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  • Gym noob so apols for the lack of correct terminology here.

    These machines that are like a cage but the bar runs on sliders and they have the ratchet kind of thing, I take it they are to make squatting/bench pressing without a spotter a bit safer? Are they worth using or do they restrict movement too much?

    For squats I think I can get most of it with leg press anyway? And I’m sure they are other pulley type machines where I could replicate the bench press too?

  • Like @tomatoe said, called a Smith machine. I totally agree that free weight movements are better for any and all athletic purposes.

    All I'll add is that Smith machines can be great for hypertrophy (muscle building). You can push your muscles closer to failure without technique or stability being a limiter. You can also put yourself into positions on a compound (multi-muscle) lift you could never balance with a barbell (e.g. feet far forward of your central of balance for squatting). They're just a tool, I wouldn't rely on them exclusively but a lot of people dismiss them with absolute prejudice unnecessarily.

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