smith machine squats with no hands!

[leonidas33]

has anyone ever done these?

i do my reps with the bar on my shoulders and at the very bottom of the decent of the rep place my hands on top of my knees which give me excellent knee and lower back support. I can feel it really isolate my leg muscles.

I have never seen/heard of anyone doing these before but it just came natural to me because of my knee/back pain. I can do much more "controlled" weight with these with a very good range of motion.

does anyone see any problems with doing these this way? any potential for injury? again, it feels much better to "me" than doing them with my hands grasping the bar. and of course this would not be possible without a smith machine as the bar would obviously fall right off of your shoulders.

 

[Sculelos]

Hmmm personally I like to stay far away from the smith machine. I don't see how you could place your hands on your knees efficiently if your going below parellel, just doesn't sound a good idea to me when you could do regular squats below parellel while keeping your back straight, those in my opinion would be much safer then anything else you could do.

 

[leonidas33]

Hmmm personally I like to stay far away from the smith machine. I don't see how you could place your hands on your knees efficiently if your going below parellel, just doesn't sound a good idea to me when you could do regular squats below parellel while keeping your back straight, those in my opinion would be much safer then anything else you could do.

bah... didn't ask for efficiency... ask if prone to injury... very efficient for me

 

[Sculelos]

Well in that case I would just listen to your body, if you don't feel any pain or anything unusual it's probably safe to do it.

Just make sure to keep your back straight and tight and make sure your going below parellel.

 

[TSO]

My first advice would be to forget about squating in the smith machine. My second point of advice...get out of the smith machine for squats. Finally I would tell you to make sure before doing anything else...

Get out of the smith machine for squats!

 

[deathdroprob]

I found doing Smith Machine squats in general with hands on the bar Isolated the legs more, not having to worry about balanced etc.This are ATG Im talking about.Plus your can put your feet slightly more foraward or backwards to isolate different muslces even better.

 

[AEKDB]

You can not do ATG squats in a smith machine unless your body is built 100% different than everyone else.

 

[riverrock]

If you are using the Smith Machine for safety reasons, then I would advise you to simply to trust the safety bars on the squat rack. I have lost count of the amount of lifts I failed to make. I simply left the Bar on the safety pins and started again.

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

"any potential for injury?" no

"any potential that other peeps at the gym are laughing at you?" yes

 

[s8nlilhlpr2]

I would not bother wasting my time with this. Don't try to come up with "new" exercises that you probably saw in a magazine....simple basic barbell deep squats.

 

[al420]

You CAN NOT use a Smith Machine and call yourself Leonidas. Is this a joke.

A proper squat cannot be preformed on a Smith Machine - period.

 

[deathdroprob]

You can not do ATG squats in a smith machine unless your body is built 100% different than everyone else.

Ass to grass is what I ment by this. Not actually making it touch the ground (is that possible?) But I simply mean going down as far as my body will allow.

 

[thebadguy54]

The smith machine is just another useless thing at the gym I never ever touch.

Get off the smith machine and squat like a man.

 

[Y_lifter]

Of course, there are many criticisms against the Smith machine, and they do have merit. However, Smith machines are only lacking when compared to perfection; in this case perfection would be using convential free weights during workouts, ie, dumbbells and barbells. Of course, dumbbells and barbells are better, but Smith machines are still beneficial.

Barbells and dumbbells recruit additional muscle when training, because you need to stabilize the motion by yourself. When you use a Smith machine, the machine stabilizes the motion for you throughout the entire range.

This makes it easier for you to perform the motion safely, but the problem is that you will not recruit muscle fibers used to stabilize the motion as you would using free weights. As a result, the level of development for both muscle mass and strength will be lower while using the Smith machine than while using free weights. But think about that - your workouts may lack in comparison to a workout using free weights, but that is not to say you will not gain both muscle mass and strength.

Sounds like you may not be unable/comfortable doing squats using a BB and a rack, which we all know is preferred, at this time due to physical issues.

Do what you can vs doing nothing IMO..

 

[Lee]

I do squats in the smith machine only because i have no choice. Free weight squats destroy my lower back ever since I injured it at work last year. Its been a few months though, gotta give free weigh squats another shot here soon. I pray they go smoothly

 

[redguru]

Why don't you use that Hammer Strength upright squat machine instead of the smith? The form is much more natural.

 

[AEKDB]

Ass to grass is what I ment by this. Not actually making it touch the ground (is that possible?) But I simply mean going down as far as my body will allow.

The geometry of the smith machine does not allow ATG squats. I guess you could do low smith machine squats but, IMHO, this is where you enter the danger zone as your body is out of its natural position and places too much stress on the knees.

 

[mrgravez]

I don't see how you can go ATF using the smith machine without seriously putting yourself at risk of an injury. I do like the smith machine for calf raises, my gym has a nice wooden platform

 

[al420]

The geometry of the smith machine does not allow ATG squats. I guess you could do low smith machine squats but, IMHO, this is where you enter the danger zone as your body is out of its natural position and places too much stress on the knees.

I am a little dissapointed you even know what a Smith Machine is...

Wipe that chalk off your face.

 

[OMEGA]

Smith machines are awesome

 

[AEKDB]

I am a little dissapointed you even know what a Smith Machine is...

Wipe that chalk off your face.

I will admit, I used a smith machine once, but I did not inhale.

 

[OMEGA]

lol

 

[Sculelos]

I will admit, I used a smith machine once, but I did not inhale.

Oh... why didn't you inhale, not breathing tends to have bad effects on us...

Lol. Anyways I also have used a Smith also, but only on my first day, after that I fortinitly found this site and a bunch of training info so ever since I haven't used it since.

 

[leonidas33]

ok, so the smiths do not recruit stablizer muscles... but what is better...

with PERFECT form (and no bad pain in knees/back) for 5 reps... doing 315lbs on the smith (my way, hands off bar) or 135lbs with the bar only?

 

[beerdrinker]

ok, so the smiths do not recruit stablizer muscles... but what is better...

with PERFECT form (and no bad pain in knees/back) for 5 reps... doing 315lbs on the smith (my way, hands off bar) or 135lbs with the bar only?

135 with bar only. . Seriously, you wouldn't be THAT far off...I don't think. If you are, then that just shows you how useless they are.

 

[Mercere]

135 with bar only. . Seriously, you wouldn't be THAT far off...I don't think. If you are, then that just shows you how useless they are.

135 with the bar. The primary reason being that it is impossible to perform a correct squat using a smith machine, the fixed path of the bar just doesn't allow it. So the thing you do with 315 is not a squat, technically. When I say squat, I mean below parallel squats of course.

 

[leonidas33]

135 with the bar. The primary reason being that it is impossible to perform a correct squat using a smith machine, the fixed path of the bar just doesn't allow it. So the thing you do with 315 is not a squat, technically. When I say squat, I mean below parallel squats of course.

but i am able to go below parallel with the smith when I do squats... i do see what you guys are saying about the "fixed path" of the bar on the smith... but depending on your fee placement, that really isn't a major setback...

 

[silver_shadow]

but i am able to go below parallel with the smith when I do squats... i do see what you guys are saying about the "fixed path" of the bar on the smith... but depending on your fee placement, that really isn't a major setback...

you cannot find a foot placement which will allow you take a path which is not awkward while smith squatting unless you have one of a kind bio mechanics.

the greater the ROM on an exercise, the greater the chances of fucked form with mr smith. hence the only thing i use them for is jump shrugs.

 

[al420]

with PERFECT form (and no bad pain in knees/back) for 5 reps... doing 315lbs on the smith (my way, hands off bar) or 135lbs with the bar only?

135, with out question.

Please change your screen name, or can a mod do it please. Leonidas would have NEVER used a Smith Machine.

The guy he kicked into the bottomless pit is the one who prefers No Hand Smith Squats.

Ever try them on a swiss ball... wicked mad pumps bro. Word.

 

[Mercere]

The guy he kicked into the bottomless pit is the one who prefers No Hand Smith Squats.

 

[theprofessor]

if you want to do squats without your hands... do front squats...