I’ve designed an ultimate full-body Smith machine workout plan. It involves training three days weekly, focusing on almost the entire body in each session.
Through this program, you’ll learn how to utilize the Smith machine in the best possible way for building muscle and strength.
Smith Machine 3-Day Full Body Workout Plan to Build a Strong Body
Equipment Focus | Smith Machine |
Split Type | Full Body |
Sessions/Week | 3 (Mon/Tue, Wed/Thu, & Fri/Sat) |
Duration/Session | 60-minutes |
Workout Plan Goal | Develop Muscle Mass & Strength |
Experienced Require | Intermediate |
Target Gender | Male & Female |
Program Duration | 4 Weeks |
Day 1
Warm-up: Perform 2 sets of 10-12 banded shoulder pass-through, 8-10 resistance band pull-apart, 10-second cobra pose, and one set of each exercise with Smith machine without plates. It will reduce muscle stiffness and prepare your entire body for strength training.
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Target Muscle |
---|---|---|---|
Reverse Lunges | 3 | 10/leg | Quads |
Overhead Press | 3 | 12-15 | Shoulder |
Flat Bench Press | 3 | 12-15 | Chest |
Bent-over Row | 3 | 12-15 | Back |
Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 10-12 | Hamstrings |
Day 2
Warm-up: Perform two sets of 6-8 Dive Bomber Push-ups, 5-6 Reverse Lunges per leg, 15-second jumping jacks, and one set of 10-12 reps for each exercise (mentioned below) with an empty bar. This warm-up will increase your muscle flexibility and prepare you for weight training.
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Target Muscle |
---|---|---|---|
Inverted Row | 3 | 12-15 | Back |
Front / Back Squat | 3 | 12-15 | Quads |
Incline Bench Press | 3 | 12-15 | Chest |
Chin-ups | 3 | 6-10 | Back |
Upright Row | 3 | 10-12 | Shoulder |
Calf Raises | 3 | 12-15 | Calves |
Day 3
Warm-up: Perform 2 sets of the world’s greatest stretch (5 reps on each side with 5 seconds hold), arms swings (10 per side), and glute bridge (10-12 reps) before pull-ups and all exercises.
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Target Muscle |
---|---|---|---|
Pull-ups | 3 | 6-10 | Back |
Leg Press | 3 | 12-15 | Quads |
Close Grip Bench Press | 3 | 12-15 | Triceps |
Smith Lateral Raises | 3 | 10/side | Shoulder |
Machine Hip Thrust | 3 | 12-15 | Glutes |
Hanging Knee Raises | 3 | 12-15 | Abdominal |
Pros and Cons of Training with Smith Machine
Pros
- Best Equipment for Compound Movements: You can do plenty of compound exercises on the Smith Machine, such as bench presses, squats, overhead presses, pull-ups, chin-ups, dips, and deadlifts.
- Easy to Use: The Smith machine is simple to use. All you have to do is adjust the height according to the exercise you want to perform.
- Provides Stability: The machine provides stability by restricting your excess movement, allowing you to perform each rep with better control.
- Time Efficient: Training with the Smith machine involves staying at the same place, saving the time that you spend picking dumbbells or barbells or adjusting other machines.
CONS
- Not Suitable for Building a Balanced Physique: You can’t build symmetrical physiques with only the Smith machine as it provides a restricted range of motion and allows you to perform a limited number of exercises.
- Not Good for Allround Workouts: The Smith machine is not effective for building explosive strength and improving your mobility.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can You Build Muscle Using Only the Smith Machine?
Yes, the Smith machine is an excellent piece of equipment for performing various exercises that target almost every body part. For example, you can do bench presses for the Chest; overhead presses, lateral raises, shrugs, and inverted rows for the Shoulders; pull-ups, bent-over rows, single-arm rows, and deadlifts for the Back; squats, lunges, RDL, hip thrusts, and calf raises for the Lower Body; dips, chin-ups, biceps curls, triceps extension, and close grip press for Arms. These exercises are great for building strength and promoting hypertrophy.
However, you can’t build symmetrical physiques with only the Smith machine. To build a balanced physique, you need to train your muscles from all angles, which is impossible with the Smith machine. For example, you can’t do flyes, pulldowns, rowing variations, press downs, and neutral grip curls (the crucial physique development exercises) with the Smith machine. That’s why you need to combine other free-weight and gym machine exercises to prevent muscle imbalance and build a defined body.
I’m a Beginner. Can I Follow This Program?
If you’re a beginner, you may find it challenging to perform some of the exercises outlined in this program. For example, deadlifts, back squats, and hip thrusts are exercises, requiring experience to do them efficiently.
But if you want to follow this Smith Machine workout routine, you need to adjust it slightly.
I’ve rounded up 35 Smith Machine exercises in another article that you can save and use to design your exercise plan.
Can I Follow This Program to Lose Weight?
This program will strengthen your bones and joints, increase your strength, and build lean muscle mass but won’t help you lose weight. But if you follow a low-calorie meal plan and follow this routine, your body composition will surely improve.
The Full Body Smith Machine Workout Plan PDF
Download this free PDF and start utilizing the Smith machine in the best possible way.
If you follow this routine, try to keep challenging your muscles with progressive overload, drop sets, and negative reps to stimulate muscle growth.
Progressive overload involves gradually increasing load and pushing your muscles to work hard. This approach helps gain strength and mass over time.1 Plotkin D, Coleman M, Van Every D, Maldonado J, Oberlin D, Israetel M, Feather J, Alto A, Vigotsky AD, Schoenfeld BJ. Progressive overload without progressing load? The effects of load or repetition progression on muscular adaptations. PeerJ. 2022 Sep 30;10:e14142. doi: 10.7717/peerj.14142. PMID: 36199287; PMCID: PMC9528903.
Drop sets involve lowering the weight once you reach failure and lifting again. It basically includes multiple sub-sets within one main set and allows you to do more work in less time.2 Sødal LK, Kristiansen E, Larsen S, van den Tillaar R. Effects of Drop Sets on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med Open. 2023 Jul 31;9(1):66. doi: 10.1186/s40798-023-00620-5. PMID: 37523092; PMCID: PMC10390395.
The negative reps involve going slow during the eccentric or lowering phase. This technique puts muscles under constant stress and may increase hypertrophy.
References
- 1Plotkin D, Coleman M, Van Every D, Maldonado J, Oberlin D, Israetel M, Feather J, Alto A, Vigotsky AD, Schoenfeld BJ. Progressive overload without progressing load? The effects of load or repetition progression on muscular adaptations. PeerJ. 2022 Sep 30;10:e14142. doi: 10.7717/peerj.14142. PMID: 36199287; PMCID: PMC9528903.
- 2Sødal LK, Kristiansen E, Larsen S, van den Tillaar R. Effects of Drop Sets on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med Open. 2023 Jul 31;9(1):66. doi: 10.1186/s40798-023-00620-5. PMID: 37523092; PMCID: PMC10390395.