Tips on Smith Machine Squats?

[HANSEL]

How to I safely do Squates on a Smith Machine? Its all I have access to right now and have been doing Squats for a few weeks now but I am not sure If Im doing this right?

Where should my feet be?
In front of me?
Feet pointed out?

I keep my head and chin up and am pretty sure Im keeping my back straight (Feels fine) but have been feeling a little knee strain.

Any hints/help would be much appreciated.

Regards.

 

[Fatty4You]

I dont know the proper technique, but i acn tell you that i used to do them with my feet in front of me, so that when down to parallel, my knee would be at like a 80 degree angle as if i was sitting in a chair.

Now, where did this get me?? Well, my knees started to hurt. Is this from the squating?? I am not sure.

Yeah, this was some pretty useless advice, sorry.

-Fatty

 

[TxRugby_8]

IMO you can go a little bit lower with smith machine squats although you use your back a bit more by pushing back on the machine.

 

[lilprincess]

Make sure you are pushing from your heels when you do Smith Machine. In my experience with squats on Smith Machines I seem to push forward, but I finally learned that you want to kinda lean back and push from your heels. Look up at the celing and find a spot, and act like you are pushing toward that spot. Keep your back straight and butt out. Bar goes on your trap not your neck. Hope this helps.

~lilprincess

 

[gettinlarger]

Best way to do Smith squats is to slowly walk away from it and into a power rack. Smith machine squats are unnatural, and have a pretty awkward ROM. Real squats ... man, there's nothing in comparison.

 

[Lumberg]

I am in the exact same situation.

If you put your feet out in front, you put more stress on your knees and less on your back. I would position the middle of your foot right on the line of where the bar is, i.e. centered exactly under the bar.

I have found that it's awkward no matter how you do it.

BUT,

The smith machine works VERY well for front squats. So I just do front squats now. (With the same foot positioning)

As far as foot angle/stance, the more your toes point out and the wider your stance, the more you use hams/glutes/adductors and the less you use quads. That's true of any leg exercise, not just squats on the Smith.

JC

 

[TxRugby_8]

If you put your feet out in front, you put more stress on your

The smith machine works VERY well for front squats. So I just do front squats now. (With the same foot positioning)

As far as foot angle/stance, the more your toes point out and the wider your stance, the more you use hams/glutes/adductors and the less you use quads. That's true of any leg exercise, not just squats on the Smith.

JC

good point. if you're not doing front squats already, you probably should start now. this is one of the best exercises for you quads next to power squats. front squats focus on the tear drop of the quad and develop it better then anyother exercise.

 

[Nonerz]

Best way to do Smith squats is to slowly walk away from it and into a power rack. Smith machine squats are unnatural, and have a pretty awkward ROM. Real squats ... man, there's nothing in comparison.

I heard somewhere that the Smith machine was evil...

 

[teen1216]

The knee strain you're experiencing could very likely be from the unnatural range of motion the smith machine puts you in.

 

[bignate73]

I heard somewhere that the Smith machine was evil...

so you do listen to me!

hehehehe.