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| Sappy title, huh? Well, the truth is that people around the world will spend loads of money on flowers that will die in the next week - so we'll carry that theme forward with today's list of recommended reading. Check these out:
White Sox, Brewers Lead Injury Prevention Parade - A big thanks goes out to Mike Stare, DPT for sending this article my way. It's always good to see quantifiable evidence of just how bad injuries in major league baseball have gotten. One really important thing to consider is that man games (and money) lost to injuries doesn't always paint a true picture of how effective a team's medical staff is. Teams with good medical staffs are more likely to sign better players in spite of pre-existing injuries (the 2009 Red Sox signed John Smoltz, Billy Wagner, and Brad Penny when they were all coming off surgery, for instance), so they'll understandably have higher rates in spite of the fact that they're doing a lot of things really well. Muddy waters, indeed.
Smith Machine Salaries - Speaking of wasteful spending, this post is about two years old and is very, very sad, but true. I'm sure it's even worse nowadays.
Baseball Showcases: A Great Way to Waste Money and Get Injured - This is timely on a number of fronts, as there are loads of showcases going on right now. Many of the participants are kids who haven't even picked up a baseball since last August, yet they're throwing full speed in front of radar guns. Sad.
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone; try not to think about all the money you spent on flowers!
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Researchers have just produced aerial photos of an "uncontacted" tribe in the Amazon rainforest.
Going with my gut instinct, I'm going to venture a guess that hut pictured below is the tribe's gym. Yes, that's exactly what it is. How intuitive of me...
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that it doesn't have a Smith machine, leg extension, or rotary torso machine. In fact, I'm guessing that these folks don't care about their six-pack abs or what's going on at XYZ internet forum. I am, however, guessing that they a) move a lot, b) don't eat refined crap, and c) probably have better mobility and are healthier than most people who claim to be "in shape." I doubt any of them have heart disease, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, or even that nauseous feeling you get after your girlfriend forces you to watch "The Batchelorette" while you could be watching a Red Sox no-hitter.
So, for those of you who think you can't learn anything from a tribe in the Amazon, think again. Move more - and without machines. Wear shoes less. Eat more green stuff and meat (and preferably kill it yourself with a spear). Stand more and sit less. Train your body for function. |
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| As of July 1, 2006, the IHRSA reported that there were 29,000 commercial fitness centers/health clubs in the U.S.
Now, this is a few years old - and we're in a growing industry (this number had more than doubled since 1995). So, just for the heck of it (and because I'm not going to search around too hard to find the new info), let's say that there are 32,000 now - plus another 3,000 hotel gyms.
Next, assume that of these 35,000 exercise facilities in the US, 80% have purchased Smith machines; that's 28,000 Smith machines in the country. I've seen these retail at anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500 - so let's just say that retail at $1,500. Figure a 30% profit on each one, and here's what you get:
28,000 x $1,500 = $42 million
$42 million x 30% = $12.6 million
Let's assume that these gyms replace their Smith machine, on average, every three years.
$42 million / 3 years = $14 million
$12.6 million / 3 years = $4.2 million
So what does this tell us?
Smith machines are a $14 million/year industry in the U.S alone.
There may be 42 people in the U.S. grossing six figure incomes from Smith machines alone.
Scary thought....
Now, just imagine: leg extensions are even more popular than Smith machines.
Scary thoughts, indeed. |
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| The Smith machine is the equipment parallel to High Intensity Training. On one hand, it's been called more dirty names than Madonna on a trip to the Vatican. On the other hand, there are those who vehemently adhere to it in spite of the fact that it's an inferior way to train.
I'm about as anti-machine a guy as you'll ever meet, but I'm also open-minded enough to realize that as is the case with most things in life, the answer rests somewhere in the middle.
I'll be the first to admit that if I was to outfit a training center tomorrow, I wouldn't put a Smith machine in it. Beyond the obvious injury risks associated with a fixed line of motion on the exercises people normally perform on this machine, it just makes no sense financially.
Why spend $1,200 on a coat rack when I could buy one at Wal-Mart for $19.99 and use the leftover cash to pick up a glute-ham raise, some Jump-Stretch bands, and surprise TC with that Russian mail order bride he's coveted for so long?
Unfortunately, it's a moot point, as many gym-owners have already made their purchase and devoted precious floor space to it. That's not to say, however, that we can't work with the situation and make lemonade out of rotten lemons. With that said, here are ten ways to make the Smith machine eyesore more attractive
So Read More... |
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Q: Many members have complained about the thought of getting rid of the Smith Machine in our gym and replacing it with a power rack. If you wouldn't mind giving me some ammo (arguments) to shoot them down , I’d really appreciate it.
A:
1. The Smith Machine offers less transfer to the real-world than free weight exercises.
2. Depending on the movement, the shearing forces on the knees and lumbar spine are increased by the fixed line of motion.
3. The lifter conforms to the machine, and not vice versa. Human motion is dependent on subtle adjustments to joint angle positioning; the body will always want to compensate in the most advantageous position possible. Fix the feet and fix the bar, and the only ways to get this compensation are inappropriate knee tracking and, more dangerously, loss of the neutral spine position.
4. Smith machines are generally more expensive. I suspect that you could get a regular coat rack for about $2K cheaper – and it would take up less space.
Eric Cressey |
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