Smith Machine Squats: How to Avoid Mistakes

Author: Timko Ilya - the ruler of the entire site and fitness trainer | more details >> Rod. 1984 Trained since 1999 Trained since 2007. Author and creator of the site tvoytrener.com. CCM in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and South Russia according to AWPC. Champion of the Krasnodar region according to IPF. 1st category in weightlifting. 2-time winner of the Krasnodar Territory championship in t/a. Author of more than 700 articles on fitness and amateur athletics. Author and co-author of 5 books.

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(become an author) Date: 2015-09-19 Views: 141,649 Rating: 5.0

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Primary muscles : gluteus maximus and quadriceps femoris Additional muscles: hamstrings and inner thighs Difficulty : easy

Why do you need a machine for squats?

When a novice athlete begins training, his muscles are not sufficiently prepared for classic squats, even with an empty bar: the knees tremble and shake, the pelvis tilts forward/backward, and the bar slides onto the back. In such cases, a Smith machine is needed, allowing beginners to perform exercises for targeted muscle development.

When doing squats, a novice athlete will never fall, because he relies on the bar, which runs strictly vertically.

More experienced athletes use the simulator when they need to work alone, without a partner.

Smith exercise machine

And then the moment came when you found out that in the gym there are not only barbells and dumbbells, but there are also functional exercise machines with which you can pump up your body and also effectively come to training and load your muscles without dumbbells and barbells, which may already be tired and want to diversify your fitness bodybuilding workouts with other physical movements!

This article is dedicated to the Smith machine. Today we will tell you what exercises you can do for your legs, hips, buttocks, arms, biceps, triceps, shoulders, and back. If we talk about efficiency, what is the best equipment to train with in order to get better results from training, then we can say the following: it is best to combine training with dumbbells, barbells, including in your training program exercises that can be done in the Smith machine and Crossover.

First, let's talk about the exercises that can be done in the Smith machine and what it is. The Smith machine is a power frame with a fixed barbell, which has a number of advantages and disadvantages!

Pros and cons of the Smith machine for girls and women

• No insurance is required since the exercise machine has clamps on the barbell and there are hooks in the power frame at any height so that at any time during the exercise, if you find it difficult to do, you can quickly hang the barbell. Safety is the strong point of the simulator; you don’t need to call your partner’s trainer to back you up; you can do everything; the main thing is to hang the barbell on time when you feel like you’re running out of strength!
• The second advantage is that with many exercises on the legs, for example, performing lunges, squats on the leg muscles, you remove a lot of load from the spine, if you squat with a barbell, then you need to maintain balance and balance, then here everything is simple: you took the position, positioned barbell on the trapeze - shoulders, and started doing it, the only thing you need to watch is the technique of the legs, so that there is a correct trajectory of the legs.
• Friction plus that you can do one of the most difficult exercises for the buttocks is lunges with a barbell on your shoulders, since it is very convenient that the barbell is held in one position, if you perform this exercise with free weight, then the barbell is very difficult to control, and it moves right and left Much attention is paid to balance and balance, but here everything is simply positioned with one leg back and the other forward, the back is straight, the gaze is directed forward, and you can start performing! This exercise is popular among fitness beginners, girls and women who strive for larger buttocks and want to pump up the most beautiful legs. Many girls and women also do not perform lunges with dumbbells, but replace and do lunges in Smith!

• The fourth plus is that many exercises can be easily performed according to the technique and you don’t need to set up and practice for a long time, here you can say it will work out right away, the main thing is not to put a lot of weight on the bar at once, but gradually increase the load on muscle strength.
• The machine still has some drawbacks, and if we talk about many exercises, from the point of view of movement trajectories, they do not include many muscles, stabilizers, which are trained if you train with free weights, so whoever starts training with iron over time cannot do everything at once, since Smith removes many psychological fears, as insurance is not needed, but with free weights, for example, when bench pressing, squats, it is always necessary, and also the load that you did in Smith will be different from weights with a barbell and you need to use less since the barbell will include stabilizer muscles on full force, based on the fact that they did not receive a load in the Smith machine.

All exercises in the Smith machine

on the chest

• Bench press on a horizontal bench
• Incline Bench Press
• Angled push-ups

on the back

• Bent-over barbell row with classic grip
• Reverse grip barbell row
• One arm row

on shoulders

• Seated Front Press
• Seated overhead press
• Barbell row to the chin

biceps forearm

• Classic grip biceps curl
• Reverse grip curl

for triceps

• Seated French press
• Close grip press

on the buttocks legs back

• Sumo squats
• Classic squats
• Lunges in place
• Deadlift on straight legs

Proper warm-up

Classes always begin with a warm-up without weights. Set the bar at such a level that the student does not rise on his toes, but also does not sag under the bar.

Stand under the bar so that it is between the neck and shoulder blades. Take a barbell and, lifting your elbows up, squeeze your shoulder blades together as much as possible. The weight is held on the muscles between them.

When performing direct squats, make sure (or ask someone to make sure) that your knees do not go further than your toes. The pelvis moves back as much as possible, the body moves slightly forward. The simulator will not let you fall.

Sit down to parallel with the floor or slightly lower, pause for half a second and stand up while exhaling. Repeat the exercise 9 times.

Types of squats

Classic

This type of exercise is performed with average feet. Most of the load is placed on the front of the thighs, as well as the buttocks and inner thighs. When performing, the feet are placed shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, and the toes are turned outward.

Sumo squat or plie

Features a wide foot placement. This exercise allows you to load the buttocks, and during training the quadriceps will work in a lighter mode. To perform the exercise, you need to spread your legs as wide as possible, with your toes pointing to the sides at an angle of 45 degrees.

The key to this exercise is the movement of the pelvis. A common mistake with this exercise is bending the knees inward; the legs should bend in a plane parallel to the feet. Any deviation may cause injury. The buttocks and abdomen should be pulled in during the exercise.

Squat Lunge

In this case, you need to position yourself as with regular squats, only when starting the exercise, one leg should be moved forward and the other should begin to bend until the shin and thigh create an angle of 90 degrees. The field of what needs to go back up. When performing the exercise, the entire load is directed to the front leg, and the second serves only to maintain balance.

What to do, if:

• Taz is walking. You need to learn to squat without any weight at all until your pelvis moves.
• The bar cannot be removed from the clamps. You need to stand on the other side of it.
• My knees hurt. While doing the exercises, you need to make sure that your knees are parallel to each other and “look” in the same direction as your feet.

In general, such squats are only needed for beginners. Experts do not recommend using the exercise machine for more than a month. Next you need to switch to a regular barbell.

Common mistakes when doing the exercise

In plie squats, the technique of performing the workout is important. Often, especially by beginners, the same mistakes are made, which can lead to unpleasant consequences and make training useless.

1. Incorrect head position. Keep your head straight, chin slightly raised. The gaze is fixed on a point on the wall, just above eye level.
2. Under- or over-rounded back. The body is kept straight, this rule especially applies to athletes doing squats with weights, in order to avoid a traumatic load on the spine.
3. Unstable knee position. The reason is poor stretching and weak knee ligaments, or the legs are not spread wide enough. The knees do not protrude beyond the feet and are not brought to the center.
4. The heels come off the floor. Such a defect leads to a shift in the center of gravity, which incorrectly distributes the load on the muscles.
5. Not a deep squat. Works the outer thigh and quadriceps. A small range of motion negates efforts to pump up the buttocks and inner thighs. In a plie, squat as deeply as possible.
6. Full straightening of the legs when lifting. Muscle relaxation leads to a decrease in the effectiveness of the workout, so to maintain tension, the legs are not fully straightened.
7. Incorrect projectile weight. Too heavy equipment causes destabilization of balance and muscle strain.

This type of training is an effective type of exercise for strengthening the inner thighs and pumping up the gluteal muscles, provided that the correct technique is followed. It is especially common among girls who want to improve their body contours. With the use of weights, it is used by experienced athletes for proportional pumping of the legs.

Dumbbell row: types and application features

A dumbbell row means a set of the same type of cast dumbbells of different weights. A solid dumbbell is a metal rod with a narrowed middle and rounded tips. All shells included in the set are mounted on a special holder, chassis or stand from which they can be conveniently removed.

The number of dumbbell pairs varies from five to infinity.

The dumbbell row is characterized by the following indicators:

• weight of the lightest pair;
• weight of the heaviest pair;
• step – the difference in kg between adjacent pairs.

For example, if they say: dumbbell row 11-81-2.5, this means that the weight of the lightest dumbbells in the row is 11 kg, the heaviest is 81 kg, and the difference between adjacent pairs is 2.5 kg. That is, in this dumbbell row the weight increases in the following order: 11 kg, 13.5 kg, 16 kg, 18.5 kg and so on - a total of 28 pairs of dumbbells.

It is believed that the smaller the step indicator, the more versatile the entire set: any athlete will be able to choose the most suitable pair of dumbbells for him according to his level of preparedness and training goal.

One of the most popular is the 50 kg dumbbell set. But besides weight indicators, dumbbells also differ in other characteristics, in particular:

• size of disks and handles;
• the shape of the disks (they are round and hexagonal);
• the material from which the projectiles are made;
• type of disk coating;
• disassembly / non-disassembly of dumbbells;
• relief of the handles and its type.

Therefore, in the name of these projectiles there may be such additional designations as rubber-coated dumbbells, hexagonal, collapsible, chrome-plated, hexagonal and others.

The equipment also differs according to the age and other characteristics of those involved. They can be children's, women's (for fitness), dumbbells for bodybuilders, etc.

Squats in Smith for girls

The machine allows you to perform a wide variety of squats. Plie (sumo) is suitable for any level of training. barbell locking machine will help you learn the correct technique.

• The starting position is similar to the classic version. You just need to spread your legs wider. There are no strict limits here; you should be guided by your personal feelings. The wider the stance, the less chance of injuring your knees.
• You need to go down as low as possible, at this time the pelvis is retracted back. The main load falls on the hips. When lifting, you should not fully extend your knees to get the maximum effect from the exercise.

Lunges on one leg take some of the load off your back and allow you to improve your technique.

• One foot rests with its toe on a platform or bench standing behind the athlete.
• The bar is taken with a wide grip. The back is straight.
• The downward movement begins as you exhale. Stop when the thigh of your working leg is at right angles to the floor.
• To return to the starting position, push off with your heel. Repeat on the other leg.

Features of training for ladies

The technique of performing the exercises does not change depending on gender. But the physiology of men and women is different. For example, the body of the weaker sex produces much less testosterone, but more estrogens, which contribute to the formation of fat. Therefore, the training program for the fair sex must be adjusted taking into account these features.

The efficiency of work in the gym is greatly influenced by the monthly cycle. Immediately after the end of menstruation, a period begins in which you can take on additional load. But during the half-month after ovulation, there is little point in doing squats and doing abs. The body strictly conserves energy, so it is better to focus your efforts on cardio.

If 10 repetitions are enough for a man, a woman needs from 8 to 15 to get the same effect. This applies to any exercise.

There is good news - girls will notice the effect of squats faster. It makes sense to devote about half of your workout to developing your legs and buttocks. 20% is given to the back, the rest is distributed between the muscles of the chest, arms and shoulder girdle. You need to continue exercising for at least an hour to get a fat-burning effect.

The structure of the female body is such that there is a greater chance of injuring the knee during strength exercises. The reason is wider pelvic bones , due to which the thigh is located at a greater angle to the knee. Therefore, increased accuracy is important for classes to be successful.

How to improve your results

• Pumping your legs during squats helps increase your deadlift performance. These exercises are similar in that they involve the same groups, only in different proportions. The deadlift relies heavily on back muscle strength (60%), while the squat relies heavily on leg strength (60%).
• For beginners, it makes no sense to divide the training program into days dedicated to different muscle groups (split). In the first months, you need to work out your whole body in one trip to the gym. It makes sense to switch to a split later, when the body is strong enough.
• During squats, the knees should not be directed inward. They always point in the same direction as the toes: either forward (with a narrow stance) or to the sides (with a normal and wide stance).
• The elbows should look up while doing the exercises - this can be difficult for girls. To ensure the correct position of your elbows, you need to bring your shoulder blades together and hold on to the bar more tightly.

Any workout is preceded by a five-minute warm-up on the treadmill, and ends with low-intensity cardio. It is necessary to lead a correct lifestyle: get enough sleep, follow a diet, take vitamin complexes. To preserve muscles, it doesn't hurt to take protein. Also, we should not forget that Smith squats are just preparation for working with free weights.