Squats and deads on a smith machine ?

Gaz

My old gym (in New Zealand) had deadlifting platforms, power cages and racks etc , now that ive returned home I joined Northwood gym. The weights area seems pretty good with the exception that there is no proper deadlifting or squating areas (unless i just missed them) so my question is , can I perform these exercises as normal on a smith machine or do I need to be aware of anything in particular ?

Oh and as a side note, how f**king hard is it to put weights back on the rack after use ?

Cheers guys

Mhmm...weetabix

Squats on a smith machine put your body through an abnormal range of movement due to the bar staying in 1 plain of movement, that's the main problem with squats on a smith machine. It's the same problem in my gym.
You might have to sacrifice weight but squats with dumbell's or front squats with an oly bar. This kills my wrists and foreams though.

I've never seen anyone do DL's on a smith machine, again the static plains of movement cant be good for you on this. Again, free weights are the way to go.

+1 on putting your weights back. It grinds my gears when I have to search high & low for matches :mad:

Blazher

Gaz wrote: »

Oh and as a side note, how f**king hard is it to put weights back on the rack after use ?

Cheers guys

So true, I went to do my squats and deadlifts at the squat rack today at lunch time in Total Fitness clarehall and when i got over there, I was shocked at how someone could leave

two benchs
two ez barbels
and about 20 weight plates

in the squat rack. Really WTF?

podge57

just take a bar off one of the benches for deads, and clear a ittle room to do them

although, if theres no squat rack, i would suggest going to a different gym

on the plates thing, im lucky - at my gym, there is rarely a plate or db out of place, trained at different gym yesterday, and it was just a mess plates everywhere

Degsy

I've never seen anyybody squatting very deeply in a smith machine..it actually looks quite dangerous.

puntosporting

You can sqaut on a smith its not ideal do not sur on the deads

Mhmm...weetabix

puntosporting wrote: »

You can sqaut on a smith its not ideal do not sur on the deads

But why would you when you can do front squats or DB squats?

brianthebard

Hack squats in the smith might be a decent compromise?

Jimmy Bottlehead

Gaz wrote: »

My old gym (in New Zealand) had deadlifting platforms, power cages and racks etc , now that ive returned home I joined Northwood gym. The weights area seems pretty good with the exception that there is no proper deadlifting or squating areas (unless i just missed them) so my question is , can I perform these exercises as normal on a smith machine or do I need to be aware of anything in particular ?

Oh and as a side note, how f**king hard is it to put weights back on the rack after use ?

Cheers guys

You did miss them! Upstairs along the left wall is the squat rack. I deadlift just behind the rack too. Or you can just deadlift wherever you find space. Just grab a bar off one of the benches or shoulder presses.

Transform

Smith machine is good for hanging your towel on, full stop.

With all the options there are for leg work

puntosporting

Transform wrote: »

Smith machine is good for hanging your towel on, full stop.

With all the options there are for leg work

Smith machine has its uses and sqauts can be performed on them!
Also great for shrugs calf raises,military press!
If the gym is limited you have to make do with whats available and its handy when your working out alone!

Zamboni

Transform wrote: »

Smith machine is good for hanging your towel on, full stop.

Also good for throwing a pair of olympic rings over them to to some dips :pac:

Transform

No it simply is not - its a poor choice and locks your movement pattern into a un-natual grove that can cause injuries.

Shrugs and calf raises fine - presses and squats total junk. No squat rack then split squat, lunge, step ups etc do not get me started on the glory lifting people do on presses in the smith machine.

If your falling into choosing the smith for almost any work (apart from those mentioned) then you need to reasses your program and your current rate of progress.

Handy - picking up a pair of dumbbells is handy, loading up a smith machine is the lazy mans/afraid of a bit of hard work, approach imo

mloc

Only thing I'd use a smith machine for is shrugs and possibly super-close grip bench when I don't have a spotter. I just can't see how you could do deads on it naturally.

Hanley

There's a few things I really like the smith machine for (close grip incline smith benches, seated presses and close grip benches at a push), but I wouldn't go near it for squats and deadlifts.

I can't see why you couldnt be able to DL normally if there's bar around (which there almost certainly is) and I've been in Westpoint and they've squat racks, so I woulda assumed Northwood was the same!

mushykeogh

Transform wrote: »

No it simply is not - its a poor choice and locks your movement pattern into a un-natual grove that can cause injuries./QUOTE]

Bang on, only today had words with 2 people squating on the smith machine when the rack was free. There was some serious back arching going on and not a lot of depth!