Smith Machine Power Row

Build a bigger, thicker, stronger back with this move

Written By Jim Stoppani, PhD

Updated September 28, 2023

It's important to incorporate power training into your workouts for building explosive power.

This is NOT just true for power athletes, but for anyone who is interested in building more strength and muscle mass. Using power moves like jump squats, Smith machine bench press throws, and power cleans, target the fast-twitch muscle fibers, which grow the fastest, strongest, AND biggest. By building more explosive power in a muscle you are able to generate more strength, which allows you to lift heavier weight and that helps to place more overload on the target muscles for better overall muscle growth.

One of the best ways to train with ballistic power movements is to use the Smith machine.

Because the bar is on a guided track, it allows you to let the bar go for generating maximum power, yet easily catch the bar on the way down. This works great on exercises such as bench press throws and curl throws.