I'm reading a lot that the smith machine is useless, for girls etc etc. However, my gym doesn't have a rack and to be honest I'd be scared trying to squat without some safety element. Is there really such a big disadvantage in using it? My only alternative is the leg press machine which I can do with the full stack.
Squatting
- Thread starter Shamrock
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Shamrock said:
I think you'll find it's probably a health club or fitness centre and therein lies the problem. Good gyms aren't always easy to find, I have to hop on a bus from work and go the opposite direction to my home then get off the bus and walk.
It's an LA Fitness. I thought it was reasonably well equipped, but now that you mention it, there is more fitness equipment than weights.
Dan: I have been squatting since I joined using the smith machine, since there is no alternative. I was kind of asking if its still possible to progress reasonably with it as opposed to squatting with just a barbell.
Dan: I have been squatting since I joined using the smith machine, since there is no alternative. I was kind of asking if its still possible to progress reasonably with it as opposed to squatting with just a barbell.
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LA Fitness is the nearest gym to my work, I had a look round and asked why there was no squat rack since it's something I use quite a bit. Apparently it's not that kind of gym and they don't want to attract the wrong kind of people.
Needless to say I found a gym that's half the price and has two squat racks and infinitely better equipment.
Sure you can make progress on a smith machine, but it's not going to be doing your knees or back any good, look at how a person squats, the bar does not travel in a straight line - by forcing yourself into the machines line of travel your forcing your joints into an unnatural line.
Needless to say I found a gym that's half the price and has two squat racks and infinitely better equipment.
Sure you can make progress on a smith machine, but it's not going to be doing your knees or back any good, look at how a person squats, the bar does not travel in a straight line - by forcing yourself into the machines line of travel your forcing your joints into an unnatural line.
I found a couple of interesting articles on the ExRx website concerned with smith squats.
http://www.exrx.net/ExInfo/SmithSquat1.html
http://www.exrx.net/ExInfo/SmithSquat2.html
http://www.exrx.net/ExInfo/SmithSquat1.html
http://www.exrx.net/ExInfo/SmithSquat2.html
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I've read that before, simple fact is try both and feel the difference, the smith machine feels unnatural and uncomfortable and gave me back problems, I know of others who've gotten knee and back pains from it. Ultimately why take the chance?
Caporegime
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He speaks the truth. I have problems with my knees bending in now and again and have lost confidence with the rack for heavier weights so tried the smith machine the last time I did squats. It just doesn't feel right. The movement is just down and up and it should move back and forwards depending on whether you're on your way down or up during the squat. I had more confidence because of the support the smith machine offered but my knees hurt because I had to position them infront of the bar rather than under it with free weights. This meant my knees were doing a lot more work when lifting the bar. It's probably easier to go from the smith machine to the rack but you might need to start from scrath to try and learn the correct form when you move to free weights.Goatboy said:
Goatboy said:
^^I don't have access to a squat rack, as I mentioned before.
It seems I have few options. I'm not really prepared to cancel my membership and find a gym that has one, but at the same time I don't want to remove squats from my work out.