SMITH
MACHINE SQUAT
 MPEG:
Smith Machine Squat - Side View
MPEG:
Smith Machine Single Leg Squat
CORRECT FORM
| 1)
Grasp the bar of the Smith Machine with an overhand grip (palms
facing forward).
Step under
the bar and position your feet parallel to each other. Bring
your hips under the bar.
Position
the bar in a balanced position above the posterior deltoids
on the upper trapezius at the base of the neck.
Lift and
hold your chest up and out. Pull your shoulder blades toward
each other and keep your head tilted slightly up.
Rotate
the bar backward to pull it out of the rack.
Keep your
feet positioned shoulder width apart and your toes pointed
slightly outwards. |
 |
2) Focus your
eyes ahead of you on the wall or in the mirror. Slowly and under
control, lower the bar by bending first at the hips. Your
knees will begin to bend after this. Keep your spine very straight
and erect.
Keep your over
the middle of the foot, not your toes or heels. Keep your knees
aligned over your feet.
3) Slowly lower
the bar until your thighs are parallel to the floor. At this point,
your knees should not be in front of your toes. Your head, knees
and feet should be in line with one another.
4) As you explode
upward, push through and straighten the hips. Push straight upward
and keep your back/lower spine straight the entire time. Do not
lock your knees at the top.
5) Inhale as
you descend, exhale as you push back up.
6) At the conclusion
of the exercise, be sure to have the bar securely fastened onto the
rack before attempting to come out from under the bar.
This exercise can also be performed as a single leg squat. This is
particularly effective for athletes as it is similar to the position
during single leg take-off associated with cutting maneuvers. Be careful
with weight used. It is recommended that you use only the bar at first.
MUSCLES USED
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS/PRECAUTIONS
The biggest concern
as far as safety with the Smith Machine squat is making sure that
the bar is secure before stepping into or away from the machine. Look
to the right and left before stepping away to be sure that the bar
is secure on both sides. Set the bar-stoppers at the bottom high enough
so that you can get out safely if you are unable to perform a rep.
The most prevailing myth surrounding squats are the notion that they
are bad for the knees and the lower back. Performed incorrectly, squats
can be very damaging to the lower back and knees.
There
is one very common flaw with most people's technique - an inability
to effectively use the hips. The squat should start and end with
the hip joint. This means that the muscles around your hip joint
(gluteals and hamstrings) need to be strong and flexible enough
to handle bending to almost a 120 degree angle.
If you are unable
to bend the hip to this level, then one of two things will commonly
happen:
1) The knee
will bend further and more importantly, translate forward. This
forward translation will cause a significant increase in forces
produced in and around the knee (in the menisci and the patellofemoral
joint).
2) Bending at
the lower back. Flexing the lumbar spine will cause increased pressure
in the lower lumbar discs and facet joints, as well as the small
muscles of the lower back, which may result in lumbar strain.
Both of these
compensatory mechanisms for not bending at the hips will occur to
prevent you from falling backwards.
Another misunderstanding
is the optimal position of the foot. There is no research to suggest
that the position of the foot will force you to use your inner or
outer quadriceps anymore than keeping your feet pointed slightly
outward. In fact the research shows that you will get more
overall quadriceps muscle activity if your feet are in neutral or
slightly pointed outward(1-3)
What turning
your feet excessively inward or outward WILL do is place an unusual
amount of stress on your knee ligaments, which could stretch them
out and make it more likely for you to injure them later.
It is essential
that you have two spotters when performing this exercise. Each spotter
should stand outside the squat rack with their hands on the out
portion of the Olympic bar. The spotters should keep the hands contacting
the bar throughout the entire lift.
EFFECTIVENESS
The squat is the cornerstone of all leg exercises. No single exercise
is as effective as a squat for total body development. Not only is
leg strength, size and power enhanced, but the trunk muscles are worked
as well while stabilizing the body. This will have excellent functional
carryover into other activities, more so than the leg press or hack
squat.
The Smith Machine
squat has the advantage of safety of the regular back squat
because you do not need to step away from the rack. The disadvantage
would be that you do not have the freedom of movement you do with
the squat, therefore you need to be in the precise position because
you have to adjust to the bar's path. If you are used to doing a
free-form squat, the Smith Machine squat may be too restrictive.
While other
forms of squatting (i.e. leg
press, hack squat)
are safer for the lower back because it is much easier to keep it
straight, those exercises are no safer for the knees than standard
squats. If you watch someone performing a leg press or hack squat
and flip their body position around as if their feet were on the
floor, you would have a very unsafe looking squat.
HELPFUL
WITH TRAINING FOR
Virtually every
sport can be enhanced by performing a squat since nearly all sports
require good leg strength. REFERENCES
1.
Signorile JF, et al: Effect of foot position on the electromygraphical
activity of the superficial quadriceps muscles during the parallel
squat and knee extension. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
1995, 9(3): 182-7.
2. Ninos JC, et al: Electromyographic analysis of the squat performed
in self-selected lower extremity neutral rotation and 30 degrees
of lower extremity turn-out from the self-selected position. JOSPT
May 1997, 25(5): 307-15.
3. Signorile JF, et al: The effect of knee and foot position on
the electromyographical activity of the superficial quadriceps.
JOSPT July 1995, 22(1): 2-9.
|
