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FACT CHECKEDIn the fitness world, the Smith machine can be a touchy subject and is often seen as some form of cheating. Let's put that to rest right now.
That comment is simply ignorant and outdated. Many benefits go along with the Smith machine, and there is a reason it's been around for over 70 years and has been a favorite of bodybuilders during that time.
If used and programmed correctly, the Smith machine can provide serious muscle-building stimulus in your leg workouts. But it gets unfairly dissed, and I'd like to put an end to that. It's important to remember that we are not arguing about what the best piece of equipment of all time is.
Instead, we are going in-depth on how to get a fantastic Smith machine leg workout and how it can differ from free weights. Ready to use the Smith machine to build serious leg muscles? Let's go!
Table of Contents:
The Smith machine is a power rack with a barbell on vertical rails that assist like a spotter. The rack uses a guided rod system that puts the bar on a fixed path. It was created by fitness pioneer Jack LaLanne and made famous by Rudy Smith hence the name.
Several variations of a Smith machine have different paths, including one straight up and down, one on a slight angle, and one using horizontal and vertical supports. The last option is a favorite, as it allows for a more extensive natural range of motion. However, the most common variation in commercial gyms will be either the straight up and down option or fixed on a slight angle.
The bar is attached to safety hooks with stoppers along the track to ensure you can safely rack the weight. You can also set up safety pins, similar to a regular squat rack, that stops the bar from going below a predetermined height.
When comparing the Smith machine vs squat rack, it's often seen as more of an unfunctional way of training since the built-in spotter assistance rack eliminates the need for stability. But it does allow you to focus solely on building muscle without the need for a spotter. I'm not arguing that it's the best training style for every situation, but it's a tool in the toolbox with a specific purpose.
Before I go any further, let's get into the workouts themselves, as that's what you came here for! After the workout, stay tuned as I discuss programming tips, pros and cons of using a Smith machine, along with how to perform each exercise included in these routines.
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
Sissy squat |
2 |
15 |
Hack Squat |
2 |
10 |
Front squat |
3 |
6 |
Leg Press |
3 |
8 |
Barbell hip thrust |
3 |
6 |
Front foot elevated split squat |
3 |
8 |
Curtsy Lunge |
2 |
12 |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
Hip thrust |
2 |
15 |
Romanian Deadlift |
4 |
6 |
Single-leg Romanian deadlift |
2 |
10 |
Bulgarian split squat wide stance |
3 |
8 |
Back squat |
3 |
12 |
Standing calf raise |
4 |
10 |
Curtsy Lunge |
2 |
12 |
When programming the Smith machine into your leg workouts, you still need to look at your programming as a whole.
Most people hit their legs twice a week, and today we have two entirely Smith machine-based workouts that you can try out. Remember, the Smith machine will be less about functional movement and more about isolating muscles for improving muscular strength and hypertrophy.
Regarding volume, you need to treat it like a regular leg workout. Depending on your training level, anywhere from 15-22 working sets will be standard for a lower body day. Since certain stabilizers don't give out as quickly, you may be able to squeak out a few more sets than usual but keep an eye on your fatigue and how you are recovering.
You can still mix in sets, and rep ranges for different purposes like any other workout. Strength movements will still be around 2-4 sets at 4-6 reps. Hypertrophy will be about 2-4 sets at 8-10 reps. Muscular endurance will be approximately 2-4 sets of 12-15+ reps.
Let's take a look at how you can best use this tool to grow the specific muscles you're looking to target.
The gluteus maximus is the biggest of your butt muscles and overall largest muscle in your body. It sits at the top of the pelvic bone and connects to the femur.
Besides being an Instagram-worthy backside, its main roles are hip extension and stabilizing the hips and knees while walking, running, and jumping. It also externally rotates and abducts/adducts the hips.
The gluteus medius mainly covers the upper outside of your butt. It also begins at the hip and inserts into the femur. Even though it's not a primary mirror muscle, it plays a vital role in several movements:
The glute minimus is much smaller and plays a similar role in stabilizing the hips while walking.
The slab on the front of your thigh contains four muscles hence the name quadriceps.
The vastus lateralis located on the outer thigh is the biggest and works to extend the knee. It also provides and absorbs the force from the impact of movements like walking, running, or jumping.
The vastus medialis, the VMO muscle, is the teardrop-shaped muscle in the middle of your thigh. It functions to keep the kneecap aligned and also assists with knee extension.
The vastus intermedius is the deepest quad muscle and assist the entire group with knee extension. Finally, the rectus femoris crosses the hip and knee joint, which helps with hip flexion and knee extension.
The calves are composed of two muscles, the gastrocnemius and soleus.
The gastrocnemius is the largest of the two, located right behind the knee and running down to the heel. It has more fast twitch muscle fibers, so it's responsible for explosive movements like jumping and sprinting.
The soleus also runs from behind the knee to the heel, but it's mainly made up of slow twitch endurance-based muscle fibers. Therefore, it's the primary muscle for walking or long-distance running, and it's activated most when the knee is bent.
Curious as to why you should consider performing leg workouts on the Smith machine? Take a look at these benefits!
Since your stabilizer muscles can relax and not take over, you can actually build more muscle using the Smith machine than you would simply using a barbell1.
For example, the constant tension and increased isolation in a movement like a Smith machine front squat will provide a much bigger training stimulus to the quads. And that bigger training stimulus leads to muscle hypertrophy!
Sometimes, it's beneficial not to worry about balancing the bar during compound movements.
Newer lifters can gain confidence in these movements by not worrying about wobbling all over the place and struggling to connect to any muscles. Even advanced lifters can benefit from not needing a spotter and feeling safe enough to push it a little further on the weight they are using.
This point also makes it onto our cons list, but we will start with the pro. The fixed range of motion and built-in spotter require fewer stabilizer muscles, and they keep you in one specific range of motion each time you do that lift.
Not only can this help you practice the same form on each rep, but it also has the built-in spotter option to ensure you can safely rack the weight anytime without hurting yourself.
As with any equipment, it's important to remember that a Smith machine is just a tool. It can break up the monotony of always doing free weight exercises. Whether you are just switching it up out of boredom or are attempting to feel muscles work better during an exercise, it is a great option.
Because your stabilizer muscles aren't working as hard to balance, your body can lift heavier weight on a Smith machine. Yes, some of that comes from the added spotter-type feature that the rails provide, but don't let the haters tell you this doesn't count!
Sure, there aren't going to be any Smith machine powerlifting competitions, but it does have a place in allowing you to use more weight on movements, whether you are trying to build muscle or increase strength.
After having read through the benefits and seeing the workouts, you may even be ready to add a Smith machine to your home gym! If so, check out these 7 Best Smith Machines For Home Gyms!
A lot of trainees have asked me if squat machines are bad. My answer is a resounding no, but there are some downsides to it. Here's why the Smith machine might not be right for you.
When comparing the Smith machine vs free weights, the Smith machine and its guide rails do a great job of taking the stabilizers out of the equation, but this also means that you are in a very fixed range of motion.
Limiting the range can make certain exercises more challenging due to anatomical differences in trainees. Some Smith machines move up, down, forward, and back, but none will be the same as a free weight exercise.
Since the Smith machine has less freedom of movement, it forces you to practice these exercises in almost the same fashion each and every rep.
This can be great practice to lock in that movement, but it can also lead to overuse injuries. Especially with the anatomy differences, if you are performing a movement that is uncomfortable for you repeatedly in the same path, you are likely to get injured.
The built-in guide rails assist during this movement, but there is still a learning curve for racking the weight.
If you're near your last rep and feel you need to bail, turning your wrists to lock out the bar onto the rack can be challenging. Even though it will slide down the guide rails, it still can be dangerous with the chance of injury.
If you only use the Smith machine, you'll miss out on the stabilizer benefits of free weights. Not only will you be in an unnatural range of motion, but you won't be challenging your body to move how it was designed.
Training that way means bigger muscles that are all about looking good and not performing well.
Some exercises work better on the Smith machine than others. Here are the best leg-focused Smith machine exercises.
Doing a Smith machine Romanian deadlift will build serious beef on your hamstrings. Taking the stability out of the equation allows you to feel a deeper stretch and hamstring contraction, helping build the glutes and lower back muscles.
How to do Smith Machine Romanian Deadlifts:
This single-leg lunge variation does a fantastic job of targeting the glutes, especially the glute medius. Usually, this exercise is challenging to do with a bar due to its stability, but the Smith machine remedies that problem by allowing you to load it heavier while it is under control.
How to do the Curtsy Lunge:
Smith Machine Curtsy Lunge Demo on YouTube
The sissy squat leverages the Smith machine to isolate the quads like a bodyweight leg extension.
Most gyms do not have an actual sissy squat machine, so this is a great option to target the rectus femoris, and it can be superset with other Smith machine leg exercises for a killer pump.
How to do the Sissy Squat:
This Smith machine squat variation will target the glutes, quads, some hamstrings as an assister, and even the calves.
Since the Smith machine keeps you in a fixed range of motion, your body will be more upright, placing extra emphasis on the quads. You will still get some core activation even though it will be less than a free-weight squat.
How to do the Back Squat:
The front squat variation places an even greater emphasis on the quads and slightly increases the core activation with the barbell in front of the body.
The rack's assistance will ensure your upper back and spinal erectors do not give out before your legs. It also makes the movement more doable for people with wrist issues.
How to do the Front Squat:
This exercise is a more vertical leg press option to target the quads than the traditional 45-degree angle leg press.
A Smith machine leg press can be a bit riskier, especially unpacking, so use the safety bars as your starting point. If your gym doesn't have these, you will want to use a spotter.
How to do the Leg Press:
Smith machine hack squats do a fantastic job of targeting the quads, thanks to foot positioning and rack assistance.
In regular squats, the moving parts and stabilizer muscles make developing that kind of mind-muscle connection challenging.
How to do the Hack Squat:
Unilateral training requires a ton of balance, which limits top-end strength and size gains. With Smith machine split squats, you can focus on fixing any strength and size muscle imbalances as it allows you to focus more on hip flexion and targeting the glute max.
While there are many split squat variations, let's go over the one keeping both legs on the floor.
How to do the Split Squat:
Another split squat option, the Bulgarian split squat involves elevating your back leg on a bench behind you.
This setup will emphasize the front leg, making it a proper single-leg squat. A shorter stance focuses more on the quads, while a wider one will target more of the glutes.
How to do the Bulgarian Split Squat:
This is the most advanced of the three split squat variations. Elevating the front foot will increase the range of motion for hip and knee flexion and give you excellent isolation of the glutes.
How to do the Front Elevated Split Squat:
Smith Machine Front Foot Elevated Split Squat
The hip thrust is one of the more popular Smith machine exercises, but it can be challenging and uncomfortable to set up.
Use the hip extension to build glutes and increase lockout strength for squats and deadlifts. It makes the hip thrust easier as the fixed path means the Smith machine bar rolls less on your hips.
How to do the Barbell Hip Thrust:
Calves are hard enough to build for most people, and the balancing act of doing them with the barbell doesn't make it easier.
The Smith machine will help you create a mind-muscle connection to the calves during the standing calf raise, actually building the muscle instead of wobbling all over the place trying to stabilize.
How to do the Standing Calf Raise:
Here are some of the commonly asked questions about Smith machine leg workouts.
You can absolutely build your leg muscles using a Smith machine. It allows you to isolate the muscles better and not worry about stabilizers.
The Smith machine can help you target and build your glutes if you use the correct exercises. It lets you feel the glutes working better in movements like a curtsy lunge or front foot elevated split squat.
The Smith machine is excellent for isolating the quads in different positions. They often are hard to connect to with multiple muscle groups working, but you can get a superb quad pump without the stabilizing aspect.
By effectively programming exercises just like a workout with free weights. When using the Smith machine, slow down and focus on tension and isolating the muscles instead of lifting fast.
Although the Smith machine can be a "love it or hate it" machine in the fitness world, it has tons of benefits for training legs. Especially if you're a bodybuilder-type who is just interested in muscle growth for show, it can increase hypertrophy and eliminate excuses to train to failure without a spotter.
It's important to note that while the Smith machine offers certain advantages, it should not replace free weight exercises entirely, as it lacks the engagement of stabilizer muscles and natural movement patterns.
Still, when used appropriately, the Smith machine can be a valuable tool in leg workouts, providing targeted muscle stimulation and increased weightlifting capacity.
Now that you have a great workout, it's time to add a Smith machine to your home gym. Check out the 7 Best Smith Machines to find your perfect fit!
Looking for another great machine workout? Try this Full Body Gym Machine Workout Plan.
The Force USA G3 All-In-One Trainer is the perfect entry level All-In-One Trainer. Combines a power rack, functional trainer, smith machine, chin up station, and core trainer...
References
Schwanbeck S, Chilibeck PD, Binsted G. A Comparison of Free Weight Squat to Smith Machine Squat Using Electromyography. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2009;23(9). doi:10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181b1b181
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