Dorian claims he switched to smith machines squats and his legs improved
Just sayin
[quote]TommyGunz32 wrote:
Dorian claims he switched to smith machines squats and his legs improved
Just sayin[/quote]
x2 on this.
For bodybuilding purposes there’s no reason why you would HAVE to squat.
If your leg development improves from smith squatting/leg pressing/hack machine squatting/whatever, then that’s all that matters!
I would never use the smith for the main movement in my leg workout. Free bar squats are superior. But Smith machine is useful at the end of the workout for some front squats and such. Its certainly not the devil like some poeple will say IMO, its just another tool to be used
[quote]Maiden3.16 wrote:
I would never use the smith for the main movement in my leg workout. Free bar squats are superior. But Smith machine is useful at the end of the workout for some front squats and such. Its certainly not the devil like some poeple will say IMO, its just another tool to be used[/quote]
exactly - free squats will always be superior but there are times especially @ the end of a workout when a smith machine can be used effectively. i would never advocate a gym throwing out a squat rack to make room for a smith machine, but they are useful for a lot more than just hanging a jacket on.
I disagree, I don’t think any exercise is superior to another. It really comes down to the individual
In bodybuilding you are training muscle groups not movements. If you can use the smith to target your quads better then why would you not use that as your main quad movement?
Some people can just squat and get tremendous leg development, a lot of other people just get a big ass. That is why you see a ton of bbers using leg press, hack squats, smith squats, extentions for leg development
I personally dont use the smith but can see why ppl would and dont think ppl should have the attitude of one exercise being superior than another.
who knows though
i guess what i was saying is what i have found works best for me. it wasn’t meant to be a blanket statement.
I generally start training a body part with compound movements. as the muscle fatigues i move away from free weights and start to incorporate cables and machines. i feel that by ending a workout with fixed movements (ex smith machine) you don’t have to worry about balancing the weight and can continue to stimulate the muscle.
[quote]TommyGunz32 wrote:
I disagree, I don’t think any exercise is superior to another. It really comes down to the individual
In bodybuilding you are training muscle groups not movements. If you can use the smith to target your quads better then why would you not use that as your main quad movement?
Some people can just squat and get tremendous leg development, a lot of other people just get a big ass. That is why you see a ton of bbers using leg press, hack squats, smith squats, extentions for leg development
I personally dont use the smith but can see why ppl would and dont think ppl should have the attitude of one exercise being superior than another.
who knows though[/quote]
I would say, while there may be some outliers, that when people choose to do smith squats in place of free bar squats they do so because it is easier, not because it targets their quads better. They just tell themselves that to feel better.
Bad idea to use for squats but they do have their place. Great to use for inverted rows lol.
I broke my wrist and used the smith machine to do presses while I was healing without it I couldn’t have pressed anything for a long time.
[quote]Maiden3.16 wrote:
[quote]TommyGunz32 wrote:
I disagree, I don’t think any exercise is superior to another. It really comes down to the individual
In bodybuilding you are training muscle groups not movements. If you can use the smith to target your quads better then why would you not use that as your main quad movement?
Some people can just squat and get tremendous leg development, a lot of other people just get a big ass. That is why you see a ton of bbers using leg press, hack squats, smith squats, extentions for leg development
I personally dont use the smith but can see why ppl would and dont think ppl should have the attitude of one exercise being superior than another.
who knows though[/quote]
I would say, while there may be some outliers, that when people choose to do smith squats in place of free bar squats they do so because it is easier, not because it targets their quads better. They just tell themselves that to feel better.
[/quote]
Do you feel the same way about leg presses and hack squats(machine)?
0:27 Mr. Olympia doing smith machine squats
Nope. I love them and do them every leg workout. But they are not substitutes for back squats the same way smith machine squats are.
Fee squats superior to smith squats is what im saying.
I wouldnt necessarily say they are better for quad development than hacks and leg press as they isolate the quads better. But workout with free bar squats followed by hack & leg press better than Smith squats followed by hacks & leg press IMO
You also have to remember that nearly all of the top pros developed a strong base utilizing squats before they decided that other movements were superior. Most likely, by the time many of these guys discovered that their legs grew better using movements other than squats (or the basics), they already had a great set of legs.
I do believe that some people grow from different movements. However, many people say that they don’t grow from squats, but IMO, a good number of people either don’t work the movement for long enough to develop form conducive to growth or don’t like em’ cause their hard (and as a result don’t get very strong).
[quote]TommyGunz32 wrote:
In bodybuilding you are training muscle groups not movements. If you can use the smith to target your quads better then why would you not use that as your main quad movement?[/quote]
Haha I was going to make a massive post on why I disagree with you, but glad you posted this paragraph. This is the determining factor. Seeing as I am more for exercise carryover than specifically trying to grow a body part, free weight will almost always be superior than the smith machine variant.
Anyway, machine work isn’t bad at all. Even when you are looking specifically at exercise carryover. Machine hack squats are fantastic for developing posterior chain power out of the hole. I also love doing bent-over rows on the smith to bring up upper back strength, and prefer them to free weight for that purpose.
[quote]Teledin wrote:
[quote]TommyGunz32 wrote:
In bodybuilding you are training muscle groups not movements. If you can use the smith to target your quads better then why would you not use that as your main quad movement?[/quote]
Haha I was going to make a massive post on why I disagree with you, but glad you posted this paragraph. This is the determining factor. Seeing as I am more for exercise carryover than specifically trying to grow a body part, free weight will almost always be superior than the smith machine variant.
Anyway, machine work isn’t bad at all. Even when you are looking specifically at exercise carryover. Machine hack squats are fantastic for developing posterior chain power out of the hole. I also love doing bent-over rows on the smith to bring up upper back strength, and prefer them to free weight for that purpose.[/quote]
Haha well I’m glad you didn’t have to type out that post 
Just felt like the smith was getting unfairly crucified
Maiden you have ridiculous bicep peaks
haha thanks dude.
I agree the smith machine gets unfairly criticized sometimes, its a good tool for certain workouts and people working around injuries. Just not an equal replacement for free bar squats for those than can
[quote]TommyGunz32 wrote:
[quote]Maiden3.16 wrote:
[quote]TommyGunz32 wrote:
I disagree, I don’t think any exercise is superior to another. It really comes down to the individual
In bodybuilding you are training muscle groups not movements. If you can use the smith to target your quads better then why would you not use that as your main quad movement?
Some people can just squat and get tremendous leg development, a lot of other people just get a big ass. That is why you see a ton of bbers using leg press, hack squats, smith squats, extentions for leg development
I personally dont use the smith but can see why ppl would and dont think ppl should have the attitude of one exercise being superior than another.
who knows though[/quote]
I would say, while there may be some outliers, that when people choose to do smith squats in place of free bar squats they do so because it is easier, not because it targets their quads better. They just tell themselves that to feel better.
[/quote]
Do you feel the same way about leg presses and hack squats(machine)?
0:27 Mr. Olympia doing smith machine squats[/quote]
And a towel across the bar - what a pussy
[quote]TommyGunz32 wrote:
Dorian claims he switched to smith machines squats and his legs improved
Just sayin[/quote]
I like smith machine squats better, I have one at my gym with a slight angle and it helps with the arc. I bar squatted for several years and I prefer the smith machine at my gym. Flame me all you want but it works for me.
I know Im still a damn noob, but ever since Ive been learning how to set up my stance properly and get depth Ive found regular back squats to be easier and less cumbersome than having to figure out how to deal with the machine itself. I feel like suqatting properly results in better balance under the weight and allows you to move heavier weight rather than dealing with trying to figure out how to set up under a bar that has a fixed path and no give. Also, if you are squatting proplerly you will absolutely feel it the next day instead of wondering if the machine caused imbalances and needs other movements to make up for what it takes away. After my first squatting workout with 185 my legs were jello as compared to my usual 3 sets of 20 with 360 (knees to shoulders). Just my opinion though.
I think the majority of people say that smith squats are terrible because thats what others tell them yet they haven’t experienced it them self. I have never done them, but there’s a big guy at my gym who does them so they must work for him at least.
[quote]Forte wrote:
I think the majority of people say that smith squats are terrible because thats what others tell them yet they haven’t experienced it them self. I have never done them, but there’s a big guy at my gym who does them so they must work for him at least.[/quote]
All I am saying is that when done properly, the back squat feels much more natural than the smith. Im not saying you cant get big with a smith machine, its just that everyone should be aware that when they eliminate one problem/aspect, another will often replace it. Nothing is perfect.
-Zep