Smith Machine after Injury

[ruggermu]

I'm having to use a Smith machine for squats while recovering from injury. Couldn't walk so could only do upper body. So not just I'm I on a Smith machine but on there with SAD weight. I'm not cryin about it I know it'll get better but got a question, and no offense to the serious women on here. Has anyone else had to do this and did it make you feel like a damn woman. Just getting in one of those machines seems feminine to me. Just wonderin

 

[supreme]

Bro:

what is the nature of the injury?? Not to scare you but STAY OFF that piece of shit!!!

The smith machine causes seriuos problems like pattern overload, repetative stress, muscle imbalance etc.

You can ruin your squat form (AND BODY) for good on that thing. Depending on your injury you are better with 1 leg squats, 1/4 squats with or without weight , physioball squats, chair squats etc.

You may need to isolate out weak or damaged muscles and then slowly integrate them into your squat form. The smith machine decreases balance, dynamic stabilization of the body and disrupts primal movment patterns.

Sorry but its the truth!!! I can give you reference's from Charles Poliquin, Paul Chek, Dr. Colgan etc The smith machine is good for one thing (besides an adjustable clothes rack) making money for orthopedists, chiropractors and physical therapists

Read these and you will understand:

http://www.chekinstitute.com/articles.cfm?select=27

http://www.mercola.com/2004/jul/28/fear_the_squat.htm

http://www.mercola.com/2004/jul/31/fear_the_squat.htm

S

 

[n8ive_stylez]

Bro:

what is the nature of the injury?? Not to scare you but STAY OFF that piece of shit!!!

The smith machine causes seriuos problems like pattern overload, repetative stress, muscle imbalance etc.

You can ruin your squat form (AND BODY) for good on that thing. Depending on your injury you are better with 1 leg squats, 1/4 squats with or without weight , physioball squats, chair squats etc.

You may need to isolate out weak or damaged muscles and then slowly integrate them into your squat form. The smith machine decreases balance, dynamic stabilization of the body and disrupts primal movment patterns.

Sorry but its the truth!!! I can give you reference's from Charles Poliquin, Paul Chek, Dr. Colgan etc The smith machine is good for one thing (besides an adjustable clothes rack) making money for orthopedists, chiropractors and physical therapists

Read these and you will understand:

http://www.chekinstitute.com/articles.cfm?select=27

http://www.mercola.com/2004/jul/28/fear_the_squat.htm

http://www.mercola.com/2004/jul/31/fear_the_squat.htm

S

Damn Supreme are you serious?? I'm out here on a ship in the middle of the ocean and it's the only way we can do squats out here due to the ship rocking and not wanting to take the risk of getting injured..

Is there any other excercises that will make up for the Squat rather than using the smith machine for squats (like I said only way it's possible to do squats), or should I stick to my routine until we pull back into land where I can resume where I left off with free weights??

Thanx alot..
Ryan.

 

[ruggermu]

The injury isn't really the problem. What happened was I broke a bone on outside of my foot. It turned out pretty nasty and I couldn't walk for months, it's the atrophy(SP) thats gettin me. The thing that makes real squats a problem is even when I drop weight to accomadate my little leg, when it wears out it just gives out so I'm trying to avoid just fallin over. But if it can be that bad I guess really low weight and trying to work regular squat may still be the way to go. Thanx
I finally figured out Karma so here ya go.
Sorry for the people who I never gave it to just figured it out.

 

[musketeer]

Do sets of 20-30 wit hbody weight untill you can feel really solid bending all of the way down. I did 20 sets of 20 reps with a 25lb shortbar for 3 weeks before I started squatting again aften an injury. I did them at home so nobody would see me. When I went back to using real weights, I had developed a great base.

The 20 sets of 20 reps technique was reccomended by Vince Gironda for learning a new exercise. It is great for squats because a lot of the problem with squatting is the draining effect it has on you because it recruits the entire body pretty much. Te 20x20 gives you great conditioning that you've probably lost.

 

[musketeer]

Damn Supreme are you serious?? I'm out here on a ship in the middle of the ocean and it's the only way we can do squats out here due to the ship rocking and not wanting to take the risk of getting injured..

Is there any other excercises that will make up for the Squat rather than using the smith machine for squats (like I said only way it's possible to do squats), or should I stick to my routine until we pull back into land where I can resume where I left off with free weights??

Thanx alot..
Ryan.

Do the smith squats, but make sure you are:

deadlifting on a different day

Doing another freewight leg exercise like lunges, one legged squats, dumbell squats etc.

 

[supreme]

Wow, squatting on a ship - that is the first 1st. time that has ever come up (at least for me)

I would follow the previous advice about adding in other free weight movements and then make sure you do real squats on land. A good thing to do would be to preceed your smith squats with some body weight squats or use a physioball against the wall etc. Just to keep the ROM and timing of the muscles. The biggest problem with the smith is the overuse ofthe quads and the under activation of the hamstrings, hips and glutes. So make sure you do lots of free weights for those muscles to prevent strength imbalances.

Rugger, you should be doing mostly single limb work until the atrophy is gone. You need to think about a 3:1 ratio of exercises for your injured leg. That is 1 set for the good leg to maintain strength and 3 for the injured side. If you don't allow complete recovery of the injured side & you do things like the smith machine you create compensations elsewhere in the body thst can become future injuries because your body wants to do anything to decrease pain, also pain is inhibitory to muscle contraction so your body tends to shut off nerves going to injured muscles to prevent pain thus causing more compensations.

Your body also wants to survive at all costs which means maintaining proper alignment of the head. You body will make compensations at any other joints to keep the head upright. It will sacrifice any other limb/joint because they are not necessary for survival - knee/ back, shoulder, elbow pain etc. are all secondary to survival. To survive you need an open airway, your eyes looking straight ahead, your ears level for balance andyour jaw in line to eat. Squatting while injured (especially in the smith machine) will cause misalignments that your body will try to fix to keep your head up & level.

the best example is when women wear heels, the angle of the heel would have their head looking at the ground. The body goes into panic mode to try and survive because looking at the ground misaligns the head. So it hyperextends the knees, lower back & neck to keep the head up allowing for breathig, vision, balance & eating - even though this leads to eventual pain and wearing out of a woman's knees, back & neck!

I wish I had the money to open a clinic next to a woman's shoe store! I would be rich beyond my wildest dreams !!!!!!

later!

S

 

[kansasfarmman]

belt squats may be a better option

 

[ruggermu]

Thanx, jsut to update I tried squating, yesterday was legs. Turns out the real problem was just a case of the chicken shits. The weight obviously sucked but I kept it low and was able to do real squats. I guess I was just scared to put the weight on the leg where I hadn't walked in a while. Thanx for thwe motivation, and good luck on the boat bro.

 

[b fold the truth]

With an injury...you do whatever you CAN. Your goal is to free squat again though...

I tore my left hamstring in December 2003...8 weeks out from a BIG and HEAVY contest. 10 days later I could NOT box squat my own bodyweight. My leg routine was walking up and down 3 steps in all directions (front, back, sideways) for sets of 50 for about 3 weeks.

B True