Ladies who squat with weights

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Replies

  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
    Barbell FTW, no contest.

    The smith machine screws with your range of motion, and doesn't allow you to use your core/stabilizing muscles, so in the future, if you THINK you can squat 120 (or whatever weight) because "I did it in the Smith", and you try with a barbell, you will find that you will fail miserably. It fools you into thinking you can do it when you really can't.

    IMO smith squats don't count. If someone told me their 1RM was higher than mine, but they only do smith, they are NOT higher than me!

    ^ QFT and also to add, the bar on the smith is also lighter than a standard barbell, I believe. I don't remember how much, but it is not the usual 45 lb.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    Barbell FTW, no contest.

    The smith machine screws with your range of motion, and doesn't allow you to use your core/stabilizing muscles, so in the future, if you THINK you can squat 120 (or whatever weight) because "I did it in the Smith", and you try with a barbell, you will find that you will fail miserably. It fools you into thinking you can do it when you really can't.

    IMO smith squats don't count. If someone told me their 1RM was higher than mine, but they only do smith, they are NOT higher than me!

    ^ QFT and also to add, the bar on the smith is also lighter than a standard barbell, I believe. I don't remember how much, but it is not the usual 45 lb.

    You are correct, I believe it is 25 pounds.
  • janet0513
    janet0513 Posts: 564 Member
    I use the Smith machine because my gym doesn't have free standing barbells. If your gym has a squat rack you should use that and shouldn't need a spotter. The Smith machine messes with the arch in your back when doing squats so its not the best form.
  • matt_h76
    matt_h76 Posts: 39
    Yeah, my range of motion would be terrible in a smith machine. I love power racks. Not a fan of the guardless squat stands, though.

    And yeah, add me to the list of women who would change gyms if there wasn't a powerrack. In fact, if they don't have a -bunch-, I'm probably going to be pissy.

    Please may I ask what is a guarded squat rack? Is this a squat rack "cage"? Is a power rack the same as a "caged" squat rack? Please may I ask what is the advantage of a cage squat rack/power rack?

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