Smith Machine Reviews – Home Gym

Our Smith Machine reviews article takes a look at what makes a decent Smith Machine home gym – what are the best models to consider when assessing the market?

A Smith Machine is essentially a power cage with a fixed Olympic bar mounted on a carriage that travels up and down a pair of parallel tubular steel rails, set at up to a 7 degree angle.

The carriage rides on bushings or bearings. Our Smith Machine reviews would suggest that you always go for models with bearings as they enable the carriage to travel far more smoothly than is the case with bushings.

Smith machines offer a safe, controlled way to squat, bench, shoulder press…all the compound exercises really.

Every gym will have at least one and it’s a popular piece of exercise equipment.

The Smith Machine provides an ideal basis for a home gym, as most home fitness enthusiasts workout at home and with a Smith Machine you don’t need a spotter.

Simply set the safety stops, unrack the bar and rack it when you’re done.

Smith Machine based home gyms usually come with a range of standard and optional extra features, such as a bench, a leg extension/hamstring curl attachment, a weight stack, a lat pulldown bar…pretty much everything for a complete home workout.

You’ll need Olympic plates and these cost extra so factor in several hundred bucks to your budget.

So, should you choose a Smith Machine home gym?

If you’re considering one then bear in mind that they’re heavy and need plenty of room.

They’re not really an option for the corner of your spare room and will need a dedicated workout space…unless you can coordinate a big, steel framed piece of exercise equipment with your living room curtains and furniture!

Also, whilst offering a safe workout with heavy weights, the restricted range of movement you get with a Smith Machine isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

Working out on one doesn’t quite replicate the feeling of free weights, and it can feel quite uncomfortable on your joints – particularly if you have a pre-existing condition.

So, if your hearts set on one, what do our Smith Machine reviews recommend?

Well, there’s a wide choice of models and brands and we’ll be reviewing a few from the likes of BodySolid, Bodycraft and Hoist so visit us again soon.