Hello all, so yesterday I decided to switch it up for my shoulder workout and train at home rather than the gym. Typically heavy (5x5) military presses are the core of my shoulder workout at the gym. At home the only difference is that I have a smith machine rather than free weights. yesterday I decided to train shoulders at home, every exercise was exactly the same as the gym with the exception of the military press which is on a smith rather than free. Well today in addition to my shoulders being somewhat sore as they typically are after a hard shoulder workout my lats were killing me! I have had terrible DOMS in my lats all day which left them practically useless and feeling a lot more exhausted than when I specifically target my lats. So I suppose what I want to know is whether anyone else has experienced this and why this discrepancy between two almost identical (free weight military vs smith military) exercises occurs?

shouldnt make a difference. . . . .were you arching back more than usual and not pushing straight up from the shoulder in line with your body?? thats the only reason i can think of as to why your lats would become involved in a mil press. i wouldnt think that would cause doms tho

Not to hijack the tread.. what is the difference in weight ratio between free weight and smith machine? I like to do my mil press on smith machine (safety reasons) but it seems my shoulders hurt more when I use it than when I do them with FW.

Originally Posted by ABNRanger

Not to hijack the tread.. what is the difference in weight ratio between free weight and smith machine?

smith machine bar weighs 10 pounds. olympic bar is 45 pounds


OP - i have no frikken clue. even if you arched your back you'd be using your chest more.

Originally Posted by suncloud

smith machine bar weighs 10 pounds. olympic bar is 45 pounds


OP - i have no frikken clue. even if you arched your back you'd be using your chest more.

the fixed plane on the smyth, and turning ur elbows in to stay in that plane when you arch you back can cause u to pop out your lats as you press,

it happens to me too, and it happens when i do really heavy bench pressed.

Originally Posted by crazyfool405

the fixed plane on the smyth, and turning ur elbows in to stay in that plane when you arch you back can cause u to pop out your lats as you press,

it happens to me too, and it happens when i do really heavy bench pressed.

Yeah I think thats what it is, funny thing is, is that yesterday while suffering from major DOMS in my lats I decided to work my chest, which turned out to be one of my lousiest chest workouts ever! I just couldnt handle the weight I was accustomed to and during the bench press I was really feeling my lats buring.

Originally Posted by suncloud

smith machine bar weighs 10 pounds. olympic bar is 45 pounds


OP - i have no frikken clue. even if you arched your back you'd be using your chest more.

Is this for all smith machines? The reason I ask is because while I was assembling my smith machine the bar felt similar in weight to an olympic bar, perhaps the olympic being at most 10lbs heavier.