A question about weighted squats

martyqueen52

Smith machine.

No.

And why? You honestly think dumbbells are superior?

Or are you one of the "elitist" who can hardly lift anything, yet have a detrimental hate for smith machines.

DYEL? Smith machines but your body in the wrong position in a squat. It puts added strain on your knees and back and limits the range of motion.

http://stronglifts.com/smith-machine-squats-power-rack-free-weights/

DYEL? Yep... maxing out on 480 squatting on free.

That is Stronglifts personal opinion, not pure factual or backed info by any means. But, I also prefer free.... that being said, if I had to pick between smith or dumbbells I'd pick smith, my own personal preference.

_crafty_

Smith machine.

No.

And why? You honestly think dumbbells are superior?

Or are you one of the "elitist" who can hardly lift anything, yet have a detrimental hate for smith machines.

I'm not an elitist. Smith machine provides an unnatural movement pattern and removes the stabilization element from the squat. It can force your body into an unnatural squat position and increases torque on lower back and knees.

Goblet squats, suit case squats, zercher squats (Don't need a rack, just a barbell). You can add difficulty to dumbbells by doing split squats or Bulgarian split squats.

:flowerforyou:

DeadliftAddict

Go with the goblet squat, split squat, or bulgarian squat as some may have already said. The smith machine has it's place in a routine. Squats IMO is not one of them. Google any of these.

azrielda

If there are absolutely no squat stands/powercages, dumbbells are better as smith machines actually puts your back into a bad position, setting you up for a greater risk of injury later on. I recommend split squats as you only need dumbels and a raised surface, plus they are amazing for your glutes ????.

martyqueen52

Or are you one of the "elitist" who can hardly lift anything, yet have a detrimental hate for smith machines.

Well, I can only squat nearly twice my body weight right now, but in a few years, I might be lifting something really impressive.

That's .... cool, I guess. But that wasn't directed towards you..... 0.o?

_GingerSnap_

Or are you one of the "elitist" who can hardly lift anything, yet have a detrimental hate for smith machines.

Well, I can only squat nearly twice my body weight right now, but in a few years, I might be lifting something really impressive.

*Long distance high five* You win.

LolBroScience

Smith machine.

No.

And why? You honestly think dumbbells are superior?

Or are you one of the "elitist" who can hardly lift anything, yet have a detrimental hate for smith machines.

DYEL? Smith machines but your body in the wrong position in a squat. It puts added strain on your knees and back and limits the range of motion.

http://stronglifts.com/smith-machine-squats-power-rack-free-weights/

DYEL? Yep... maxing out on 480 squatting on free.

That is Stronglifts personal opinion, not pure factual or backed info by any means. But, I also prefer free.... that being said, if I had to pick between smith or dumbbells I'd pick smith, my own personal preference.

So what you're saying is it is your personal opinion and also not backed by factual info. Makes sense.

Also OP, Dumbbell would be far superior when compared to a smith machine.

Derpes

I was stuck in the same predicament for a while.

Regardless of what you choose, practice good form. Research it and know it.

Good luck and hopefully you will have access to a rack soon enough.

djprice_69

Honestly, if you have lifted or done squats in a long time I would only use your body weight to get started. Do body weight squats for the first week or two just to make sure you've got good form, you're able to go as low as you want to go, and that your ankles/knees/hips are all pain-free while squatting. Much better to find this out with your own body weight before adding additional weight to your squats. A similar exercise that I highly recommend without using additional weight are simple lunges. I promise you, if you've not done these for some time, your own body weight will be sufficient. A combination of body weight squats and lunges will keep you plenty sore for the first few weeks before you need to use any weight.

Lastly, as others have said, steer clear of the smith machine. Limiting your range of motion really does put unnecessary stress on certain joins, the knees in particular.

erickirb

I would say goblet squats, with either a dumbbell or kettle bell. It is much easier to get proper form on this type of squat rather than smith machine or holding one dumbbell in each hand.

Jacwhite22

Smith machine.

No.

And why? You honestly think dumbbells are superior?

Or are you one of the "elitist" who can hardly lift anything, yet have a detrimental hate for smith machines.

DYEL? Smith machines but your body in the wrong position in a squat. It puts added strain on your knees and back and limits the range of motion.

http://stronglifts.com/smith-machine-squats-power-rack-free-weights/

DYEL? Yep... maxing out on 480 squatting on free.

That is Stronglifts personal opinion, not pure factual or backed info by any means. But, I also prefer free.... that being said, if I had to pick between smith or dumbbells I'd pick smith, my own personal preference.

And as I stated....your personal preference is wrong. But keep doing what you're doing...Just don't try to spew the nonsense to people who don't know better.

erickirb

I was stuck in the same predicament for a while.

Regardless of what you choose, practice good form. Research it and know it.

Good luck and hopefully you will have access to a rack soon enough.

That is the problem with Smith machine, it doesn't allow you to use proper form.

IPAkiller

Smith machine.

No.

And why? You honestly think dumbbells are superior?

Or are you one of the "elitist" who can hardly lift anything, yet have a detrimental hate for smith machines.

Squats are a compound exercise, meaning they work far more than your quads/glutes and builds overall body strength. When you use a Smith Machine it becomes and isolation exercise and depending on your stance/foot placement it will target different muscle areas alone. You might as well spend hours rotating between the leg press, extension and curl machines.

JLuckett05

Or are you one of the "elitist" who can hardly lift anything, yet have a detrimental hate for smith machines.

Well, I can only squat nearly twice my body weight right now, but in a few years, I might be lifting something really impressive.

SNAP!!!

I'd prefer dumbells. I've used smith machines for accessory work, but they tend to hurt my knees and back too much to use them as an actual squat machine. Goblets are a good suggestion, and do some lunges for single leg type stuff. Nothing wrong with dumbells at all.

( by the way, if someone asks, I squatted 425 for 5 a couple of weeks ago. Not quite twice bodyweight, unfortunately )

BlueBombers

I used dumbells as I workout at home. Works for me.

Galatea_Stone

Go with the goblet squat as some have already said. The smith machine has it's place in a routine. Squats IMO is not one of them.

This. She didn't ask about shrugs.

k8blujay2

Or are you one of the "elitist" who can hardly lift anything, yet have a detrimental hate for smith machines.

Well, I can only squat nearly twice my body weight right now, but in a few years, I might be lifting something really impressive.

Wow! That is pretty great. I can't wait until I get there... Though I will so I don't hurt myself.

Azdak

If you have access to a leg press, I would recommend using that along with your dumbbell squats. Squats have a functional training benefit that is independent of the strength training results, so IMO some kind of squat should always be in your program. However, if you are not able to do heavy squats, then a leg press serves the purpose of pushing heavy iron while you are building up your squat strength and form. I am a little wary of using the Smith machine for the same purpose out of concern that it might compromise your squat form.

Sarauk2sf

Does your gym have a leg press machine?.

I would do goblet and/or pistol squats. Add some leg presses in, and do deads for your posterior chain.

I would not use a smith.

da_bears1008