Are Squats on the Smith Machine bad for your knees?

[Bulldog_10]

but surely you are not having to stabilize yourself as you would have to with normal squats so its not as good for core strength???

You still have to support your lower back on your own...so as long as you're keeping your abs tight (TA muscle) you should be fine. Just gotta keep your form on point and concentrate.

 

[maccer]

fair enough

 

[wutangnomo]

Smith squats are perfectly fine. Anyone who says they are not squats is incorrect. It's essentially the same exercise with a bit of assitance and ease of mind when it comes to failure.

Occassionally I do smith squats and what I find is it helps isolate the quad muscle MUCH better than regular squats. Regular squats hit more of the hams and glutes, not the quads which is where a smith squat is more beneficial.

Also, with smith squats one can do MORE weight, so it all balances out. As long as your form is right any exercise is beneficial.

 

[Bulldog_10]

Smith squats are perfectly fine. Anyone who says they are not squats is incorrect. It's essentially the same exercise with a bit of assitance and ease of mind when it comes to failure.

Occassionally I do smith squats and what I find is it helps isolate the quad muscle MUCH better than regular squats. Regular squats hit more of the hams and glutes, not the quads which is where a smith squat is more beneficial.

Also, with smith squats one can do MORE weight, so it all balances out. As long as your form is right any exercise is beneficial.

Smith squats don't emphasize the quads more...unless you want them to. It's all about feet position. Most people put their feet too far forward, essentially turning it into a hack squat, which hits the quads better.

The muscles you work more or less all depend on the horizontal distance of the joints (knees and hips) from the bar.

 

[The_Eviscerator]

Not having a workout partner makes it hard to squat safely anywhere close to failure. Being 6'2" if find it impossible to stay erect as the reps get more difficult and I'm always worried that if I try that one last ball-busting rep I won't come back up and get crushed under the bar or have to throw it off my shoulders.
Any opinions on this?

Just get in the power rack and set the bars 3 inches under where you bottom out on your squats. If you get stuck... just drop down and let the bar go. I just think Smith Machine squats are an inefficient way to work the quads. I like the Smith machine for step lunges where I fling one leg back and work a leg independantly, but for squats they seem useless.

 

[Silent Method]

That's no different from regular squats. As long as you drop the bar straight down when doing regular squats...the smith machine will not alter your form at all.

No one drops the bar in the fixed linear plane while performing a barbell squat.

Due to the fixed plane with the smith squat, their are unique issues with foot placement and it's impact on comparative joint rotation at various body segments.

The smith squat is fine when done correctly. However, it is NOT the same as a barbell squat.

 

[mt]

A couple of terms I am not quite clear on. What is "core" strength? And what is meant by "unnecessary sheer force?"

Also, I don't have access to a power rack though I'd be fascinated to know what an "ox yolk" barbell looks like.

 

[Silent Method]

Core strength is essentially the strength of the torso.


Here is a pic of an ox yolk for safety squats.


Shear force is a sliding force. Joints such as the knee can take an amazing amount of compressing force, but they do not take shear force very well before damage occurs. In a squat, the further knee moves foreward the base of support, the greater the shear stress on the knee.

 

[mt]

Core strength is essentially the strength of the torso.


Here is a pic of an ox yolk for safety squats.


Shear force is a sliding force. Joints such as the knee can take an amazing amount of compressing force, but they do not take shear force very well before damage occurs. In a squat, the further knee moves foreward the base of support, the greater the shear stress on the knee.

Sorry to sound like such a total retard but what muscles in particular are you referring to when you talk about the strength of the torso?

Also, when you refer to sheer force as the further the knee moves forward from the base of support then it would seem that the leg extension machine would be an exercise that would cause the greatest amount of sheer force. Would that be correct?

 

[Bulldog_10]

Sorry to sound like such a total retard but what muscles in particular are you referring to when you talk about the strength of the torso?

Also, when you refer to sheer force as the further the knee moves forward from the base of support then it would seem that the leg extension machine would be an exercise that would cause the greatest amount of sheer force. Would that be correct?

Very true about leg ext. You should never pick a weight in that movement that you can't do for at least 6-7 reps.

The core muscles are the abs (transversus abdominus in particular) and any muscles that attach to the spine and hip or leg (iliacus, psoas major, etc...)