So... I just humiliated myself at the gym

deluxmary2000

Short backstory: I’m just getting back into working out after having a baby and hernia surgery 4 months ago. I used to run and work out with a personal trainer. The trainer emphasized lifting, but used kettlebells and dumbbells in place of bars a lot (I don’t know why). I’ve always had super weak upper body strength, but thought I had decent leg strength.

Anyway, I was at the gym on my lunch break and I decided I was bored with my C25K program and wanted to do some lifting today, but I’ve never done it by myself. So I nervously snuck over to the free weight section where about a half dozen guys were doing their thing (no ladies). I did some OH presses, and tricep extensions, and a few other things I’m comfortable with and (I think) do correctly. Then I should have just called it a day, but I decided I wanted to squat. I walked over to what I thought was a squat rack, but it was one of those machines where the bar is kind of stuck in place vertically (smith machine?) I had never used one, but someone graciously showed me how to set up the smith machine and I decided to try it. I thought I would be smart and just start with the bar, which was SUPER LIGHT (I think about 10 lbs, maybe even less). I had never done a squat with a bar on my back, but I’ve done goblet squats with a 40lb kettlebell so I figured it would be easy.

Well, I squatted, hit parallel, and then realized with panic that I COULD NOT GET BACK UP. So I had to sink down, rest the bar on the safeties, and then basically crawl out from under the bar, pick up the (very very light) bar, and put it back up. It was SO EMBARRASSING. I tried a few more times, thinking it must have been a fluke, but I couldn’t hit parallel. So I was essentially just squatting with this stupid baby bar, and not even going all the way down. :embarassed: :laugh:

So… with that pathetic image in your head, I have some questions. I really am laughing at myself for being so lame, so feel free to make fun of me, post mocking gifs, whatever. But if someone could also answer my questions I’d appreciate it.
1 – Are squats with a bar on your back supposed to be that much more difficult than goblet squats? I thought it was the other way around. Or do they work another muscle group that I apparently lack?
2 – Should I give up on squatting for now, or just keep squatting the bar as far as I can go and hope to get better?
3 – does it sound like I was doing something wrong, or is it reasonable that a relatively healthy, non-injured woman not be able to squat the bar?
Any other thoughts?

dbmata

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Kidding. Getting stuck in the hole in a squat is a fear of mine.

Oh and hahaha.

The smith has a technique all of its own, if your feet aren't in the right place, I think the chances of getting stuck are pretty high. On the bright side, you already got stuck, so you don't have to worry about it again in the future.

If you're doing a 40# goblet squat, you should be able to do a backsquat with the bar at the least, it's only a 5# difference. I would think you could probably do a lot more than 45# as a back squat.

For some reason I can't get much more than a 65# goblet for 30 reps before I want to die. I can do 220# back squats for 20 reps though. For some reason, those goblets seem harder.

martinel2099

Happens to the best of us, don't feel so bad+++

missjanetleigh

no haha from me, your a brave lady! I wouldn't have had the courage to have tried that with anyone around. Kuddos

Elegra2006

Don't feel humiliated! Good on you for giving it a go...

... but step away from the Smith Machine - it really doesn't feel anything like a 'proper' squat.

If you can do goblet squats with good form then you should be able to do back squats fine too. Is there a squat rack in your gym that you can try? Or even light bars 10/15kg?

parkscs

My guess is it wasn't the weight, but rather has to do with how the smith machine forces your body into a fixed movement path, while with the goblet squat you're free to come forward or backwards a bit. Any force you exert that isn't in the vertical direction isn't going to impact the movement of the bar and may even impair the vertical movement of the bar. In my experience smith machine squats are a 50/50 bet - some people do them just fine, other people (myself included) feel it puts way too much pressure on their knees. I wouldn't give up on them yet, but play with your foot position and work on the form. If you feel pressure in your knees and can't seem to get your feet adjusted properly, I'd just stick with goblets, leg press machines and maybe some accessory work until you get access to a real barbell (just my $0.02).

dbmata

My guess is it wasn't the weight, but rather has to do with how the smith machine forces your body into a fixed movement path, while with the goblet squat you're free to come forward or backwards a bit. Any force you exert that isn't in the vertical direction isn't going to impact the movement of the bar and may even impair the vertical movement of the bar. In my experience smith machine squats are a 50/50 bet - some people do them just fine, other people (myself included) feel it puts way too much pressure on their knees. I wouldn't give up on them yet, but play with your foot position and work on the form. If you feel pressure in your knees and can't seem to get your feet adjusted properly, I'd just stick with goblets, leg press machines and maybe some accessory work until you get access to a real barbell (just my $0.02).

We need a like button.

I can't stand the smith machine. I think they're great for holding towels, but I can't use the thing for my life.

115s

I don't find it humiliating, I find it responsible that you tried to protect your body from potential pain or an injury that would have been much worse.

muppetkeeper

The dirty secret about gyms.... no one is looking at you, they are all too busy worrying about not embarrassing themselves...

dbmata

The dirty secret about gyms.... no one is looking at you, they are all too busy worrying about not embarrassing themselves...

Except those dudes curling in the squat rack. They're just goobers.

Wasatcher

I did what was probably the stupidest thing I've ever done in a gym other day. Distracted by conversation I mistakenly doubled one of the weights on one side of an Olympic bar on an inclined bench and couldn't lift it off my chest. I was solo and had to call for a spot. Was I embarrassed? A little until I reminded myself I was human and I was there.

ncrugbyprop

Don't feel humiliated! Good on you for giving it a go...

... but step away from the Smith Machine - it really doesn't feel anything like a 'proper' squat.

If you can do goblet squats with good form then you should be able to do back squats fine too. Is there a squat rack in your gym that you can try? Or even light bars 10/15kg?

This. And I will get lambasted on here by some, but you cannot due a good back squat with the smith machine. You have to have your legs and knees forward of the torso and this seems more comperable, at least to me, to the motion and work of a 40 degree hack squat machine.

micheleb15

I've never used the smith machine, but I love that you shared this story. It happens to the best of us - I have almost eaten it with regular weighted squats in a rack because I lost focus. Nothing like sheer panic and fear to make the gym more interesting. Dust yourself off and try again.

andiechick

no haha from me, your a brave lady! I wouldn't have had the courage to have tried that with anyone around. Kuddos

This ^^^

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marquishagetaka

At least you didn't have to call for help -

DjinnMarie

Just say no to the Smith machine.

DjinnMarie

Good story but I was hoping some farting or something.

I puked once after squatting. I thought it was embarassing, but everybody else thought it was awesome. Men are weird

paj315

Don't feel humiliated! Good on you for giving it a go...

... but step away from the Smith Machine - it really doesn't feel anything like a 'proper' squat.

If you can do goblet squats with good form then you should be able to do back squats fine too. Is there a squat rack in your gym that you can try? Or even light bars 10/15kg?

This. And I will get lambasted on here by some, but you cannot due a good back squat with the smith machine. You have to have your legs and knees forward of the torso and this seems more comperable, at least to me, to the motion and work of a 40 degree hack squat machine.

+2
Forget the smith machine. It's terrible for squatting. Get in the regular squat rack and just use a bar and maybe put a box/step behind you at just below parallel and squat until your butt touches it. That way you have a back up until you're more comfortable with the back squat.
Don't give up on squats they are the BEST exercise! I may be biased because they're my favorite!

Lyadeia

Just to echo what everyone else has already said, I think you will do just fine with a real Olympic bar instead of a Smith machine. They really are hit and miss...mostly miss, though.

I remember a couple of years ago feeling all bad *kitten* using one doing bench press...I was doing 100 pounds free at my gym, but I had to use the gym at work which ONLY has a Smith...and I was taking that 100 pounds and tossing it in the air, lol. I got it up to 140 on the Smith. You put my 130 pound body under a 140 pound weighted free bar and I won't be able to lift it off its pegs, lol.

So to answer your questions...back squats are a different technique than goblet squats. I personally find them harder than goblets, but others feel the opposite. But the Smith is a totally different animal. No, you should not skip squats, just dump the Smith.

ChrissyC1985

at least there was the use of equipment involved! I manage to embarrass myself at the gym frequently- mostly by tripping over my own feet, faceplanting after failing a bodyweight rep, or something like that.

well done on giving it another go, I've never used the smith machine myself. I much prefer a free bar on my back!

micheleb15

Good story but I was hoping some farting or something.

I puked once after squatting. I thought it was embarassing, but everybody else thought it was awesome. Men are weird

We used to have a designated "squat till you puke" day. Wasn't supposed to be taken literally, but some days it was.

deluxmary2000

Good story but I was hoping some farting or something.

That would have probably been less embarrassing. And there's always next time!

MagnumBurrito

Just say no to the Smith machine.

For squats definitely.

They're good for static holds and shrugs. Especially bench.

redheaddee

First, step away from the Smith Machine.

Second, honey, we ALL have done it. I have tripped over more barbells and machines, I have lost count. My DH farted doing squats. It's normal. Good on you for trying, and keep trying. If you are new to lifting, a trainer may help until you learn form and feel more comfortable. Not hurting yourself is a worthwhile investment.

Soccermavrick

To me goblet squats allow you a free range of motion, where as the Smith Machine locks you in. While I like the safety of the Smith, and the fact that I can isolate certain muscles a little better, it does not do my knees any favors.

As far as any exercise in the gym, if you quit the first time something was difficult you probably are not going to get very far. We all have to start somewhere. And I am not in favor of ever ignoring an entire body part, so if not on the smith, then on the squat rack, or build it up with goblets until you can handle a regular squat.

Lastly trust me most people in the gym are so concerned with their workouts, they probably never noticed.

deluxmary2000

So the gym doesn't have just a regular squat rack (I asked). What should I do in that case? They have a group exercise room next door that is usually empty that has these foam bars that they use for group classes. I think they go up to 50 lbs. Should I just grab one of those, OH press it onto my shoulders, and free squat until I get better?

lisalsd1

Yeah so...I was squatting with a barbell this morning. I was doing 120lbs (which is almost body weight). I went down....and was stuck for a few seconds. I literally thought..."oh crap,oh crap, I'm going to have to dump this!" Through sheer willpower and the fear of embarrassment, I was able to push the bar back up. Being stuck that way would have been more embarrassing, b/c lowering the bar to the safety catches definitely would have made more noise.

I don't think you are supposed to squat at the smith machine...maybe that's why you were stuck.

meshashesha2012

:laugh:

my pride has definitely gotten me out of the hole many times more so than my butt.

the worse thing i've done at my recent gym is wiping out on so box jumps. i ended up scraping my shins, and falling into the plyo box . there was about 4 people looking at me like :huh: "what do we do ? what do we do?" i just pimp-limped over to the stretching area like "yeah i mean to do that" meanwhile my shins were bloody :laugh:


oh yeah i also popped myself in the throat with the bar when doing a clean. this one is very dangerous. luckily there wasnt much weight on it


i'm honestly very very afraid that one day i might poop my pants while deadlifting.

anyway OP, my point is it happens to everyone at some point, just go back again, lower the weight significantly and try to avoid the smith machine for squats. i have found that for bench press it's pretty much the same though. i can maybe get to like 10 pounds more on the smitch than on the bar, but the smith is good when i dont have a spotter and i'm working at a weight near my max

conklil

Wait, I'm a newbie and I don't know the difference between the squat machine and a smith machine. I just tried googling and they all look the same but I think I've been doing my squats on a smith machine all this time. "It consists of a barbell that is fixed within steel rails, allowing only vertical movement." I also was told doing bench presses is better using this machine and just started doing them on it too. Help!!!

Jim_Barteck

The Smith Machine works just fine for squats. The problem is that most people try to do them by putting their feet out in front of the bar and leaning back into the bar rather than standing up underneath it as you would a barbell.

In a properly performed squat (with just a barbell), there should be very little front to back movement of the bar (which is eliminated entirely with a Smith Machine). However, a lot of people who think they are performing the squats correctly actually wind up with their butt sticking out at the bottom of the squat which winds up creating the front-to-back motion which many people claim is "natural" in a squat movement. It isn't. It's the result of poor form throughout the movement.

If you have good form, a Smith Machine squat is very little different than a regular barbell squat other than that there is less involvement from stabilizing muscles. Even that can be overcome by adding split squats in the Smith Machine which will work out the stabilizing muscles even better than a standard barbell squat.

It's always a matter of if you know how to properly use the equipment and whether you use proper form while doing it.