Are those Hammer Strength chest machines worthwhile for hypertrophy?

[knowledgeisnotignorant]

Machines like this and this.

This subreddit lacks information on them. It’s always barbell/dumbbell bench press referenced constantly.

The stoppers on these machines means I can’t really get the best stretch, but are they still good for overall chest hypertrophy? I use them so that I don’t need a spotter and can go to true failure without fearing death, but I wonder how they’d compare to a Smith machine equivalent (i.e.: incline press machine vs. incline Smith machine press).

Gotten up to 230 lbs. per side for 7 reps on both—still trying to get to 8 reps.

I combine them with some seated cable flyes later in my workouts and call it a day.

 

[vloggle]

@knowledgeisnotignorant The ones in my gym actually give me an even better stretch than a barbell would, so i guess some machines are different. But they are definitely 100% effective for hypertrophy. Many people do agree that barbell isnt the most optimal when compared to something like dumbell press because the pec stretch is limited, but its one of the most enjoyable exercises, and so everyone loves it.

Because of that, i include them in my training as well as barbell bench presses.

One person that comes to mind who loves machine press over barbell press is Eric Janicki on youtube you might like him if you havent seen his vids yet

 

[emcee19]

@vloggle That's great to hear because I hate bench press. I guess I'll stick to dumbbells.

 

[dottiec]

@emcee19 Used to love bench, then did incline DB with dumbbells.

I pretty much never even touch a barbell anymore.

 

[johntristan]

@vloggle

but its one of the most enjoyable exercises

Not for me. I always hated benching with barbells. It didn't help that it hurts all my joints and it gives me zero pec development. Not to mention the safety issues.

 

[aram]

@knowledgeisnotignorant Machines are great. No reason not to use them. Every Mr. Olympia used machines as a huge part of their programs as far as I know.

 

[dawn16]

@aram I'm just going to piggy back along on this and also give a shoutout to the seated cable chest press as another great piece of equipment.

 

[neverbeenalone]

@dawn16 Shoulder Press Machine is also great, especially for fellers with poor shoulder/ thoracic mobility (like me). For lifters with poor mobility barbell and dumbbell shoulder presses just don't work (can't get the arms overhead all they way). The Machine takes care of that, I don't know how, but it works.

 

[029b10]

@neverbeenalone Yes I feel this same way. I have poor posture, so when I do barbell/dumbbell shoulder presses, they click upon bringing the weight back down. But this doesn’t happen on the seated shoulder press machine…

 

[dak]

@neverbeenalone Interesting, I'm in this boat too. I seem to do a bit better with the Arnold press, but can't do regular seated shoulder presses. Makes no sense to me

 

[piecebypeace]

@dawn16 For me it's the best piece of equipment.

The MMC I get from it, the pump I get from it, how safe it is compared to other options, and no spotter needed, and that stretch from it makes it an incredible piece of kit.

It's my favourite and ideal way to hit the chest.

 

[maurits]

@aram Dexter used them all the time

 

[miles44]

@knowledgeisnotignorant here is what i’ve learned about different excercises since everybody is different.

1. do you enjoy it?
2. can you progressively overload it?
3. does it give you a good pump?
4. does it give you a good range of motion?

if the answer is yes to those questions, it will be good for hypertrophy

 

[johntristan]

@miles44 3 and 4 are money. I wasted so many years with exercises that I was supposed to do because they are the best. BS. They all suck for me. Once I stopped chasing numbers and started chasing the pump, I started growing.

 

[onetruefreedom]

@miles44 pump doesn’t matter

 

[miles44]

@onetruefreedom if u never get a pump that excercise is probably not good for you, or your form is off.

 

[twhladyinlv]

@miles44 I think he’s misinterpreting something I’ve heard some influencers say. Basically the idea is that if you get a pump that doesn’t necessarily mean you worked the muscle well.

For example, they say you can get a decent chest pump by doing a standing plate press because you’re squeezing your arms together. But we all know it’s a dogshit exercise because you’re not pushing in the against the path of resistance (gravity in this case) and an isometric contraction isn’t the best for building muscle.

While my understanding of physics and biomechanics is weak, so my explanation of the standing plate press being a subpar exercise is shaky at best, you get the idea.

I’m sure it’s true that if you worked a muscle well you get a good pump, but based on that example I’m willing to bet that a good pump doesn’t necessarily mean you hit a muscle well for the purposes of hypertrophy.

But obviously I’m pretty lacking in both experience and knowledge, so I’m not saying this with the utmost certainty. Come to think of it, I’ve never even tried a standing plate press so I have no idea if it gives a good chest pump.

Regardless it is my understanding based on what I heard that while a pump is a good tool to gauge whether or not there’s the possibility you hit the muscle well, a pump does not necessarily mean you hit the muscle well.

But you may have already said that by listing multiple criteria for figuring out if an exercise is good or not.

 

[miles44]

@twhladyinlv Oh i for sure agree with you. Non all pumps are good, but a pump is usually a good sign. I could get a chest pump chest from flexing really hard, doesn't mean I grew at all. However, can you really say you just did a great set of ___ press if you don't even feel a chest pump? It most likely means you either didn't go close enough to failure, or didn't establish a good mind muscle connection to the chest.

 

[twhladyinlv]

@miles44 That mind muscle connection part is the tricky thing to me. While I get the impression its importance is a little overblown by some and it shouldn’t come at the expense of good technique and adequate load, it’s definitely something to consider and something that I struggle with. It’s not holding me back as much as my lack of caloric intake is. In fact, until I start eating, my mind muscle connection problem isn’t going to matter too much. But it’s still good to figure out for when I start getting enough food in.

I’m not in tune with my body at all, affecting my proprioception & balance (which contributed to me spraining my ankle a bunch when I did high school track), mind muscle connection, form, and gauging my level of fatigue. That last one forces me to go to failure practically every set (excluding warm ups) because I misjudge how many more I can do and cut the set short as a result. In addition to my bad form, the fact I go to failure so often is also why I’m thinking my pumps may not be not be as juicy as they could be (even for my small size) in spite of training hard.

It’s also hard to establish a good mind muscle connection because I’m a little slow (that’s not just me being insecure, I genuinely have a slow processing speed), and it’s hard for me to focus on multiple things at once. Like between going hard, form, and my mind muscle connection, something is going to fall between the cracks.

 

[stickywicket]

@knowledgeisnotignorant Kane (the wrestler) used to own a gym in Sevierville, TN. I was a member there. He used to come in when he wasn’t on the road, and workout. He had Hammer Strength machines, and he used them a lot (with a crap ton of plates, I might add). If it was good enough for him, idk how it wouldn’t be good enough for the rest of us……. Personally, I feel the best chest pump with a Hammer Strength.