# FITNESS and NUTRITION FORUM > WORKOUT AND TRAINING >  barbell vs hammer strength

## ginkobulloba

Is a loaded up Hammer Strength "machine" anywhere near as effective at blasting the chest as flat barbell bench press?

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## smokethedays

i think nothing matches the barbell for chest

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## smokethedays

try the barbell on the smith machine, it gives better control over the weight, cause u won't worry about balancing the bar while working out.

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## ginkobulloba

What I've been doing lately is loading up pretty heavy on the hammer strength, getting a real good pump, then do some other exercises including db presses with around 90's for 4 sets or so. It seems to be working my chest real good, but you're right, there's just no sub for barbell bench.

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## bignatt

if you want to use hammer strnghts at least include one barbell excercise because it is where you can use the most weight which in return causes more mass

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## ginkobulloba

> if you want to use hammer strnghts at least include one barbell excercise because it is where you can use the most weight which in return causes more mass


Well that's the thing...I can press about 300 lbs on the hammer strength for like 6 reps and then do some drop sets until I get around 225 and then move on to other things like db presses where I'm throwing around lighter weight, but still targeting the stabilizer muscles.

I like to go to failure on each set and to do that, a workout partner is essential...so hopefully I find one quick when I get to my new home. I need to get back under a barbell.

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## 63190

Try the Dumbbells first concentrating on form. Go flat, incline, then Hammer Strength. Load up on that thing and don't worry about form as it's a machine and keeps you in line.
Try that and see if you like the results better after four weeks or so.

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## JAYROD

i start off heavy with the hammer strength also and has worked nice for me.

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## devil1

cant forget about the secondary muscle groups that are used when hittin the free weights.

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## AnatomicallyBlessed

> if you want to use hammer strnghts at least include one barbell excercise because it is where you can use the most weight which in return causes more mass


I agree with this guy.

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## chest6

> cant forget about the secondary muscle groups that are used when hittin the free weights.


Yup hit the triceps and the shoulders

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## rocky1388

personally i use free wieghts all the time and it does for me im completely sore the next day dumbell presses are my favorites

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## Billyspt4

I like doing a hammer strength first followed by flat db presses, decline barbell bench and then cable crossovers or something

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## Papi93

The barbell bench is superior for building overall muscle mass. You can always tell the difference between a physique that was built on machines and one that was built on free weights. Free weights require much more activity from the stabilizer muscle of the upper body. A free weight user will have broader shoulders than the machine user. I'm not saying the hammer strength bench press is ineffective, just not as good overall. Use can use it as supplement exercise or to help correct strength deficits between arms. This is where the Hammer Strength Machine could be superior to the barbell because it allows your arms to work independently. Just as with dumbbells, but again with the stability factor.

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## Squatman51

i think free weights are always best for strength and mass but hammer strength and machines have there place too

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## LegendKiller85

barbell,there is nothing like free weights

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## Hamburgerman

The correct answer to this will always be debated by those who have and have not done simple research on muscle physiology. Based on solid research and years of electronic measurement, my lab and many others around the country have found that the ultimate development of a muscle ( it does not matter which one specifically) depends on the stimulus applied to it which includes the duration (how fast the rep is up and down which develops the fast twitch versus slow twitch fibers), the contraction and extension extremes ( your form, which should be to the greatest extent the muscle can contract and expand, not partial reps) and last but not least is the stress applied to the muscle throughout the range of movement. 
Bottom line - the greatest results occur when you use an exercise that stimulates the muscle throughout the entire movement. This means that sometimes freeweights are fine like bench press which is a vertical movement and therefore applies the same weight throughout the entire movement, but unlike standing barbell curls that only stimulate the muscle through approximately 100 degrees of the movement. This is where true deciples of weight training know that the primary mass developer might be a hammer strength machine versus standing or sitting curls or other free weight exercises. Other than that this should only start more debate!!

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## SwoleCat

I prefer d-bells for chest, and hammer strength as well.

Once you get really strong, all it takes is one rip of the old pec/delt tie in from the HORRIBLE stress the barbell bench puts on that area, and you're through.

~SC~

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## J.S.N.

> Well that's the thing...I can press about 300 lbs on the hammer strength for like 6 reps and then do some drop sets until I get around 225 and then move on to other things like db presses where I'm throwing around lighter weight, but still targeting the stabilizer muscles.
> 
> I like to go to failure on each set and to do that, a workout partner is essential...so hopefully I find one quick when I get to my new home. I need to get back under a barbell.


yeah but you gotta consider 300lbs loaded on the hammer strength machine is nowhere near equiv. to 300 lbs on a barbell. on a barbell gravity is going 100% against you. it travels in an arc on the hammer strength machine.

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## Kreatine_Kid

I prefer to use free weights first and then finish off with hammer strength. I find I can give my all when Im fresh on the free weights and then later on, when Im more exhausted I can use the hammer strength machines and not worry about injury through exhaustion and the poor form that could happen because of this.

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## Benches505

> yeah but you gotta consider 300lbs loaded on the hammer strength machine is nowhere near equiv. to 300 lbs on a barbell. on a barbell gravity is going 100% against you. it travels in an arc on the hammer strength machine.


 This is true, the weight and resistance is nowhere near the same. 300lbs on a hammer strength machine is equal to about 150lbs on the barbell/free weights. I can toss 10 plates on a hammer strength and then put a Mr skinny on top for 12 reps and I will never be able to do that with free weights.

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## dwaynewade

real heavy go dumbells... 4-8 reps little lighter on barbell 8-12 reps (same intensity) negs on hammer strentgh

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## ginkobulloba

I just got back to the US today and did chest at World Gym, my old stomping grounds. Routine went like this:

cable X-overs- 1 set x 15 reps (warm up)
Incline hammer strength- 4 sets x 8-10 reps
Flat hammer strength- 4 sets 8-10 reps
Flat bench DB presses- 3 sets x 10 reps
Incline DB flyes- 3 x 10 reps
Cable X-overs- 3 sets 10-15 reps
weighted dips- 3 sets 10-12 reps
DB pullover- 3 sets 10 reps
pushups- 1 set to failure

So, in all that's about 25 working sets, give or take a couple. I'll see how I feel tomorrow, but that is a typical chest workout for me and the results have been very positive. In Europe I was doing a lot of smith machine/DB movements and also had good results. Just switching things up every once in a while seems to keep the old chest growing.

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## dwaynewade

the order of chest exercises starting with the most effective in producing hypertrophy is as follows: Db. decline, Barbell decline, Db. Incline, Barbell incline, Flat db., Flat barbell, Weighted dips, Flies

this should be taken into consideration if trying to evaluate or compare any chest "blasting"

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## Sanecrazy

I always only do one barbell exercise for chest and its the heaviest set and its always the first. I switch from week to week starting one week with flat bench and the next week starting with incline. When I start with a flat barbell I use dumbells for the incline and vise versa. This works out really well for me. Ive been keeping my chest routine simple, when it doesnt deliver optimal results any more Ill switch it up:
Heavy barbell on smith/ 5 sets
Dumbell flys 3 sets (same as barbell flat or incline)
Dumbell presses 3 sets
Flys 3 sets ( same as dumbell flat or incline)
Dips and weighted dips 5 sets

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## inheritmylife

The exercise doesn't so much matter really. So long as it is a heavy, multi-joint movement, it is all good.

What really matters is whether or not you are putting more weight on the machine or bar everytime you workout. If you are doing barbell benchpress, and you can no longer make gains, than switch to the Hammer machine, and vice versa.

Progression is the only thing that matters.

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## hulkzer

> I prefer d-bells for chest, and hammer strength as well.
> 
> Once you get really strong, all it takes is one rip of the old pec/delt tie in from the HORRIBLE stress the barbell bench puts on that area, and you're through.
> 
> ~SC~


as always swole knows his shyt. my brother ripped his entire pec major from barbell bench and i had a tear from barbell bench. now i only use barbell for suicide close grip bench for my tri's. i stick to dumbell and hammer strength. i gained alot of size when i switched to dumbells.
zer

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## Jack Rabbit Slim

I do alot of D-bells and Hammer strength. I have noticed that my chest is alot fuller looking since I started using the Hammer Stiength machines. It isolates the chest muscle and I get a great squeeze at the top of the movement.

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