Oh NO! I have been using the "smith" machine!

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  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
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    The smith machine can do some funny things with your form. I would start unweighted, do some squats and check your form. You're going to find that you have to balance yourself more. There may be a tendency to lean forward to balance - try not to. One you have your form pretty well, then try it with the bar alone (45 pounds). If that's still easy, go ahead and add some weights to it.

    As you go up in weight, make sure you use all the safeties available on the power rack. There are bars that go across, set them just below where the bottom of your squat ends. If you lose your balance or can't stand back up, they will catch your weight bar so you don't hurt yourself with it.

    Enjoy!
  • cw822
    cw822 Posts: 107
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    Otherwise if you are truly ready to barbell squat, I recommend reading Starting Strength first and learning how to squat properly via its descriptions of set up and photos. You'll have more confidence under the bar if you do a little studying first, and that's a big part of success in the rack, imo.

    I used Starting Strength to move away from using Smith machine for squats (kept hearing how you can't get proper squat form using it), and it was a great help in learning to understand the proper form. I started at 30# because I was concerned about not being able to lift any heavier than that and wanted to be sure I got my form down.
  • Kabuhtu
    Kabuhtu Posts: 85 Member
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    And thanks everyone! I am going to walk up to that rack and act like I own it! I have decided to have someone video me during my workout too. So I can see my self from the side then reassess. I think I do well with form from what I see when I look ahead in the mirror.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    The people I see with spotters are usually squatting 300 lbs or more

    why has no one commented on this?

    power rack- safety rails- no spotter. Having a single spotter on truly heavy lifts is useless- sure they can help you as long as it's a weight they can front squat/clean curl and control- so not much over 130 lbs- because if you fail- they have to get under the bar and pull it off you and then get it somewhere- it's wildly unsafe.

    Proper spotting on a squat requires either safety rails set to the proper height- OR two people on either side. To lift the bar. You cannot properly safely spot a squat from the back unless it's a lighter weight. And surprise surprise- you can use the rails for that.

    And if you aren't feeling like you can make a lift- no matter HOW light it is- you should ask for a spotter. or be set up with the proper equipment so you can do the exercise with the right safety. (Benching in the power rack if you have no spotter for example)

    Edit- anyone who lifts a barbell needs to know how to dump a weight properly. Period. Learn how to fail a lift- and learn how to dump it when you get in trouble as safely as possible. safely for YOU and safely for everyone around you.

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