Smith Machine exercises can be a helpful workout tool

What are some good pressing exercises to do with the Smith Machine? I don't always have a spotter, so I need some stuff to do by myself. Also, are there exercises for traps I could do on the Smith Machine? I like it better than free weights.

The Smith Machine in the gym can be a very useful exercise tool if used properly. Because of its limited motion (it can move only up and down, in one exercise plane), it is most useful to perform exercises that mimic that motion. Here are a few of my favorite exercises to do on the Smith Machine:

Seated behind the neck press: This compound shoulder movement is useful for adding mass and width to the shoulders. It puts your shoulders at a slightly precarious position, so try the exercise with lighter weight to make sure it is comfortable for you, before upping the poundage. The motion is pretty simple: from a seated position, lower the bar until it dips behind the back of your head, and press it up. Do not lock your elbows at the end of the motion, and make sure to breathe during the exercise.

Shrugs: You can do this exercise with the bar in front of you or behind you. It is a good movement for adding size and height to your traps, and because of the smoothness of the Smith Machine, it is fairly easy to work up a significant burn in the muscles. To perform this exercise, grab the bar with your hands about shoulder width apart. Shrug your shoulders up, trying to bring your shoulders to your ears (you probably won't be able to touch your ears with your shoulders; just use this motion). Perform the movement fairly quickly-maybe a one-count up, two-count down.

Upright rows: Another trap exercise, this one helps add height and separation to your traps. It also hits your anterior delts and your biceps (secondary muscles in the movement). Take the bar, hands slightly closer than shoulder width this time. Bring the bar up to your upper chest/chin slowly. Make sure your elbows stay higher than your wrists throughout the movement, as this helps maintain emphasis on the traps rather than your back and biceps. Perform this exercise slowly and deliberately, feeling the squeeze at the top of the movement.

Flat bench: While the motion for a flat bench press has a slight curve to it as you press it up, I like using the Smith Machine for breaking through sticking points. Because the machine is self-spotting, you don't have to worry about dropping 45s on yourself. The movement is pretty simple: if you are having trouble towards the top of your bench, perform quarter-reps just towards the top of the movement with significantly heavy weight. If you get stuck around the bottom of the movement, do quarter-reps to train that portion of the exercise. Do this for a few weeks and you should notice a significant improvement in your benching.



Are compound sets something that I should be doing? I read about them, but they seem to be just a quicker workout, rather than a more intense one. Am I wrong?

For an extra kick in your workouts, try using the Weider training principle of compound sets. Yes, the workout is a bit faster, but it is also much more intense. This technique involves performing two to three exercises back-to-back for the same muscle. Usually, it involves going from heavy compound to isolation and finishing movements, but it can easily be used for virtually any muscle group that has more than one exercise. For example, incline bench to flat bench to incline flye. However, it can also be used in the opposite sense. You can pre-fatigue your muscles by going in reverse order (using back as an example): one-armed rows to close-grip pull-downs to barbell rows. Do each compound set two to three times, with a few minutes of rest in-between, and you will feel a pump like never before.