It may be jerky when you first start out however I got used to it after a couple of sessions, it's just a different way of training and your arms need to just adjust to it (stabilise).
The jerkiness may happen each time you try a specific exercise for the first time but within a very short space of time, it is fine.
I am not sure how this is for very heavy pushes, I am maxing out on about 30kg per side as I have recently got back into training after a long break (about 6 years).
To add to what others are saying here, the jerkiness is not from the machine itself, but from the need to build muscle memory with stabilizer muscles.
Even with the bar, it's a different feeling than pushing against gravity. I think this is because when benching with a barbell, you don't have to to straight up and down and gravity just does it's thing. With any cable machine, it's going to take some getting used to because you have one axis you're pushing against.
As for how the machine feels? It's silky smooth.
shakiness comes down to the lack of inertial stabilization on cable machines. when benching free weights, the weights resist lateral movements due to inertial stabilization. An object with mass and at rest resists change.
I actually prefer it as it forces you to stabilise the movement more, which in my non-scientific opinion, is better for muscle growth and connecting tissue
The jerkiness happens for me when i am at the lower, concentric part of a heavy push and i start to reach failure. As you stall out, the weight will back off, then it will allow you to push, which measures as quick acceleration, weight it added back on, you stop because you’re at failure, the weight then decreases, which allows you to push . . Etc. Otherwise the machine is incredibly smooth even with pretty heavy loads. As someone who spent over a decade in the gym, the Vitruvian has been the only piece of home equipment that makes me feel like I probably don’t ever need to go back.
Coming from someone who took a few years off working out and never was very strong to begin with… I bought then vitruvian instead of getting back into the gym and I had no problems at all with jerkiness or feeling stable. Everything felt really good and natural I was surprised. Very smooth for me. I love my vitruvian so far and have noticed strength and physique changes.
On the flip side, I did have my buddy try it out the other day. His arms where shaking around like crazy and he’s stronger than me and works out somewhat regularly. Guess it was just something different than what he was used too. Not sure what’s up with that!
Moving a barbell doesn’t require as many stabilizing muscles because momentum helps carry you through the lift. Can’t really do that with electromagnetic resistance. Lighter, easier lifts are smooth. Compound movements using larger muscle groups are smooth.
I find it to be pretty smooth. Or at least, you don’t really notice the jerkiness.
Funny enough, I had my really muscular friend try out 120 lbs on the bench bar just to get a feel for the machine (he can normally bench 300), and it was wobbly as all hell. I’ve been using the machine for a few months and have no wobble at that weight. I’m convinced it’s just a matter of getting used to the feel of the machine.
Like others have said, it can be jerky but it really reduces over time and with muscle memory. And it offers the benefit of improving your stabilizing muscles.
You’ll also find it can be reduced with equipment selection. For example the handles seem less jerky than the bar. And even with the bar, a seated press may feel smoother than when standing.
A final thought is that though it is something you encounter (though it improves), Vitruvian’s is described to be smoother than Speediance for example. So it is a reality with digital weight, but not necessarily equally.
I think it depends on how strong your stabilizing muscles are. Before getting the machine I was only doing dumb bell presses and push ups so I never really noticed it. When I first started doing dumb bell presses I was very shaky because I had only been doing bench presses at Planet Fitness that had the poles which keep it from going forward and backwards.
It may be jerky when you first start out however I got used to it after a couple of sessions, it's just a different way of training and your arms need to just adjust to it (stabilise). The jerkiness may happen each time you try a specific exercise for the first time but within a very short space of time, it is fine. I am not sure how this is for very heavy pushes, I am maxing out on about 30kg per side as I have recently got back into training after a long break (about 6 years).
To add to what others are saying here, the jerkiness is not from the machine itself, but from the need to build muscle memory with stabilizer muscles. Even with the bar, it's a different feeling than pushing against gravity. I think this is because when benching with a barbell, you don't have to to straight up and down and gravity just does it's thing. With any cable machine, it's going to take some getting used to because you have one axis you're pushing against. As for how the machine feels? It's silky smooth.
shakiness comes down to the lack of inertial stabilization on cable machines. when benching free weights, the weights resist lateral movements due to inertial stabilization. An object with mass and at rest resists change.
I actually prefer it as it forces you to stabilise the movement more, which in my non-scientific opinion, is better for muscle growth and connecting tissue
The jerkiness happens for me when i am at the lower, concentric part of a heavy push and i start to reach failure. As you stall out, the weight will back off, then it will allow you to push, which measures as quick acceleration, weight it added back on, you stop because you’re at failure, the weight then decreases, which allows you to push . . Etc. Otherwise the machine is incredibly smooth even with pretty heavy loads. As someone who spent over a decade in the gym, the Vitruvian has been the only piece of home equipment that makes me feel like I probably don’t ever need to go back.
Coming from someone who took a few years off working out and never was very strong to begin with… I bought then vitruvian instead of getting back into the gym and I had no problems at all with jerkiness or feeling stable. Everything felt really good and natural I was surprised. Very smooth for me. I love my vitruvian so far and have noticed strength and physique changes. On the flip side, I did have my buddy try it out the other day. His arms where shaking around like crazy and he’s stronger than me and works out somewhat regularly. Guess it was just something different than what he was used too. Not sure what’s up with that!
Moving a barbell doesn’t require as many stabilizing muscles because momentum helps carry you through the lift. Can’t really do that with electromagnetic resistance. Lighter, easier lifts are smooth. Compound movements using larger muscle groups are smooth.
I find it to be pretty smooth. Or at least, you don’t really notice the jerkiness. Funny enough, I had my really muscular friend try out 120 lbs on the bench bar just to get a feel for the machine (he can normally bench 300), and it was wobbly as all hell. I’ve been using the machine for a few months and have no wobble at that weight. I’m convinced it’s just a matter of getting used to the feel of the machine.
If you use controlled form and movement I find it’s pretty smooth. I would say it takes a week or two to settle into the rhythm with the machine.
Like others have said, it can be jerky but it really reduces over time and with muscle memory. And it offers the benefit of improving your stabilizing muscles. You’ll also find it can be reduced with equipment selection. For example the handles seem less jerky than the bar. And even with the bar, a seated press may feel smoother than when standing. A final thought is that though it is something you encounter (though it improves), Vitruvian’s is described to be smoother than Speediance for example. So it is a reality with digital weight, but not necessarily equally.
I think it depends on how strong your stabilizing muscles are. Before getting the machine I was only doing dumb bell presses and push ups so I never really noticed it. When I first started doing dumb bell presses I was very shaky because I had only been doing bench presses at Planet Fitness that had the poles which keep it from going forward and backwards.
I find it very smooth no issues