Smith Machine Squat
EquipmentSmith Machine
TypeCompound
DifficultyBeginner
Primary:Quadriceps
Secondary:Hamstrings, Glutes
Tertiary:Core, Hip Muscles
Stabilizer:Upper Back, Calves
📋 How to Perform
- Set the bar just below shoulder height and the safety stops just below the bar's lowest point in your squat.
- Grip the bar just outside your shoulders.
- Step under the bar and set it across your upper back at the base of your traps.
- Unrack the bar by rotating your wrists to clear the safety hooks.
- Take a deep breath, brace, and keep your elbows in line with your torso.
- Descend by bending your hips and knees together until your thighs reach parallel.
- Drive your feet into the floor to stand, exhaling as your hips and knees fully extend.
- Re-rack by rotating the bar until the hooks catch.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Resting the bar on the neck instead of the upper back muscles, which puts the load on bone.
- Re-racking without turning the bar until the hooks catch, which lets the bar slide down to the safeties.
- Skipping the breath and brace because the rails feel stable, which leaves the lower back loose under load.
