Squat in "Smith" is a good exercise for training the hips and buttocks. It is quite common in the circles of experienced and novice bodybuilders. Like any other exercise, squats on Smith's simulator have their own strengths and weaknesses. With them we will begin acquaintance with the exercise.
Advantages
The first advantage is a special simulator mount, which allows you to work on it alone without problems. The second - not so much load on the spine and knees, as in squats with free weight. Third, the concentration of the load on the target muscle group. This is especially good for those recovering from an injury.
disadvantages
The minus for this exercise is only one - the rest of the stabilizer muscles. If you engage in such simulators a lot, stabilizers will lag behind in growth from the main muscle group. Therefore, it is advisable to combine the squat in "Smith" with other exercises on the legs and buttocks.
Execution technique
Like any other type of squats, the squat in "Smith" is a basic exercise. Therefore, it involves working with serious weights. And this means that special attention should be paid to technology. Otherwise, the proper result will not be achieved, and there is a risk of injury. Hone the technique preferably with low weight, so that later there would be no problems.
So, we will analyze the exercise on the points:
1. Select the appropriate weight and set it on the bar. In this case, you must take into account the weight of the neck itself.
2. Set the bar on the trapezoid, at shoulder level. Grab it with a direct, closed grip.
3. Put your feet shoulder width apart. The back should be flat, the lower back should be slightly bent, and the gaze should be directed forward.
4. If you are ready to start moving, remove the bar from the latches.
5. Bending your knees, take a breath down while inhaling. In this case, it is important to maintain an even back position.
6. It is worth lowering until the hips are horizontal. Then, as you exhale, you go up.
7. Returning to the starting position, pause for a short time and repeat the movement a set number of times.
What muscles work
Squat in "Smith" allows you to work out these muscles:
1. Thigh muscles: lateral, medial, straight, intermediate wide, semi-tendonous, semi-membranous, two-headed.
2. The gluteus maximus muscle.
Exercise features
It is important to ensure that your knees do not extend over your knees during the squat. Otherwise, the knee joint will receive a heavy load. Do not stoop or, on the contrary, strongly arch your lower back. The position of the body should be smooth and natural. Everything needs to be done in a controlled and accurate manner. This will not only protect you from injury, but also enhance the effect of training.
Which version of the legs depends on which muscle will be loaded to a greater extent. If the legs are narrow, the outer part of the quadriceps (lateral head) will be worked out more strongly. With a wide setting, the inner surface of the thighs is more loaded. Well, in order to work out the buttocks as accentuated as possible, you need to put your legs half a step forward, as if leaning your back on the bar.
This exercise is well suited for the fairer sex. Squat in "Smith" for girls is no different from the male version of the exercise. The differences are only in weight and preferences regarding the target muscle group. Girls prefer to “pump” buttocks on it, and men, as a rule, legs.
Squat depth depends on muscle training. The muscular corset of the lower back allows you to maintain an even, slightly curved position of the back throughout the movement. The lower the athlete crouched, the more difficult it is for him to keep the correct deflection. If the back begins to round before the hips take a parallel position, do not continue to lower, as this is fraught with injury.
You can get up both smoothly and impetuously, but it is worth lowering smoothly and as concentrated as possible. The press should not be too tense, however, it is not worth relaxing it completely either.
The number of repetitions depends on your task. If you work on terrain, then you need to do up to 20 repetitions with a minimum and medium weight. If your goal is mass, take the maximum and average weight and try to do 8-10 reps.
The heels should be pressed to the floor throughout the movement. Otherwise, the desired result will not be achieved. If your heels come off, try pushing your legs forward.
You can only linger at the upper point, a pause in the lower position will lead to a loss in the effectiveness of the workout.
Front squat
The front squat in Smith's simulator has features. The barbell is not located behind the head, but under the chin - on the shoulders. Due to this, the load is emphasized on the quadriceps and partially on the buttocks. Frontal squats with free weight present some inconvenience - the bar constantly strives to move off the shoulders, especially at the end of the set, when there is practically no power left. In Smith's simulator, this problem does not arise, since the guides constantly hold the bar in a vertical plane.
Another advantage of Smith's simulator is the ability to use explosive repetition techniques. It allows you to work out the so-called fast fibers of the muscles of the legs. If you do front squats with free weight, it is almost impossible to apply this technique, since the bar constantly needs stabilization. Therefore, explosive repetitions are best done in Smith's simulator.
According to the technique, the front squat in Smith is no different from the usual one. It should only be noted that hands for convenience can be crossed on the chest, and the legs should be under the bar. That is, an option for pumping the buttocks, in which the legs are put forward, is not possible here.
Squat with a barbell in "Smith" on one leg
If your legs are so hardy that all of the above techniques do not work, try doing a squat for each leg separately. During squats on one leg you need to keep balance, which negatively affects the technique of movement. And if you add a bar, you can forget about the right technique. Therefore, for those who want to squat on one leg with a decent weight, Smith's simulator will be an indispensable assistant.
Such a training allows you to accentuate the quadriceps. To maintain the correct technique, do not try to take too much weight. Depth of squats should be no more than in the classic version. If you squat too deep, the knee joint will get a load, and this is undesirable.
Squat on your knees in Smith
This modification of squats is least likely to occur, however, it has a right to exist. Typically, such squats are used by weightlifters and powerlifters to further work out the lower phase of the squat with a barbell. Squat on the knees allows, firstly, to load large muscles at an unusual angle, and secondly, to affect small muscle groups, which are usually deprived of attention. In the exercise, the muscles of the buttocks and hips work, as well as the semi-membranous and semi-tendon muscles. This is a very specific exercise that is not suitable for those who think only about a set of muscle mass.
The technique for performing this exercise is quite simple, but it requires caution. Starting position: the knees are slightly wider than the shoulders, the legs are parallel to each other, the socks are firmly on the floor, the back is slightly bent, the neck lies slightly below the neck on the trapezius muscles. It is worth lowering until the buttocks reach the top of the calves. In the lower position, you should feel the extension of the gluteal muscles. Then comes the climb. In the upper position, you can make a short pause.
Conclusion
The squat in "Smith", the technique of which is not particularly difficult, is a universal exercise. It is suitable for both beginners and experienced athletes as a basic training. Very well, this exercise helps those who recover from injuries.