Opinion - Squatting
OkieinMinny
Posts: 834 Member
So I really already know the answer to this Q - BUT Im curious on your opinions:
I belong to a 24-hour fitness center - some of the locales have different equipment i.e. - NO squat rack however, some of them do
I go on lunch 3x a week to the one closest to my work (this one has a rack) HOWEVER sometimes life likes to throw a curve ball - in the form of a puking kid yesterday - so I had to leave work before my lunch time workout - I have a gym location about 2 min from me that does not have a rack - only a smith machine so my question is on days that curve balls happen and I cant get to the gym with the rack - what say you about the Smith machine?
I did not squat yesterday - I did BP - there is a free weight bench for presses and did a few other things BUT because a rack is so important for many of the SLs if you are faced with a challenge like this - what do you do? Smith it - or just wait until you can get to the squat rack (which sometimes can be a few days)
I belong to a 24-hour fitness center - some of the locales have different equipment i.e. - NO squat rack however, some of them do
I go on lunch 3x a week to the one closest to my work (this one has a rack) HOWEVER sometimes life likes to throw a curve ball - in the form of a puking kid yesterday - so I had to leave work before my lunch time workout - I have a gym location about 2 min from me that does not have a rack - only a smith machine so my question is on days that curve balls happen and I cant get to the gym with the rack - what say you about the Smith machine?
I did not squat yesterday - I did BP - there is a free weight bench for presses and did a few other things BUT because a rack is so important for many of the SLs if you are faced with a challenge like this - what do you do? Smith it - or just wait until you can get to the squat rack (which sometimes can be a few days)
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I don't really have enough knowledge to comment, but I wanted to bump this for the lifters on my FL to see as well.
Personally I don't like the Smith machine. It feels awkward, and I don't feel the same muscle groups being worked as with free weights.
But again, I'm mostly here to bump this.
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I think that smith machine requires quite different movement path, so you wont be able to do it with the same weight as you planned for real squats.
I would skip, or maybe do some low weight squats without the squat rack (clean the bar over your head) do 3*10 reps or similar with 50% of 1RM.
Or try to figure out how to load bar on your shoulders without the squat (I think some people are using bench station for that) and learn how to drop bar when you fail to squat full 5 reps.0 -
I think that smith machine requires quite different movement path, so you wont be able to do it with the same weight as you planned for real squats.
I would skip, or maybe do some low weight squats without the squat rack (clean the bar over your head) do 3*10 reps or similar with 50% of 1RM.
Or try to figure out how to load bar on your shoulders without the squat (I think some people are using bench station for that) and learn how to drop bar when you fail to squat full 5 reps.
I agree with diff movement - Thanks for the input on the low weight squats - at least still doing them that way!0 -
What about dumbbell squats? It wouldn't exactly be the same thing.....but probably better then the Smith Machine.0
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I think that smith machine requires quite different movement path, so you wont be able to do it with the same weight as you planned for real squats.
I would skip, or maybe do some low weight squats without the squat rack (clean the bar over your head) do 3*10 reps or similar with 50% of 1RM.
Or try to figure out how to load bar on your shoulders without the squat (I think some people are using bench station for that) and learn how to drop bar when you fail to squat full 5 reps.
I agree with diff movement - Thanks for the input on the low weight squats - at least still doing them that way!
To add to this...while using the smith you are not using all the same stability muscles. I would find another way. Maybe even try lower weight dumbbell squats with the dumbbells on your shoulders and just up the reps that day. One day won't kill it but I honestly just do not like the smith at all!0 -
What about dumbbell squats? It wouldn't exactly be the same thing.....but probably better then the Smith Machine.
I agree, I think I got it in my head that Im squatting 155# and going down wasnt an option (stupid I know) thats why I needed to put this out there - sometimes thinking outside the box hurts :ohwell:0 -
What about dumbbell squats? It wouldn't exactly be the same thing.....but probably better then the Smith Machine.
I agree, I think I got it in my head that Im squatting 155# and going down wasnt an option (stupid I know) thats why I needed to put this out there - sometimes thinking outside the box hurts :ohwell:
Midol Cures that hurt!:D0 -
I've switched to dumbbell squats because we have no rack and I can't figure out how to get the bar off the bench station. I simply won't use the Smith - tried it once and hated every moment.
So I currently squat with 2 x 12kg dumbbells inside my knees (I use the wide Mehdi-recommended stance) and when the DBs get too big I'm going to switch to goblets, which also means I can go up in 2kg increments, not 4kg. We have a 44kg DB in the man-cave, which should keep me occupied until they either buy a damn squat cage already or I decide to shell out on a second gym membership to the power-lifting gym on my way home. (I like other things about my current gym, like the spa, and I'm on year's contract.)0 -
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I second the goblet squats. I do them on the Workout B days--my knees can't handle barbell squats 3x a week. The goblet version isn't exactly like the barbell squat--because it's a front squat--but I still feel like it's "working" IYKWIM.0
This discussion has been closed.