Question on smith machine squats

[coltrane]

Guys, i'm gonna hit some squats up on the smith tonight..  I've had a rough back situation for awhile and the smith is what I think will be safest..  anyways:

Do you place your feet directly below your body, or stick them out in front a little?

[Meso_z]

Guys, i'm gonna hit some squats up on the smith tonight..  I've had a rough back situation for awhile and the smith is what I think will be safest..  anyways:

Do you place your feet directly below your body, or stick them out in front a little?

Not that vertical and not too front...somewhere in the middle, where it feels comfortable for you..

It depends on the smith too. In some smith machines the bar's track goes straight vertical..while in others it has a slight angle..

how is yours?

[Donny]

Try Dumbbell squats...they are not bad. The smith machine i don't like. if i was you i would do leg presses.

[coltrane]

Our Smith is straight..no angle.  Did them last night and they felt good

[MM2K]

I personally dont like smith machines at all except for MAYBE one legged squats and standing calf raises. I know some people who know what they are talking about in general will disagree, but that is my opinion.

 Im not sure just how bad your back situation is, but try going slow on your regular squat repititions. (4 seconds for the eccentric motion) . Keep your abs tight when you are squating. Slowly inhale when going down, and when you get down to the last half or last 4th of the descent, hold the air in until you are about a 4th or half into the lifting phase. Then blow the air out. Try initiating the squat from your knees and not your hips. Be sure you are going all the way down. This will force you to reduce the weight and should take pressure off your back.

One thing I really dont understand is placing the feet way in the front on smith machine squats. It seems like such an unnatural movement. There is no way in the law of physics that you could do that without the smith machine, so why do it at all?

[Overload]

I'm not a huge fan of smith machine squats, but front squats using a smith machine are killer.

Also might want to give hack squats a try, hopefully your gym has a hack sled like most large gyms do today.

[Idavoll]

Agreed, hack sleds are A+, sad to find out that the gym on base doesn't have one 

[coltrane]

Agreed, hack sleds are A+, sad to find out that the gym on base doesn't have one 

My gym had a beautiful old school hack...and it was great.  WELL, the owner got rid of it and replaced it with a hammerstrength V Squat, which i hate.  Said it was better on the knees.


F-YOU!  That's what I thought!

[jpm101]

Might consider BB Hack Squats, one of my favorite exercises. Try placing the  heels on a 2X4, plates, etc for more influence on the tear drop effect of the lower quads. Touching the plates to the floor, each rep, gives a good stretch also.

I think of these as reverse DL's in a way, with the weight behind , rather than in front, of the body. But with more direct focus on the thighs. Think the record is over 700/800, if remembering right. Good Luck.

[coltrane]

Might consider BB Hack Squats, one of my favorite exercises. Try placing the  heels on a 2X4, plates, etc for more influence on the tear drop effect of the lower quads. Touching the plates to the floor, each rep, gives a good stretch also.

I think of these as reverse DL's in a way, with the weight behind , rather than in front, of the body. But with more direct focus on the thighs. Think the record is over 700/800, if remembering right. Good Luck.

So this is an exercise for one without access to a hack machine?  Is it basically doing a barbell squat with your heels up?  I'm trying to visualize.

[jpm101]

Hmmmmm..sound like I'm being played, but anyway...

Hold the bar BEHIND the back. Squatting does not always mean with the bar on the shoulders.

Good Luck.

[coltrane]

Hmmmmm..sound like I'm being played, but anyway...

Hold the bar BEHIND the back. Squatting does not always mean with the bar on the shoulders.

Good Luck.

JPM:  not playing you in the slightest.  Just trying to visualize.
I"ll try these.  Will I get the same results with a smith machine and the plates under my heels?

Also, you said to "touch the plates to the floor".  I'm not understanding..    that seems impossible if i'm under the bar..

[coltrane]

Wait nevermind...    i get it.. 

bar NOT on neck, but held behind back.   Got it.

[funk51]

hack squat machine

[WOOO]

i would bet my left nut that there have been more injuries from people doing work in a smith machine than with an olympic bar in space...

if you're worried about your back i would suggest lighter weight with a focus on for, reps and good contractions...

[chaos]

Wait nevermind...    i get it.. 

bar NOT on neck, but held behind back.   Got it.

Like a deadlift but with the bar behind your back, lift starts from the floor.

[Griffith]

I've tried smith machine squats but found them really hard on my knees.

Don't have any problems with the free-weight squats though.

Actually, I find machines in general very hard on the joints, last year I even injured my shoulder quite badly on a machine so I stay away from the smith machine and most machines now.

[Donny]

you need to ( in my opinion ) move in a natural plane with any bodybuilding EX. I have never liked the smith machine. Machines have their uses in the Gym but i think you have to find the right "groove" for your own body.

[Overload]

I've tried smith machine squats but found them really hard on my knees.

Don't have any problems with the free-weight squats though.

Actually, I find machines in general very hard on the joints, last year I even injured my shoulder quite badly on a machine so I stay away from the smith machine and most machines now.

As Donny said, when using a machine it usually forces your joints into a fixed plane of motion that is not natural.  This is why people need to take special precautions when using machines and make sure you are not forcing your body into a bad position.

There are several pressing machines i simply cannot use due to having very broad shoulders and long arms. No matter how i position myself when using these machines i still have a level of discomfort in my shoulders that usually causes pain for a few days.

I always tell people to use certain machines with caution for this reason and the smith machine is one that must be used with caution.

This is why i always tell new lifters to use free-weights only, because they need to learn proper body mechanics and see how their body moves in natural movements.

If a movement ever feels painful or unnatural it should be avoided IMO. There is always another movement to replace it with.