My Hammer Strength Explosions (Why?)

**Zero Tolerance** · 06-20-2005, 04:00 PM

What is it that's causing my chest to massage people from across the room after I'm finished with a day of chest on Hammer Strength machines? I'm afraid to hear the answer I'm expecting - but I'm guessing it has to do with my form. Am I right? Or is there some possibility that I'm just made/designed to work better with these machines? I know my shoulders have some alignment issues - a doctor once told me that the way my bones were positioned, I was destined to have shoulder issues. I used to be a very avid boxer - but I could never go pro because of this.

ANYWAY.. I have a lot less shoulder discomfort when using the Hammer Strength machines for chest - so I think I'm going to stick to them for awhile.. Is there any chance I could build mass during this time? I figure I'll try dumbells and barbells again after I'm feeling altogether better...

**CEDeoudes59** · 06-20-2005, 04:29 PM

I don't follow your question - but Hammer strength allows you to go really deep, certainly a good way without a spotter to improve your flat bar bench and chest overall. I find the following day that I am sore in the mid chest rather than the upper chest after doing flat bench free bar.

**Zero Tolerance** · 06-20-2005, 04:42 PM

My question is (sorry) - why do I have such incredible pumps after working chest with Hammer Strength machines as opposed to dumbells and barbells?

**CEDeoudes59** · 06-20-2005, 05:12 PM

you are isolating the pectoral better with the Hammer Strength. Whereas, the flat bench or dumbells probably recruit shoulders to a greater degree. It's also a different angle. Certain machines are great because of the angle (depends on your height) while other machines are uselss.

Take biceps, you will probably get a greater pump on preacher curls (isolation) versus a standing curl (compound) with the olympic bar.

my experience at least...

**Zero Tolerance** · 06-20-2005, 05:58 PM

So what am I really losing by switching to Hammer Strength for awhile?

**CEDeoudes59** · 06-20-2005, 06:29 PM

no not at all! in fact switching up will lead to better gains. Stick with this for a few months, practice good form (instead of cheating on flat bench) and come back to flat free bench in a couple months and test your strength.

use the flat bench to measure strength
but build that strength on the hammer

**Zero Tolerance** · 06-20-2005, 06:51 PM

Great. Thank you.

Phoenix rising · 06-20-2005, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zero Tolerance

What is it that's causing my chest to massage people from across the room after I'm finished with a day of chest on Hammer Strength machines? I'm afraid to hear the answer I'm expecting - but I'm guessing it has to do with my form. Am I right? Or is there some possibility that I'm just made/designed to work better with these machines? I know my shoulders have some alignment issues - a doctor once told me that the way my bones were positioned, I was destined to have shoulder issues. I used to be a very avid boxer - but I could never go pro because of this.

ANYWAY.. I have a lot less shoulder discomfort when using the Hammer Strength machines for chest - so I think I'm going to stick to them for awhile.. Is there any chance I could build mass during this time? I figure I'll try dumbells and barbells again after I'm feeling altogether better...

I'm no Bobo are anybody important but heres my 2 cents worth:

I've trained chest before on Hammer Machines alone and my chest seemed to respond well. Then when I returned to dbells or barbells the strength increase I received on the Hammer equipment did not transfer over to free weights. I personaly would not think of Hammer equipment as good assitance work for helping your free weight lifts. Louie Simmons of West Side barbell fame has great information on assitance work. (great source)

Can you grow a massive chest by using Hammer Machines? I would say yes. Dorain Yates favored smith machine and hammer equipment so he could push maximal loads safely without worring about balancing the weight. He talks about this in his book Blood and Guts. I think Dorian had a pretty darn good chest

When we have injuries and want to stay in the game you have to learn how to adapt.

I think there always to ways to skin a cat. Some roads may get you there faster though .......

I would still work on the source thats causing the shoulder discomfort. A good ART provider or kineseologist would be most helpfull IMHO

Anyone feel free to agree or disagree

**Zero Tolerance** · 06-20-2005, 10:16 PM

I'm having some crazy things go on right now and I don't have a medical plan. Hopefully that will change in a few weeks. In any event, I'm not at all concerned about strength, actually. I'm concerned about size.. So I'm really quite happy to know that Dorian Yates favored the Smith Machine and Hammer Strength machines.. This will keep me going for awhile until I feel comfortable getting back into free weights. I enjoy free weights much more - but I want to train, most of all...

Thanks again!!!

Matt ALRI · 06-20-2005, 10:31 PM

Zero,

You gotta do what you gotta do to work around an injury. SO good job on that.

That said, there are several things that trouble me about this trhead...

1) "Pumps" mean nothing in terms to how effective an exercise is.

2) Hammer strength bench press is undoubtedly far inferior to free weight bench presses in terms of both size and strength gains. This has been provenhundred of times.

3) While Dorian was an incredible bodybuilder, why would you take his advice on training? This guy was one of the greatest genetic freaks in history and would have grown like a weed if he had a bowflex at home. How about you find a couple hundred high school kids that got huge using hammer strength bench presses. Won't happen. But I can show you some incredible 18 year old athletes that got that way from free weights.

4) Hammer strength machines don't build strength. Strength is built in the trenches of hard work in the corner of the gym where it smells like B.O and liniment - where there is a dusting of chalk everywhere, and where there is blood and puke on the floor.

Matt

**Zero Tolerance** · 06-20-2005, 11:05 PM

Okay. That being said.. What significance is there, if any, to Hammer Strength machines? Do they serve any purpose for serious lifters?

**Zero Tolerance** · 06-21-2005, 01:05 AM

Nevermind. They're no good for powerlifters, but their fine for people who just want to be in the best shape they can be. You can gain muscle size using Hammer Strength machines but you wont be as big as Dorian Yates (if you even care) unless you're just as genetically freaky as he is.

Matt ALRI · 06-21-2005, 06:41 AM

LOL - where did you get that idea Zero? Do I get my opinion thrown out now because I'm a strength athlete?

If it's all you can do to work around an injury, then do it. But regardless of whether you are a strength athlete, bodybuilder, etc. they are inferior to your size goals compared to free weights.

Matt

**shootmeagain** · 06-21-2005, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phoenix rising

I'm no Bobo are anybody important but heres my 2 cents worth:

I've trained chest before on Hammer Machines alone and my chest seemed to respond well. Then when I returned to dbells or barbells the strength increase I received on the Hammer equipment did not transfer over to free weights. I personaly would not think of Hammer equipment as good assitance work for helping your free weight lifts. Louie Simmons of West Side barbell fame has great information on assitance work. (great source)

Can you grow a massive chest by using Hammer Machines? I would say yes. Dorain Yates favored smith machine and hammer equipment so he could push maximal loads safely without worring about balancing the weight. He talks about this in his book Blood and Guts. I think Dorian had a pretty darn good chest

When we have injuries and want to stay in the game you have to learn how to adapt.

I think there always to ways to skin a cat. Some roads may get you there faster though .......

I would still work on the source thats causing the shoulder discomfort. A good ART provider or kineseologist would be most helpfull IMHO

Anyone feel free to agree or disagree

**jminis** · 06-21-2005, 08:48 AM

You can still make gains and certainly maintain good conditioning using the HS machines. Are free weights better, of course but we all already knew that. Bottom line like Matt said, is if you can bench on the HS and not have pain then by all means stick to the damn HS press. Your not training for the Olympia here.

I personally have been using a lot of HS press as of late because I'm trying to build up my right pec as it's lagging a little behind. It wasn't really as noticable to me until I dropped my bf down like a I did.

Buc4Life04 · 06-23-2005, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt ALRI

Strength is built in the trenches of hard work in the corner of the gym where it smells like B.O and liniment - where there is a dusting of chalk everywhere, and where there is blood and puke on the floor.

Matt

This amuse anybody else??

Phoenix rising · 06-23-2005, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buc4Life04

This amuse anybody else??

Buc are the evil Tampa Bay fan that post all the time on the ATL Falcons message forum?

Buc4Life04 · 06-27-2005, 04:59 PM

No i dont post on any football forums.