Are those Hammer Strength chest machines worthwhile for hypertrophy?

[leena2016]

@knowledgeisnotignorant I'm not a big fan of the ones in your example pics specifically & the reason is that the lever which the plates attach to is pointed at about a 45 degree angle towards the floor & when you lift the weight, it gets to be about parallel with the floor, which means it's hardest at the top. You're generally better off when the movement is harder in the lengthened position, such as a barbell bench, dumbbell bench, smith machine bench, or some other machine that is simply designed so that it fits this bill.

 

[magito22]

@knowledgeisnotignorant If you want a good stretch, just do it using cables, also the movement pattern will be more flexible and can be adjusted according to one's body.

 

[takkles]

@knowledgeisnotignorant Life Fitness is not Hammer Strength. Genuine Hammer Strength is the bomb and I only wish my gym had them. But it has shitty Matrix machines only. For me at least Hammer and Smith are superior to free weights in terms of training for hypertrophy and isolation. But Life Fitness and Cybex are both very good. I hate Matrix with a passion.

 

[sean123]

@takkles Life Fitness owns Hammer Strength.

 

[takkles]

@sean123 I wasn’t aware of that but I’ve used both their incline plate loaded and like Hammer Strength better.

 

[francoadham]

@takkles I like the matrix standard converging chest press machine (tha handles are still weird though). Everything else that I've tried from matrix just feels "wrong" but I can't put my finger on why exactly.

 

[takkles]

@francoadham I know the machine you’re talking about-it’s the pin stack one right (not plate-loaded)? I agree it’s ok and it’s the only Matrix machine I use in my gym. But Life Fitness and Nautilus pin stack chest are way better.