What is the difference between smith machine squats and regular squats. I have good form for smith machine but i am still learning real squats. Is there anything wrong to smith machine squats? I know they inferior to free squating, but i mean injury wise, or strength wise or something along those lines…
There as helpful as taking estrogen and trying to up your test. Ditch them asap and do real squats.
The smith machine only allows the bar to move up and down. Generally, when you squat, you move in an arched path.
I had a friend shatter one of his vertebrae on the smith machine while squatting because there is no give on the bar and it focuses all of the force on one spot in the middle of your back.
There is in fact a great risk of injury to smith machine squats than free squats, of course assuming that free squats are done properly. Read this month’s Question of Strength Article for a brief look at why. Also, you should be able to find info in the archives.
DO NOT SQUAT ON THE SMITH MACHINE, especially as a beginner.
According to Charles Poliquin:
Squatting to parallel (legs bent 90 degrees) not only makes the exercise less effective but, additionally, it increases the risk of injury. First of all, by not squatting the full range of motion, one doesn’t maintain proper lumbosacral bodymechanics. When performing the squat movement, the sacrum undergoes a process known as nutation (it tilts forward, relative to the two ilia on either side of it). At approximately 90 degrees of knee bend, the sacrum tilts back (a process known as counternutation) and sets the lifter up for lower back pain.
In order to perform a full squat, flexibility and range of motion must be maintained in the lumbar spine and SI joint, as well as in such muscles as the iliopsoas and hip external rotators ? piriformis, gemelli, etc. If the lifter can’t squat past 90 degrees of knee bend without the heels raising or the body bending excessively forward at the waist, but can squat all the way to the floor while holding onto something, we know that there are some muscle imbalances in regard to the pelvis/lumbosacral region (iliopsoas, external hip rotators, erector spinae) as opposed to a knee or foot/ankle dysfunction.
Additionally, since the hip joint is considered by many authors as the “steering mechanism for the leg,” improper pelvis, hip, and lumbosacral mechanics could manifest down the kinetic chain as chronic or recurring knee/ankle problems. Thus, regular performance of the full squat offers a “screen” for the athlete of his or her lumbosacral/pelvic flexibility, which may prevent injury or muscle imbalances long before they become chronic.
Parallel squats also may be potentially damaging to the knee joint. The original data on full squats causing ligament laxity was obtained in an uncontrolled manner. Recent attempts to replicate these studies haven’t shown any increased laxity or knee pain/dysfunction from doing full squats as opposed to parallel squats.
Furthermore, ask any orthopedic surgeon at what degree of knee bend does one perform the Drawer test ? 90 degrees. Why? Because in this position, the knee joint is the most unstable, and if you were trying to assess the integrity of the cruciate ligaments, you’d want the least amount of interference from other structures as possible. Bend the knee to full flexion. How much does the tibia move on the femur anteriorly or posteriorly? Very little. However, do the same test at 90 degrees of flexion, and you’ll get considerably more movement.
Therefore, you can imagine how much force is on the knee ligaments if the athlete is descending with a weight on their shoulders, and then at 90 degrees ? the most unstable point ? reversing the momentum and accelerating in the exact opposite direction. Couple this with the fact that most, if not everyone, are capable of squatting considerably more weight to the parallel position than the full squat position, and you’ve set your body up for muscular imbalances, yet again.
And from “Debunk the Chump! 5 Gym Myths Exposed” http://www.T-Nation.com/findArticle.do?article=05-069-training
The truth is that squatters usually have healthier knees than non-squatters. Studies on top powerlifters have shown that their knees are actually in better shape radiographically (X-rayed) than the general population. Squatters also have much tighter ACLs than nonlifters, meaning that their knees are more stable and less prone to injury.
The most glaring irony is that squats are often replaced with “safer” exercises such as hack squats and Smith machine movements. According to Dr. Ken Kinakin, the machine hack squat leads to more knee problems than the barbell free squat. And the Smith machine? Charles Poliquin once joked that it was invented by a physical therapist who wanted more business for himself!
What’s wrong with the Smith? First, there’s zero functional transfer to real life, sports or other lifts. It develops strength in only one dimension, predisposing you to injury in the undeveloped planes of movement. This is sometimes called pattern overload syndrome, and it can lead to medical bills in the long run.
Second, because the bar is fixed, a person doing Smith machine squats is able to lean against the bar, which is a natural response. This minimizes hip extension, thus allowing the hamstrings to take a siesta during the movement. Trouble is, the hamstrings help to stabilize the knee during squats, and the result of taking them out of the picture is to induce a shearing force on the joint. This might ultimately lead to a blown anterior cruciate ligament. Using the Smith machine for all your squatting definitely leads to you being a big fat dork.
Summary: As with any exercise, squats are perfectly safe if you use the correct technique, even safer than the “safe” machines misguided trainers sometimes prescribe to replace them!
Go go Jillybop.
Hello to you all, i?m from Portugal and it’s the first time i’m writing here.
I would like to ask another question, in my gym i have no squat rack anymore, it was replaced by the smith machine , i’ve been doing squats in the smith machine and i don’t feel well doing them but i thought it was better than not squatting it all, after reading this i’ll stop doing them, so what should i do? i can?t clean the weight i squat to put a barbell on my back to squat. I really didn?t want to quit squatting.
(don’t tell me to change gym because it’s the only one in my town:)
Thank you for your help
sorry for spelling errors, i hope there weren’t too many
[quote]Metamorphosis wrote:
Hello to you all, i?m from Portugal and it’s the first time i’m writing here.
I would like to ask another question, in my gym i have no squat rack anymore, it was replaced by the smith machine , i’ve been doing squats in the smith machine and i don’t feel well doing them but i thought it was better than not squatting it all, after reading this i’ll stop doing them, so what should i do? i can?t clean the weight i squat to put a barbell on my back to squat. I really didn?t want to quit squatting.
(don’t tell me to change gym because it’s the only one in my town:)
Thank you for your help
sorry for spelling errors, i hope there weren’t too many[/quote]
I personally would do DB squats. Can you clean a barbell onto your shoulders for front squats, being you use less weight for that exercise anyway.
Smith Machine = The Devil.
DO NOT USE for squats, or much else for that matter.
Actually, I find that the smith machine is excellent for upper body stretching 
People sometimes get pissed that I’m in there stretching, even though it only takes me as long to stretch as it would take me to do 4 or 5 sets of (insert crap exercise here). I always feel like telling them to go do a better variation of whatever they were going to do, but I usually refrain.
If you must use the smith machine for something here’s what you can use it for.
Smith machine squat is an oxymoron, surely?
Goblet squat → box squat → full back squat. Easy to learn. Get off the smith, unless you’re hanging your jacket on it.
Smith machine squats are great for freeing up the power rack for real lifters.
[quote]ProfessorCHAOS96 wrote:
Smith Machine = The Devil.
DO NOT USE for squats, or much else for that matter.
[/quote]
Inverted rows for reps?
To the poster who doesn’t have a Squat Rack:
Power clean the weight up and front squat it or back squat. It may be light, but at least you’ll get your Power Clean/Push Press up.
Also, Hack squats, Deadlifts, Lunges, Zercher Squats.
The smith looks like it would be okay for shrugs since the motion is very simple.
One thing that I am confused about with this squatting issue though. In the squat, we are supposed to balance the weight on our foot with same weight distribution throughout the movement, right?
In that case, doesn’t the bar go up and down? Where does this ‘arch’ idea come from?
http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Squat_Bar_Placement.jpg
This looks like a traight line to me so I’m confused about this arch in bar path which would make the smith bad. If it was up and down like this, wouldn’t the smith be fine just so long as you properly centered and did not stand too far forward or backward?
Smith Machine is good for rows, CGBP, Reverse-wide-grip bench press, Seated Shoulder Press (Ruhl), shrugs, rack pulls, and for doing Rack pull-ups in 
Just to name a few exercise that it’s good for. I also do decline bench press in the smith.
Best place for a Smith machine is the garbage can.
[quote]docsrocks wrote:
Best place for a Smith machine is the garbage can.[/quote]
Well that would be a BIG can.
I know, an old thread and all but anyway thought this was relevant:
Recently started free weight front squatting as opposed to using the smith machine. Got the technique down and making easy work of the numbers I used to struggle on when smith front squatting. Up to 220 x 5, not spectacular but I’m increasing it 5 - 10 lbs each session.
Finding it translates pretty well to my ATG and hack squats.
Overall I rarely use the smith now days. Really isn’t that great, but it has it’s advantages with some exercises.