Remember when you only ever saw weight stacks at your local commercial gym? Adjusting the pin to quickly go from 20 pounds of resistance to 200 pounds of resistance was (and, honestly, still is) a novelty that you just had to have a membership to enjoy.
Fast forward to today where we have the luxury of discussing the best Smith Machines with weight stacks for your home gym.
…add two more reasons to the list (one for each stack!) to cancel your gym membership and to start working out at home!
Before we get to each of today’s contenders, we want to acknowledge that there may be some readers out there who aren’t familiar with what these machines have to offer. Let’s take a minute to highlight some of the key features of these machines so you can start picturing one in your home lifting area.
What is a Smith Machine with Weight Stack?
Smith Machines possess a number of advantages over basic squat racks and even over most power racks/power cages. The Smith Bar runs along a fixed path, keeping the weight in perfect balance throughout the duration of each rep and adding large degrees of safety and comfort (Schick et al., 2010). Beginners working on their form and athletes rehabbing injuries can especially benefit from the Smith Machine’s user-friendly design (Cotterman, Darby, Skelly, & Boutcher, 2005).
Today, very few single-purpose Smith Machines remain on the market with most options boasting extensive features. Cable pulley systems are included in some of the most common upgrades, although these are generally plate-loaded options, requiring lifters to add or remove multiple weight plates to adjust resistance throughout their workouts.
The Smith Machine with Weight Stack option eliminates this lengthy and, at times, tedious process.
These advanced Smith Machines include dual weight stacks, each boasting anywhere between 50 and 150 pounds of resistance in the form of multiple 5 or 10-pound rectangular plates. These stacks remain largely fixed and lifters only need to move a small pin from one plate to another to add or remove each set’s weight.
In most cases, each stack is independently controlled, allowing athletes to use unbalanced resistance if desired. Additionally, some Smith Machine with Weight Stack options (like the M1 and M2 Pro options we will be discussing shortly) possess supplemental weight horns. These allow lifters to use additional weight when their strength exceeds the stacks’ resistance.
Now that you’ve got an idea of what the Smith Machine with weight stacks variation is capable, let’s discuss the best options out there.
The 3 Best Smith Machines with Weight Stacks
An affordable option, a commercial-grade option, and an incredibly functional option…we present the M1 (weight stack option), the BPC06, and the M2 Pro3D:
- M1 (weight stack option) – Premium features without a premium price tag
In its first few iterations, the M1 was a traditional Smith Machine-power rack combination machine and to this day, lifters still have the option to purchase its plate-loaded option at a seriously impressive discount. However, the M1 weight stack option reaches a new level of functionality, particularly in relation to its pulley system.
Offering lifters the ability to perform numerous Smith Machine and free weight exercises, the M1 is an impressive specimen. Its durable aluminum pulley system ensures smooth and efficient weight movement whether you’re throwing around a few Olympic plates or half of the weight stack. The pull-up and dip bars showcase its bodyweight exercise functionality.
Despite this plethora of features, the M1’s weight stack option is priced well below $2000, making it an extremely attractive and competitive option. Considering that this is its “all-in” price (shipping is free), finding any Smith Machine with weight stacks, yet alone one of similar quality, for under $2200 is a very tall task.
- BPC06 – Commercial quality
With the appearance of something that you’d find at your local commercial gym, the BPC06 certainly passes the eye test. With similar levels of stability and safety the BPC06 essentially is a commercial-quality Smith Machine with weight stacks (Anderson & Behm, 2005).
The BPC06’s 17 height adjustment levels, 700-pound weight capacity, and 1:1 pulley ratio are some of the less apparent, but foundationally important factors lending it to “commercial” status. On the other hand, arguably niche, yet arguably essential inclusions like its vertical leg press attachment create a truly “all-in-one” training machine.
The BPC06’s 27-foot overall footprint is larger than the other options on our list. However, it puts this size to very efficient use with its main storage frame containing six storage sleeves for multiple sets of weight plates as well as tubes for two separate Olympic barbells. This system ensures that equipment that is not in use stays “out of sight and out of mind” during and after workouts.
- M2 Pro 3D – Unparalleled functionality and optionality
The M1’s “younger” but not little “brother”, the M2 employs many of the same design features as its more “older” brethren. The “basic” M2’s upgraded features are impressive while the M2 Pro’s weight stack option is comparable to the BPC06’s. However, for lifters who are looking for a one-of-a-kind Smith Machine with weight stacks option, the M2 Pro3D is pretty much the option.
Unlike other M1 and M2 iterations, the M2 Pro3D has the distinction of being one of the very few commercially available 3D Smith Machines that is also equipped with weight stacks. For 3D Smith Machine enthusiasts who love the multi-plane (the Smith Bar can be moved vertically and horizontally) freedom that these machines provide along with the convenience of weight stacks, this is truly an effective and unique piece of equipment.
3D Smith Machines aren’t all that common (yet!) and you’ll be hard-pressed to find one for less than $2500. The M2 is slightly more expensive than that (it currently retails for a little under $3000) but considering that it is a 3D Smith Machine with weight stacks, its price point is very competitive against its competitors.
The Best Smith Machines with Weight Stacks…
It’s hard to argue with the utility and overall legitimacy of the RitFit Smith Machine offerings. Even their non-Smith Machine with weight stack options (like the more traditional PSR05 and multifunctional Buffalo) and their weight stack option that didn’t quite make the list (the BPC05) are solid options.
However, the M1 Pro (weight stack option), BPC06, and M2 3DPro are our picks for the top dogs in this category.
Functionality, affordability, and a couple of weight stacks? What more could a home gym training enthusiast ask for?!
References
Anderson, K., & Behm, D. G. (2005). Trunk muscle activity increases with unstable squat movements. Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, 30(1): 33–45.
Cotterman, M. L., Darby, L. A., Skelly, W. A., & Boutcher, S. H. (2005). Comparison of muscle force production using the Smith machine and free weights for bench press and squat exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 19(1): 169–176.
Schick, E. E., Coburn, J. W., Brown, L. E., Judelson, D. A., Khamoui, A. V., Tran, T. T., Uribe, B. P. (2010). A comparison of muscle activation between a Smith machine and free weight bench press. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(3): 779–784.
