Unlock your backs potential with smith machine exercises.
Smith machines are a great way to safely stress your back or a means to get used to back exercises in general.
Then, you can move on to potentially more difficult exercises, such as pull-ups if you wanted. Anyway, on with the article.
Back Exercises with smith machine for increased back strength
Popular lifts for back exercises with the Smith machine often involve the use of a fixed barbell.
Barbell smith machine
image Colossus Fitness, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en, via Wikimedia Commons
With this, you can perform;
Smith Machine Bent-Over Row
In the Rack, grab the bar shoulder-width with an overhand grip. Then pull the weight to your chest. Imagine trying to squeeze a grape between your shoulder blades as you contract your muscle (as you pull the weight to your chest)
It’s important to slightly bend your knees and hinge your hips. Keep your back straight and core engaged.
you should control the bar at all times.
Smith Machine Deadlifts
Much like a normal deadlift. feet shoulder-width, toes forward. Back straight, chest up drive through your heels to lift the bar.
Smith Machine Inverted Row
Opposite the Bent-Over Row, the Inverted Row is where you position yourself under the bar.
Start by lying on your back. You should be able to grip the bar, again squeezing your shoulder blades together.
There should be enough distance for you to pull yourself to the bar with a full range of motion.
Other types of Smith machines for Back
Smith Machine T-Bar
You place an Olympic bar in what’s called a “landmine holder”
You then apply weights to the other end. depending if the Olympic bar is by itself or as part of a contraption (called a chest supported T-bar) grip the handles and pull the weight to you.
If its not chest supported, you want a neutral grip – so get a handle that allows this, and you can place around the bar (Called a V Handle attachment)
Smith machine Pull-ups
These are becoming increasingly common in gyms. Your knees are supported by a platform that reduces your weight, allowing you to do a pull-up.
The pull-up itself is normal. this is used to progress to a full pull-up.
Targeting lower and upper back with the smith machine
Upper Back
- Smith Machine Rows
Smith machine bent-over rows and inverted rows.
- Smith Machine Pull-ups
This is a great beginner exercise for bodyweight Pull-ups.
Lower Back
- Smith Machine Deadlifts
This is great for the back overall, but the emphasis is on the lower back.
- Hyperextensions
This is not really a smith machine exercise, but its similar to the chest supported T-Bar. except there is no bar, and you use typically a hyperextension bench. Position yourself with your hips at the edge of the pad, feet locked. cross your arms over your chest. Lower your upper body by hinging at the hips, then raise it up.
- Low Row Cable Machine
With a V-handle attachment, attach it to a Smith machine. Pull the handle to your chest. Do not bend your back, and the handle should ideally touch your stomach. Focus the contraction/mind-muscle connection on the lower back.
Variations with using smith exercises for Back
You can take some risks.
You can push your body more.
For the exercises in this article that use the Smith machine, you can technically go to failure more than their free weight counterpart.
You could try supersets (two exercises without rest), drop sets (lower the weight after each set without rest), and so on.
The whole point of smith machines is to perform a lift safely and they can be a gateway to harder lifts.
Great accessory lifts
For the most part, back exercises with the smith machine are complimentary to other exercises. An example for PPL (Push/Pull/leg training split) you could combo two pull exercises such as the Low row cable machine and the pullup
I love back exercises and their variations. Reach out to me if you want any advice on them – I use pull-ups daily but I started with inverted rows.