accidents and injuries happen too. So if that’s a concern and your end goal is not one rep max strength, then go ahead and use the safeties on the lowest setting possible for you. It shouldn’t take too much off of the range of motion.
@@MailmanMuscle
I agree... it's a shame the safety hooks really disrupt the true path of the bar
I would be lying if I said I never had any shoulder problems/rotator cuff. This machine seems to magnify the issue though. I guess I will stop touching my chest. I had rotator cuff pain before, but that was with much heavier weights, I am older now, but not that old 37. You say do different exercises imagine that would have to be push ups, because there isn't many choices at PF.
Try facing the opposite way than I’m facing in the video. I have been doing that recently, and my shoulders feel even better.
For some reason I always get discomfort in my shoulder doing this. Only this too.
So do I. I’ve stopped and just use the smith machine for an incline press. At PF I’ll use dumbbells for a bench press
I like dumbbell bench pressing. Have you seen or experimented with using a rope or something to add a 10lb or 2 10lb plates to a 75lb dumbbell?
At my old gym (YMCA), I’ve seen someone clip a plate to a dumbbell. It was a large clip, so it was big enough to get around a small plate, but small enough to keep the plate from moving. I haven’t seen any clips that size at PF though.😕
@@MailmanMuscle thank you... I will devise and bring my own rigging , and keep it discreet. No outside equipment bs.
Lining up the bench... .my OCD and trying to get in the middle... EXACT middle lol. My PF Smith rack is not angled, it's straight.
It’s a hassle, but I just figured out a way to do it right every time. I can’t believe it took this long. Short video about it coming soon.
How do you use the straps on the Smith machine if the knulling is so slippery? I've tried it feels like butter?
Straps? Like for deadlifts and pulls/rows? If that’s what you mean, I use Versa Gripps, and they work better for me than straps. I’ll be going into that more in the next video on deadlifts, but is that what you’re asking about?
I was asking how do you straps on the planet fitness smith machine is the knurling is so soft... and you replied with you use a specific type of strap which I don't have I just have basic straps.
@@chris_is_motivated7048 Next time I go to the gym, I’ll take my regular straps and record how to use them on the PF Smith machine. You’re right about how smooth those bars are compared to a normal barbell.
@@chris_is_motivated7048 update: I finally got in the gym and tried normal straps. I see what you mean. I did a few rows with them, and didn’t like them at all on that Smith bar. I’ll try them again with deadlifts, and see if I can figure out a better way to use them.
Thank you so much man, I figured out a way to fix my grip problems I found out my planet fitness lets me use chalk! And now I've been hitting prs like crazy, thank you so much for the update have a great rest of your day!
Great video! Do you know how much assistance a smith machine provides? Does it actually make it easier to bench or squat more weight?
its not so much about assisting you to lift more as it is safety, planet fitness doesnt want to be liable for people dropping free weights on themselves lol
Thank you! A standard Olympic bar weighs 45 lbs. The bars on the Smith machines at Planet Fitness are labeled as weighing 20 or 25 lbs, depending on location.
How many notches up on the bench to do include presses
Good question! I’m assuming you mean incline presses. Depends on how much you want to emphasize chest vs shoulders. The higher the incline, the more shoulders. The lower the incline, the more chest. On the PF benches, I do inclines fairly low: notch 2 or 3. I regularly do high inclines for more of a shoulder exercise, and do them with the bench on notch 6.
How heavy is the bar? I was told 15. Then 35. Sometimes 20 or even 45. The workers said it is 35lbs but I dont know.
25, it says on the machine itself
@@sassysteve6700 not at the pf I go to
It’s 20lbs
Check the label on the machine. At my PF, the bar is 20.
The ones that slant are 35. Unsure about the straight up and down ones.
The two Smith machines at my gym are turned backwards. So disappointing.
By backwards, do you mean with the slanted track instead of straight vertical?
@@MailmanMuscle The ones at the gym are slanted. They are turned so that the path of the bar in a bench press would go essentially up and away from your head. The bar should go up and toward your shoulders, like you show in your video. The racks are too close to the wall so you can’t get in the right position. I told the workers that the Smiths are backwards. They said they know it, but they don’t have the staff to turn them around. It sounds more like they just don’t want to put in the effort to get them properly placed.
I’m stuck at 225 at planet 1 rep . How do I increase strenght ???
Keep doing heavier weights. If you can do 185 for a 4x4, next time try a 4x5 or increase the weight to 190 try a 4x4. Don’t worry about the numbers too much. Just try to increase your Weight and reps don’t do too much mental masturbation
Eat. You gain weight your lifts will go up in weight as well.
What Danny and Frida said, along with being consistent. Stay at it, and good luck!
I was in your position as well. What helped me was rotating workouts 2 x a week with one workout using the stops. It cave me courage to put more weight than usual. I set the stops at a position that I could slide out if I couldn’t get it back up. I eventually got to 3 wheels per side that way. Just having that safety stop gave confidence to try out heavier weights. On those days I kept reps low so I didn’t hurt myself. Then on normal days the weight seemd so light. Works like a charm
Your 5 foot 8!! You look way taller im 5' 7
It’s the angles. 😄
I lift at Church and am 5' 10" 285 and their benches are very narrow and they are also too low to the ground. Since I now have Type 2 Diabetes I have balance issues when trying to bench using their benches so I just use their seated Bench machine, at least it uses real weights to add on.
These benches at PF are way too narrow as well. I can’t stand them. If your reason for benching would be for chest development, then there’s nothing wrong with using another machine that targets the pecs. Actually if you’re more stable on it, then that seated bench is definitely the best option for you.
@@MailmanMuscle I didn't mean I lifted at church, I was trying to say Crunch. LOL
@@hawg427 😂 when I saw it, I was wondering if you meant something else. But then I thought man - his church is putting those tithes to good use!
You are doing the exact opposite direction of bench on the smith machine that you should be doing in order to save your shoulders. Flip the bench the other direction. At top of push you should be more at a decline. This puts far less stress on Rotator cuff when training for power lifting.
Thank you for that! I will try it at my next bench session. I’ve had enough shoulder problems, and I’m not looking for any more.
Tried it on Wednesday. Thank you! I see what you mean - it did feel better on the shoulders, and in a good way. That gives me something else to make a video about.
Every video I've watched on benching shows the down/start position around mid/lower chest and up/lock position around upper chest. You're saying to do the opposite. Can you provide a link to where that range of motion is discussed? watch this video and note the range of motion. OP is doing it correctly. > czcams.com/video/vcBig73ojpE/video.html
I completely agree..saw some bonehead benching like the vid.. i tried it that way but it felt unnatural. I flipped to the other end . It worked alot better
buddy doing backward steps on the elliptical
😄
I LOST ATTENTION ON THE VIDEOS CAUSE OF DUDE🤣🤣🤣🤣 MAYBE HE SAID FUCK THIS WORKING OUT SHIT, IM WALKING BACK WHERE I started.
I despise planet fitness now. I used to like it, back when it first opened, because it wasn't crowded.
Now, my gym is legit like a nightclub 24/7.
They should call it planet compromise, because you will have to make a lot of compromises to work-out there. (100 people there, and 88 of them are using smith machines and free weights and cables.)
I feel you. I’ve noticed that at the one I go to the most (which is at a shopping center on a major thoroughfare), if I can’t get there before a certain time and plan on using a Smith machine, then I better have a plan B or just wait a few hours.
Lets be honest..a smith machine is crap for benching. I never feel comfortable using one
It’s better than nothing, but it’s definitely FAR from ideal IMO. A regular bench barbell, or dumbbells (if they’re heavy enough) are better for most people.
@@MailmanMuscle
Yeah but that is what i get for living that planet pizza lifestyle...better than nothing is usually pretty trash
@@leoh1191 I don’t know if you saw my earlier videos explaining why I joined PF, but it’s because my old gym (with real equipment) never reopened after C19 closed everything. And apparently, C19 caused PF to stop the pizza parties. I feel cheated! 😁
Your lucky that your pf smith machine are straight..try benchin with the angled ones.. it's a night mare
Bar weighs 20 pounds so your maths off.
My math is off on what, and how?
@@MailmanMuscle You didn't add the weight of the bar to your totals, so you were actually lifting heavier weight
@@mikejones9906 ok I see what you mean. Yes sir, I just count the weight of the plates on Smith. At different PF’s there is some variance in the track of the machine. Some are smooth, and the bar feels heavier. On others, the bar feels almost hollow, but there is some spring/hydraulic resistance on the track (it even sounds different). The labels on all say “20 lbs”, but since they feel so different, I don’t trust either. The + in my notes represents the bar, so for example “215+” means 215 + the bar (20 lbs or whatever it is).
@@MailmanMuscle I've gone back and forth with the barbell and 20 pounds feels about right to me, I worked at a gym that had both.
Don’t think that was 170lbs
Do you mean at 4:40? Each side has 45+25+10+5=85. Remember that I’m not counting the weight of the bar, just the plates.
You say not to touch your chest but when u start hitting two plates in this video ur clearly practically touching ur chest. Very confusing content
Did I? Let me go back and listen to what I said. I don’t want to confuse anyone. If I messed up, then thank you for pointing it out.
damn...i forgot how foolish everyone looked with masks on and working out.