What do you think about barbell squats using smith machine?

I can't do squats properly because I lack mobility in my ankle.

Saturday I visited a new gym that didn't have a smith machine so I tried to do my usual squats without, 5x5 with progressive overload. I couldn't do it, I did maximum 3 reps didn't feel like I was going parallel to the ground.

Is it smith machine cheating?

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  1. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    If it works for you then do it.

  2. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    gives me lower back pain

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      I also feel pressure in my lower back, that's why I use a belt, but I felt the same pressure without smith machine all the same.

      I also do this as a warmup, maybe it helps

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        >I also feel pressure in my lower back, that's why I use a belt

        Fix your squat first before you start using a belt.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        You're wrecking yourself in the long run by trying to equip yourself out of bad form.

  3. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I would uhhhhh improve ankle mobility, but if you can't then smith machine squats are fine too.
    They are just different then barbell squats.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      I do work on my ankle mobility, just not there yet, my goal is to be able to squat gopnik stile

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        There are people out there who can't gopnik squat?

  4. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Good luck with your suicide

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      You also have protection on smith machine, just that most people don't use it

  5. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    dangerous and moronic

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Just like most of IST population, sounds like match made in heaven.

  6. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    If you're gonna be doing a squat movement with the Smith, replicate a hack squat with it, not a back squat.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Either the Hack Squat or front Squat and don't go over your comfort zone at all otherwise it will turn into a guillotine.

  7. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I use smith machine squats as an accessory movement for barbell squats to get more volume in. They're not a replacement, barbell squats are far superior, and quite frankly if my gym had an actual hack squat machine I'd use that instead, but in the absence of one the smith machine squat is a great alternative

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      To be able to do barbell squats I had to drop 20kg, from 105kg(on smith machine) to 85kg(barbell squat).

      Also I didn't feel like I was breaking parallel, which was the biggest problem

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        So work on form with lower weight, sit in the hold for like 30s each rep, you'll gradually be able to sit deeper

  8. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    > I can't do squats properly because I lack mobility in my ankle.
    You're just a helpless low iq moron. You don't need especially good ankle mobility to squat, they literally get immobile grandmas squatting on SS. Just read the book, moron.

  9. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Its better than regular bb squat for me
    I do it to emphasise quads tho, if you put your legs in front of yourself a bit, it is really similar to hack squat

  10. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    smith machine is where you catch monkeypox, anon

  11. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I'm fairly certain smith machines exist only to injure zoomers and foids

  12. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    SM is only good for calves, all gyms should unironically replace them for power racks.

  13. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Guillotine machine, just read the book Starting Strength and find out how to squat properly

  14. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    You don't need that much mobility in your ankles to squat to parallel. Unless your ankles are properly arthritic, a weak back and inability to externally rotate the knees is the culprit.

    If your mobility is well and truly limited the smith machine is just moronic. The smith machine doesn't make you magically more mobile, it just makes it easier to balance, and forces your way through a range of motion that your secondary movers are too weak to safely do.

    I know some masters olympic lifters (over 65) who have genuinely compromised mobility. They split squat, which is infinitely less effeminate and weak than a smith machine.

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