Smith machine squat
- Muscle group
- Legs
- Equipment
- Smith machine
- Primary muscles
- Glutes, Quadriceps
- Set the bar across your upper back and hold it firmly. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and placed slightly forward.
- Keep your chest up and your core tight. Lower your hips down and back until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Push firmly through your heels to extend your legs and return to the starting position.
Tips
- Position your feet slightly in front of the bar before you begin, so that your shins remain close to vertical as you descend and your weight stays over your heels throughout the movement.
- Keep your chest lifted and your torso upright as you lower your hips, rather than letting your upper body lean forward as the depth increases.
- Descend at a steady, controlled pace and drive back up with deliberate force, avoiding a sudden change in speed at the bottom of the movement.
Common mistakes
- Placing the feet directly under the bar rather than slightly forward causes the knees to travel far in front of the toes and the heels to rise off the floor as you descend.
- Allowing the knees to collapse inward during the descent or the drive up is a visible breakdown in lower-body alignment that can be corrected by actively pushing the knees out in line with the toes.
- Cutting the descent short so the thighs do not reach parallel means the intended range of motion is not completed.
Make Every Set Count.
Plan your workouts, track every session, and see your progress over time.
