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Squats - Smith Machine or Free weight?

frorider6

frorider6

New member
I was in the grocery store this weekend, killing time while my girlfriend bought a birthday card. Anyway, I ws browsing one of the muscle magazines and saw an article about Smith Machine squatting. From what I read of the article, it said a study was done with electrical impulse sensors attached to the muscles of people doing squats with a Smith Machine and those with free weights. The only difference found was in the muscles of the lower leg; a bit of the calf muscle and the one on the front of the shin. The quads, glutes and hams were the same. This difference was proably due to the Smith Machine squat not needing the stabilization.

So, if there is no difference in the stress on the leg muscles (with exception to the calf stabilizers), wouldn't it be better to do squats on the Smith Machine because of the greater safety.

I'm sure this wouldn't apply to powerlifters because of the need to build those stabilizers. But what about for the normal person? Or even the bodybuilder?
 
i feel that the smith machine squat puts more stress on the knees I also don't like the lack of range from smith mach. because its(smith machine) a fixed plane a person can really screw themselves up if done wrong.There's nothing better for your legs than squatting with free weights. I think box squats rank really high for awesome leg development.
 
anyone that has eye-popping legs has built them with squats first, I have been squatting for 14 years with no safety issues. Get under the bar for BIG LEGS!

bbuniv1.jpg
 
Yeah, everything I've ever read or heard has said to use free weights, and maybe even the smith machine is hard on your knees. If your knees are ok, and you don't mind if they don't stay that way, then by all means, do the smith. But since the smith is definitely not "better" I don't see why. Seeing as I already have one popping knee, I'm so glad I have to use the machine! I have what I call gangly nerd syndrome, I do not have balance or other athletic traits in abundance. I can not do bent over rows, I can not do free weight squats. I wish I could, but I'm pathetic. What? I said I'm pathetic!
 
I prefer free weight squats, but I have been on the smith since I messed my back up. Smith seems to be working fine for the legs!
 
I've used Smith Machine squats for years. They get a bad rap from people who don't use them... of from bodybuilding writers who need something to harp on. The truth of it is... I started doing them because I had knee injuries. I know a ton of people who do them solely because they need the stable motion. This BS about them putting undue stress on the knee is just that... BS. You can work the range of motion WITHOUT hitting the knee stressor.

That said... I am very greatful for the Smith Machine... because it helped me build my legs up enough so that now I can do free weight squats. My legs built okay on the Smith Machine... but now that I am lifting free weight squats... my quads are bursting out of my pants legs. Free weight squats are definitely king.
 
Smith machines are okay if you have a problem with flexability. I don't think one will benifit as much from smith machines, they are so much easier to perform then free weights squat. I always select the harder style for maximum growth. I also think the back takes away from the legs more on smith machines. Watch someone closely and you will see what I am talking about.
 
I just bought a smith machine. I don't plan on replacing my squat rack, but to use both. I work out at home without a spotter. I have felt as though I am not able to push my squats as far as I would like due to fear of failure. I am hoping I can use the smith machine and free-weight squats together to increase my over-all squat.

But I agree that free-weight squats are overall better.


.02,
Joker
 
Please!! FREE WEIGHTS, GET BIG the right way. That is the sissy way out, using the smith machine. If you wanna get big do it the hard way.

jus' tellin it like it is...
 
fro, whoever wrote that article i guarantee you is standing on pool cues. let's say for argument's sake that there is equal stress placed on the glutes, hams, and quads for smith machine and free weight squats. what they did not take into account was the release of GH by your body during these exercises. we all know that it's a little bit easier to do a smith machine movement than a free weight with the same weight. the added benefit to not having something stabilizing you, is that you're straining harder to keep everything in balance while at the same time pushing. this will in turn will make for a larger GH release. that's why people are always raving about deads and squats being great for your arms is due to that growth promoting release. bottom line is, you're not helping yourself out by convincing yourself that smith machine squats are just as good as free weight squats. if you want to go the safe route and not grow as much, by all means get int that smith machine and hammer out "squats." but if you want your legs to blow up, lose the training wheels.
 
The guy who invented the idiotic thing was not even named Smith, although I do not recall his acutal name.

The smith machine will decrease the firing of the hamstrings, which can be hazardous in the long term as one of the funcitons of the hamstring is to protect the patella during flexion of the quadricep through co-contraction.

The other problem can be that if you are one of the few people who can actually get your feet lined up under the bar and still squat, the linear motion of the machine will not match the flattened "S" shaped curve of the bar path which can lead to fluctuations in the compressive force on the vertebrae as well as the shearing force.
 
Ok, but what if you can squat twice the weight (or more) with the machine? Then which one is helping more and will lead to bigger legs?
 
Well, if the machine is helping you squat twice the weight, obviously it is contributing the increase, not you.

To say nothing of the benefit vs. risk factor.
 
Madd Hatter said:
Ok, but what if you can squat twice the weight (or more) with the machine? Then which one is helping more and will lead to bigger legs?
Click to expand...

have you ever done a single leg squat with weight? it doesnt require much weight to get you feeling like you are with twice the weight on a smith machine or the regular squat weight. its not about more load, its about stimulus to the muscle. the muscle's percieved load is what leads to bigger legs, not the numbers on the plates or what the machine allows you to lift.

as for the use of the smith machine, remember it was designed to be self-spotting for UPPER body work.
 
If you want big QUADS do thenm on a Smith with the feet kicked out in front of you.

If you want raw powere and larger hips, hams , glutes - do free weights.
 
frorider6 said:
I have muscular legs, but I want those freaky bodybuilderers thighs. Free weights or Smith?
Click to expand...

Me:

Smith Squats
Hacks
Stiff Deads
Leg Curls
Leg Extensions

My quads are 26 inches with splits over a 1/4 deep. Not the biggest but not bad for only 225.

My advice. Take a month and do nothing but smith squats and hacks. See what you like.
 
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