Squats with a seat?

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  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    I'm a new lifter. Can someone tell me why the Smith Machine is bad? I thought the whole purpose of it's existence was to teach proper form.

    Smith machine is to teach you proper bench press form. It's terrible for squat form since it forces you to drop the weight in a straight line wather than follow your back's natural curvature. Smith machines also eliminate the need for stabilizer muscles, so you get a less effective workout as the machine does part of the work for you. It has it's place, but it's better to avoid it if possible. I'll use the smith if I really need to bench but can't get a spot. That's about the only time, though.

    It's not so good for bench either because a proper bench doesn't follow a straight up and down path, much the same as a good squat doesn't go straight up and down either.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    The trainers at my gym always start new people with a box, then move it away. I think it's to get them used to the movement and make sure they go down far enough.
  • jhc7324
    jhc7324 Posts: 200 Member
    I see more and more people at the gym doing squats with a bench under them. They put the safety locks up on the Smith Machine then pull a bench up under them as they do squats.

    What is the purpose of the bench? I am assuming to hit that ~90 degree mark.

    It's to get low. many people don't squat deep enough.. Sitting on a seat is just like doing a squat. You aren't supposed to sit but it's nice to know you are dropping your squat low enough..
    But when I squat with a bench behind me, I'm not able to get to parallel (not even close), and neither are most of the people I see doing that.
  • BonaFideUK
    BonaFideUK Posts: 313 Member
    Its called a box squat. Its usually a technique that helps breaks plateaus on your squat weight because its more difficult to start from a dead stop (sitting). Although its almost entirely pointless to do it on a smith machine.
  • minijuggernaut
    minijuggernaut Posts: 98 Member
    I'm a new lifter. Can someone tell me why the Smith Machine is bad? I thought the whole purpose of it's existence was to teach proper form.

    This is the best explanation I've found - says it better than I can.
    http://www.liftbigeatbig.com/2012/09/squats-barbell-vs-smith-machine.html

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