Dumbbell squats or smith machine squats

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GuybrushThreepw00d
GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
They don't have a squat rack at my gym, so I've been doing squats on the smith machine..
Would I be better off just using dumbbells until I change my gym to a better one, or are smith machine squats not as bad as everyone makes out?
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  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    Smith machines are worrisome because they take all the stabilizer muscles out of the picture, and also force you into an unnatural pattern.

    Check out hack squats and Zercher squats. Zircher? something like that.
  • margojr4
    margojr4 Posts: 259 Member
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    I use it from time to time for squats. I keep my feet out in front of me, so much that I feel I might fall back - but I wont because the bar is restricting me from doing so. When I squat, my back is upright and my hip knee bends in a 90 degree form. Light in the toes and heavy in the heels when coming up. I've also used the smith for split squats as well.

    I do prefer using DBs though for stability and core targets.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
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    They don't have a squat rack at my gym, so I've been doing squats on the smith machine..
    Would I be better off just using dumbbells until I change my gym to a better one, or are smith machine squats not as bad as everyone makes out?

    I would use dumbells and do Goblet squats. This way you can get good knee flexion and focus on form.

    Edit: And just for the record squats should be done PAST a 90 degree knee flexion in order to activate your glutes and hamstrings. If you're just doing 90 degree flexion in your knees you're really only activating you quadriceps.

    http://www.powering-through.com/2012/10/drop-quarter-squat-and-do-these-squat.html
  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
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    Does your gym have a trap bar?
    trap-bar-deadlift.jpg
  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
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    . I keep my feet out in front of me, so much that I feel I might fall back - but I wont because the bar is restricting me from doing so. When I squat, my back is upright and my hip knee bends in a 90 degree form. Light in the toes and heavy in the heels when coming up. I've also used the smith for split squats as well.
    Don't do this this is the most wrong thing you could do.
  • margojr4
    margojr4 Posts: 259 Member
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    . I keep my feet out in front of me, so much that I feel I might fall back - but I wont because the bar is restricting me from doing so. When I squat, my back is upright and my hip knee bends in a 90 degree form. Light in the toes and heavy in the heels when coming up. I've also used the smith for split squats as well.
    Don't do this this is the most wrong thing you could do.

    What part is wrong? If using a smith, how do you squat then? :frown:
  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
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    smith-machine-rip.jpg
    . I keep my feet out in front of me, so much that I feel I might fall back -
    Don't do this this is the most wrong thing you could do.
    [/quote]

    What part is wrong? If using a smith, how do you squat then? :frown:
    [/quote]

    If you are leaning into the bar what good is it doing?
  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
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    Would I be better off just using dumbbells until I change my gym to a better one.

    YES
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
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    do plyometrics before you do dumbell squats... go with the smith machine.
  • amann1976
    amann1976 Posts: 742 Member
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    i use the smithmachine most of the time for my squats even though my gym has a power rack. it works better for me because i dont have to bother asking folks to spot me.


    but on another note you gym has no power rack so that means you are limited in other ways too... find a new gym bro
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    I'd steal a barbell from a bench- well that could be dangerous...

    Well, damn! What gym doesn't have a squat rack? (dear god is it planet fitness?)
    I don't know, I would stay far far away from smith machines.
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
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    The focus is more the swimming pool and the cardio machines. They have lots of weights machines, dumbbells and benches, but no power racks and only one olympic bar.
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
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    Does your gym have a trap bar?
    trap-bar-deadlift.jpg

    Scrap heap challenge?
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    i use the smithmachine most of the time for my squats even though my gym has a power rack. it works better for me because i dont have to bother asking folks to spot me.

    A power rack is a spotter...
  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
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    i use the smithmachine most of the time for my squats even though my gym has a power rack. it works better for me because i dont have to bother asking folks to spot me.

    A power rack is a spotter...

    True story
  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
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    Does your gym have a trap bar?
    trap-bar-deadlift.jpg

    Scrap heap challenge?

    If that looks like a scrap heap to you, stick with the smith machine.
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
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    Does your gym have a trap bar?
    trap-bar-deadlift.jpg

    Scrap heap challenge?

    If that looks like a scrap heap to you, stick with the smith machine.

    I was inferring it looked like something you'd cobbled together and not something you'd find in a commercial gym... But take it however you please.
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
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    Bulgarian split squats, amazing exercise which you never see anyone doing.

    http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/bulgarian_split_squats

    You don't need much load for these to be brutal.
  • Marquettedominos
    Marquettedominos Posts: 107 Member
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    Does your gym have a trap bar?
    trap-bar-deadlift.jpg

    Scrap heap challenge?

    If that looks like a scrap heap to you, stick with the smith machine.

    I was inferring it looked like something you'd cobbled together and not something you'd find in a commercial gym... But take it however you please.

    That is known as a Trap/Hip bar. And most franchise gyms dont have them. But most powerlifting gyms do....
  • kiachu
    kiachu Posts: 409 Member
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    They don't have a squat rack at my gym, so I've been doing squats on the smith machine..
    Would I be better off just using dumbbells until I change my gym to a better one, or are smith machine squats not as bad as everyone makes out?

    I squat in the squat rack, I squat in the power cage, I squat in the damn smith machine, I bench in the smith machine. But I would never go to a gym that JUST had a smith machine

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