SO what's the REAL lowdown on Squats on a Smith machine?

[Hannibal]

what do you mean??

I specifically do squats to activate as much quad as possible while minimizing hip and glute involvement - feet way out in front close stance.....I also do leg extensions...whcih plters hate as wel for some reason...although Shane Hammons - the youngest man to ever squat 1000 uses the on a regular basis and dwears they have helped him in his pfltng pursuits...

Apparently my sacrasm was too mild for you.

And your reference to Shane Hammons...his background is in Olympic Lifting. And we all know that the Olympic Squat as well as several of the OLifts require a great deal of quad development and muscle recruitment. So it would just stand to reason that he would "swear" by them...because that is what got him where he is. However, a lifter whose background is more based on the three classic lifts will soon learn that the greatest potential in the squat comes from the hips, glutes and hammies.

 

[The Shadow]

so there is a difference between the olympic squats and poweflt squats???

Again this is a bb'er vs. lifter approach...

no offense either way....

but doesn't it reason that by building ALL the muscles in the leg(quads specifically) that it woulr trasnlate into bigger lifts?

 

[Hannibal]

so there is a difference between the olympic squats and poweflt squats???

Again this is a bb'er vs. lifter approach...

no offense either way....

but doesn't it reason that by building ALL the muscles in the leg(quads specifically) that it woulr trasnlate into bigger lifts?

An Olympic Squat would also be known as an ATTF Squat. In a powerlifting comp the crease of your hip only has to break the plane of your knee by an inch or so. And in a Powerlifting squat...if your form is on...sit back, knees out, shins vertical...then your quad involvement will be minimal. And the hips, glutes and hammies have greater potential for moving weight then a "quad dominant squatter"...there are always exceptions.

 

[MohawkMuscle]

I keep my feet about shoulder width apart with toes pointing out. My feet are usually inline with the machine or maybe just a tad in front. where ever is comfortable.

 

[gmanlax7]

i like to switch it up between smith and bb squats. On the smith i use a feet in front stance, and think this works well for allowing me to comfortably go lower then i would with the Bb and move myshins and knees as little as possible, but doni this too often will throw off balance when I go to BB squats, because you cant lean back onto the bar for support like with the smith.I use the smith for incline bench too, and as with squats, iI realy like how I can just use big weight and push your heart out, stressing form a lot less than free weights, and with no fear of failure in the back of your mind. sorry, this got long

 

[casavant]

I find i get a better quad pump while doing smith squats. I am tall 6ft and with BB squats I find I tend to lean too much. I still ike BB squats but I have been using smith squats as part of a triset
leg ext
leg press
smith squats

And I can stay up right and go to failure without worry.

Studies show it works the leg muscles just like BB squat except you get less calf work.

Glad I'm not the only one. I get a great pump off the hack squat machine, but if I do them very often my knees feel like they're going to explode out the front of my leg. Too bad, because they really smoke my quads.

 

[Lumberg]

It's funny, exercises that really smoke your quads (hacks, smith machine squats with feet out front, leg extensions) are generally regarded as bad for the knees.

I think this is because the majority of knee problems have to do with the quad pulling too hard on the front of the knee without an equivalent, stabilizing force from the hamstring or rear.

I know that this is how most ACL injuries happen, and people are advised to both strengthen and stetch their hammies to prevent this type of injury.

The only exercise I can think of that focuses on quads that isn't also known as being bad for knees is front squats.

JC