smith machine squats vs barbell squats

[johnnyrv]

i work out at planet fitness and im forced to use the smith machine vs the barbell squat because we dont have one,am i losing alot from the gains u can achieve on barbell squats or am i okay.Also read an article and it said As for Smith Machine squats, some say they are for wimps, but Dorian Yates preferred them to barbell squats, and his thighs were massive beyond belief.Squatting in the Smith machine allows you to place less stress on your hips, glutes and lower back because you can position your feet forward in front of the machine and then lean back into the bar - with the bar high on your shoulders - making it a very pure thigh exercise (especially if you use a narrow stance - say, with your feet six to 12 inches apart).

The machine's design lends itself to deep, full squats, so take advantage of that. Depending on what part of the thigh you want to develop, push off at the bottom from either your heels, for outer-thigh mass, or the balls of your feet, for middle-thigh development.

[BgMc31]

IMO, the smith machine is a total bastardization of legit lifting. But I'm a strength athlete so I'm a bit biased. From what I understand, the smith puts much more sheering forces on the knees because of the rigid complete linear motion. Since I believe the squat is a full body lift, the smith takes a lot of that away (as you mentioned above). Therefore you can get the same amount of work done and same muscles using the leg press and/or hack squat as you do using the smith.

[RaZr]

The smith forces me out of form a little since its only straight up and down and when you squat I don't feel that the bar stays perfectly straight so I don't like it much and it does nothing for your balance. But my gym doesn't have a squat rack wither but I will soon be changing gyms and that is why.

[terraj]

I get about 50 pounds more on my smith squat to free squat., but I've only done the smith a couple of times. It's good for targeting areas of the quads.
As for the stress on knees....depends where you place your feet.

[BigBuck6]

IMO, the smith machine is a total bastardization of legit lifting. But I'm a strength athlete so I'm a bit biased. From what I understand, the smith puts much more sheering forces on the knees because of the rigid complete linear motion. Since I believe the squat is a full body lift, the smith takes a lot of that away (as you mentioned above). Therefore you can get the same amount of work done and same muscles using the leg press and/or hack squat as you do using the smith.

Agreed. The smith uses less than half of the stabilizing muscles a conventional squat uses and forces your body into an unnatural position. Do yourself a favor and either find another gym or find an exercise that challenges your body more for example the goblet squat or plie(sp) squat as a replacement. Also Planet Fitness will revoke your membership for placing too much weight on the smith machine or grunting. How are you supposed to challenge yourself in an environment like that?

[johnnyrv]

Agreed. The smith uses less than half of the stabilizing muscles a conventional squat uses and forces your body into an unnatural position. Do yourself a favor and either find another gym or find an exercise that challenges your body more for example the goblet squat or plie(sp) squat as a replacement. Also Planet Fitness will revoke your membership for placing too much weight on the smith machine or grunting. How are you supposed to challenge yourself in an environment like that?

Exactly i call it ***** fitness ,ill make the transition switching to another gym within a month.

[BgMc31]

I get about 50 pounds more on my smith squat to free squat., but I've only done the smith a couple of times. It's good for targeting areas of the quads.
As for the stress on knees....depends where you place your feet.

You do realize that the Smith machine, empty, doesn't weigh the same as a standard 45lb olympic bar, right?

[terraj]

You do realize that the Smith machine, empty, doesn't weigh the same as a standard 45lb olympic bar, right?

Lol...thanks, yes I had allowed for that.

Just saying the smith squat with it controlled action allows me my drive