The Ultimate Smith Machine Leg Workouts

Within the fitness world, the Smith machine is usually a touchy subject and is usually seen as some type of cheating. Let’s put that to rest without delay.

That comment is just ignorant and outdated. Many advantages associate with the Smith machine, and there’s a reason it has been around for over 70 years and has been a favourite of bodybuilders during that point. 

If used and programmed appropriately, the Smith machine can provide serious muscle-building stimulus in your leg workouts. However it gets unfairly dissed, and I’d wish to put an end to that. It is vital to keep in mind that we aren’t arguing about what one of the best piece of apparatus of all time is.

As a substitute, we’re going in-depth on how one can get a implausible Smith machine leg workout and the way it might differ from free weights. Able to use the Smith machine to construct serious leg muscles? Let’s go!

Table of Contents:

• What Is A Smith Machine?
• Best Smith Machine Leg Workouts
• Programming Smith Machine Leg Workouts
• What Muscles Do You Work In Leg Workouts?
• Advantages Of Performing Leg Workouts On Smith Machines
• Cons Of Performing Leg Workouts On Smith Machines
• 12 Best Smith Machine Leg Exercises
• FAQs

What Is A Smith Machine?

The Smith machine is an influence 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 set 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 favourite, because it allows for a more extensive natural range of motion. Nonetheless, probably the most common variation in business gyms shall 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 make sure you may safely rack the burden. You may also arrange safety pins, just like an everyday 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 coaching because the built-in spotter assistance rack eliminates the necessity for stability. However it does mean you can focus solely on constructing muscle without the necessity for a spotter. I’m not arguing that it’s one of the best training style for each situation, but it surely’s a tool within the toolbox with a selected purpose. 

Best Smith Machine Leg Workouts

Before I am going any further, let’s get into the workouts themselves, as that is what you got here here for! After the workout, stay tuned as I discuss programming suggestions, pros and cons of using a Smith machine, together with how one can perform each exercise included in these routines.

Workout A: Glutes and Quads 

Workout B: Glutes and Hamstrings 

Programming Smith Machine Leg Workouts

When programming the Smith machine into your leg workouts, you continue to need to take a look at your programming as an entire.

Most individuals hit their legs twice per week, and today now we have two entirely Smith machine-based workouts which you could check out. Remember, the Smith machine shall be less about functional movement and more about isolating muscles for improving muscular strength and hypertrophy.

Regarding volume, you’ll want to treat it like an everyday leg workout. Depending in your training level, anywhere from 15-22 working sets shall be standard for a lower body day. Since certain stabilizers don’t give out as quickly, it’s possible you’ll have the option to squeak out a number of more sets than usual but regulate your fatigue and the way you might be recovering.

You’ll be able to still mix in sets, and rep ranges for various purposes like several other workout. Strength movements will still be around 2-4 sets at 4-6 reps. Hypertrophy shall be about 2-4 sets at 8-10 reps. Muscular endurance shall be roughly 2-4 sets of 12-15+ reps. 

What Muscles Do You Work in Smith Machine Leg Workouts?

Let’s take a take a look at how you may best use this tool to grow the particular muscles you are trying to goal.

1) Gluteus Maximus:

The gluteus maximus is the most important of your butt muscles and overall largest muscle in your body. It sits at the highest of the pelvic bone and connects to the femur.

Besides being an Instagram-worthy backside, its predominant roles are hip extension and stabilizing the hips and knees while walking, running, and jumping. It also externally rotates and abducts/adducts the hips.

2) Gluteus Medius & Minimus:

The gluteus medius mainly covers the upper outside of your butt. It also begins on the hip and inserts into the femur. Although it is not a primary mirror muscle, it plays a significant role in several movements:

• Hip abduction to take your legs away out of your body
• Hip stability to maintain them level within the frontal plane during any movements 
• Assisting hip flexion/extension when the thigh comes up toward the torso
• Aiding internal and external rotation of the hips 

The glute minimus is way smaller and plays an analogous role in stabilizing the hips while walking.

3) Quadriceps:

The slab on the front of your thigh incorporates 4 muscles hence the name quadriceps. 

The vastus lateralis positioned on the outer thigh is the most important and works to increase 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 midst of your thigh. It functions to maintain the kneecap aligned and likewise assists with knee extension. 

The vastus intermedius is the deepest quad muscle and assist the complete group with knee extension. Finally, the rectus femoris crosses the hip and knee joint, which helps with hip flexion and knee extension.

4) Calves:

The calves are composed of two muscles, the gastrocnemius and soleus.

The gastrocnemius is the biggest of the 2, positioned right behind the knee and running right down to the heel. It has more fast twitch muscle fibers, so it’s answerable for explosive movements like jumping and sprinting.

The soleus also runs from behind the knee to the heel, but it surely’s mainly made up of slow twitch endurance-based muscle fibers. Due to this fact, it’s the first muscle for walking or long-distance running, and it’s activated most when the knee is bent. 

Advantages Of Leg Workouts On Smith Machines

Curious as to why it’s best to consider performing leg workouts on the Smith machine? Take a take a look at these advantages!

1) Increased hypertrophy:

Since your stabilizer muscles can loosen up and never take over, you may actually construct more muscle using the Smith machine than you’d simply using a barbell¹.

For instance, the constant tension and increased isolation in a movement like a Smith machine front squat will provide a much greater training stimulus to the quads. And that greater training stimulus results in muscle hypertrophy!

2) More confidence:

Sometimes, it’s useful not to fret about balancing the bar during compound movements.

Newer lifters can gain confidence in these movements by not worrying about wobbling in every single place and struggling to hook up with any muscles. Even advanced lifters can profit from not needing a spotter and feeling protected enough to push it somewhat further on the burden they’re using. 

3) Reduce the chance of injury:

This point also makes it onto our cons list, but we are going to start with the professional. The fixed range of motion and built-in spotter require fewer stabilizer muscles, and so they keep you in a single specific range of motion every time you do this lift.

Not only can this allow you to practice the identical form on each rep, but it surely also has the built-in spotter option to make sure you may safely rack the burden anytime without hurting yourself. 

4) Variety:

As with every equipment, it is important to keep in mind that a Smith machine is only a tool. It will possibly break up the monotony of all the time doing free weight exercises. Whether you might be just switching it up out of boredom or are trying to feel muscles work higher during an exercise, it’s an incredible option. 

5) Can lift more weight: 

Because your stabilizer muscles aren’t working as hard to balance, your body can lift heavier weight on a Smith machine. Yes, a few of that comes from the added spotter-type feature that the rails provide, but don’t let the haters let you know this does not count!

Sure, there aren’t going to be any Smith machine powerlifting competitions, but it surely does have a spot in allowing you to make use of more weight on movements, whether you are attempting to construct muscle or increase strength. 

After having read through the advantages and seeing the workouts, it’s possible you’ll even be able to add a Smith machine to your private home gym! If that’s the case, try these 7 Best Smith Machines For Home Gyms!

Cons Of Smith Machine Leg Workouts

A number of trainees have asked me if squat machines are bad. My answer is a powerful no, but there are some downsides to it. Here’s why the Smith machine may not be best for you.

1) Less freedom of movement: 

When comparing the Smith machine vs free weights, the Smith machine and its guide rails do an incredible job of taking the stabilizers out of the equation, but this also means that you just are in a really fixed range of motion.

Limiting the range can ensure exercises more difficult attributable to anatomical differences in trainees. Some Smith machines move up, down, forward, and back, but none shall be similar to a free weight exercise. 

2) Can result in overuse injuries: 

For the reason that Smith machine has less freedom of movement, it forces you to practice these exercises in almost the identical fashion each rep.

This could be great practice to lock in that movement, but it might also result in overuse injuries. Especially with the anatomy differences, when you are performing a movement that’s uncomfortable for you repeatedly in the identical path, you might be prone to get injured. 

3) Still not as protected as a spotter: 

The built-in guide rails assist during this movement, but there remains to be a learning curve for racking the burden.

Should you’re near your last rep and feel you’ll want to bail, turning your wrists to lock out the bar onto the rack could be difficult. Although it’ll slide down the guide rails, it still could be dangerous with the prospect of injury. 

4) All show no-go muscles:

Should you only use the Smith machine, you will miss out on the stabilizer advantages of free weights. Not only will you be in an unnatural range of motion, but you will not be difficult your body to maneuver the way it was designed.

Training that way means greater muscles which are all about looking good and never performing well. 

12 Best Smith Machine Leg Exercises

Some exercises work higher on the Smith machine than others. Listed below are one of the best leg-focused Smith machine exercises.

1. Romanian Deadlift:

Doing a Smith machine Romanian deadlift will construct serious beef in your hamstrings. Taking the steadiness out of the equation lets you feel a deeper stretch and hamstring contraction, helping construct the glutes and lower back muscles.

do Smith Machine Romanian Deadlifts:

• Move the Smith bar so it’s just above knee level, and set your stance just outside, hip-width apart.
• Grab the bar a couple of thumb’s length away out of your hips and unrack it
• Pull your shoulders back and pack your lats before starting to bend your knees and hinge on the waist.
• Keep your chest lifted as you slide the bar down your thighs and reach your hips back behind you. The bar should stop somewhere at your shins below your knee, depending in your unique range of motion. 
• Squeeze your glutes and extend your hips forward as you pull the bar back to the starting position. 

2Curtsy Lunge:

This single-leg lunge variation does a implausible job of targeting the glutes, especially the glute medius. Normally, this exercise is difficult to do with a bar attributable to its stability, however the Smith machine remedies that problem by allowing you to load it heavier while it’s under control. 

do the Curtsy Lunge:

• Move the bar high enough to where you may place it in your traps like a squat
• Step under the bar and grip it along with your hands outside shoulder width and unrack it
• Keeping the burden in your left foot, step back and behind along with your right foot on an angle as if dropping right into a curtsy. The left leg should appear like a 90-degree angle at the underside position
• Drive through your front foot and return to the standing position

3. Sissy Squat:

The sissy squat leverages the Smith machine to isolate the quads like a body weight leg extension.

Most gyms don’t have an actual sissy squat machine, so that is an incredible option to focus on the rectus femoris, and it might be superset with other Smith machine leg exercises for a killer pump. 

do the Sissy Squat:

• Move the bar toward the underside of the rack in order that when standing, the bar is just behind the highest of your calf muscle.
• Stand with the back of your lower legs resting against the bar and face away from the smith machine.
• Squat down while keeping your upper body as upright as possible and specializing in keeping the strain all on the quads. 
• Exhale, drive through your heels and midfoot, and return to the starting position.  

4. Back Squat:

This Smith machine squat variation will goal the glutes, quads, some hamstrings as an assister, and even the calves.

For the reason that Smith machine keeps you in a set range of motion, your body shall be more upright, placing extra emphasis on the quads. You’ll still get some core activation although it’ll be lower than a free-weight squat. 

do the Back Squat:

• Move the bar so it’s high enough to rest in your traps and position your feet under the barbell just outside the hip width. 
• Unrack the burden and pause to make sure your core is braced. Bend at your hips and knees and start the descent as when you were sitting in a chair behind you.
• Be sure to maintain your back flat and chest up, and permit your head to naturally move along with your upper back as an alternative of attempting to stare straight ahead.
• Squat until your legs are at a 90-degree angle to the ground, after which push through your heels to face back to the starting position. 

5. Front Squat:

The front squat variation places an excellent greater emphasis on the quads and barely increases the core activation with the barbell in front of the body.

The rack’s assistance will ensure your upper back and spinal erectors don’t give out before your legs. It also makes the movement more doable for individuals with wrist issues.

do the Front Squat:

• Set the bar at chest level and rest it across your upper chest along your collarbone. Cross your arms in front of you to the alternative shoulder as when you are making an X.
• Unrack the bar and squat down while slowly keeping your upper body vertical. 
• Squat until you might be near parallel with the ground, after which stand back to the starting position.

6. Leg Press:

This exercise is a more vertical leg press option to focus on the quads than the normal 45-degree angle leg press.

A Smith machine leg press is usually a bit riskier, especially unpacking, so use the protection bars as your place to begin. In case your gym doesn’t have these, you’ll want to use a spotter. 

do the Leg Press:

• Arrange the bar to be around 3 feet from the bottom, and lay underneath it along with your legs straight up and mid-foot on it. 
• Extend your legs to unrack the bar, or ensure it begins on the protection pins in an unlocked position. This shall be your end range of motion. 
• Press your feet into the bar and extend your legs and hips until your legs are nearly locked out. Stop wanting the lockout to maintain tension on the quads. 
• Lower right down to the starting position without tucking your hips into the posterior pelvic tilt and repeat. 

7. Smith Machine Hack Squat:

Smith machine hack squats do a implausible job of targeting the quads, due to foot positioning and rack assistance.

In regular squats, the moving parts and stabilizer muscles make developing that sort of mind-muscle connection difficult. 

do the Hack Squat:

• Position the bar so it’s slightly below shoulder height. Get under the bar like you might be establishing for a squat and grab it with each hands.
• Unrack the bar and step forward while keeping your feet hip-width apart and pointing your toes barely out. 
• Maintain an upright posture and squat down until the highest of your thighs are parallel to the bottom. 
• Get up and repeat for indicated reps. 

8. Smith Machine Split Squat:

Unilateral training requires a ton of balance, which limits top-end strength and size gains. With Smith machine split squats, you may deal with fixing any strength and size muscle imbalances because it lets you focus more on hip flexion and targeting the glute max.

While there are numerous split squat variations, let’s go over the one keeping each legs on the ground. 

do the Split Squat:

• Arrange under the bar like you’d for a back squat.
• The first step foot back right into a lunge position along with your back heel floating off the ground. You’ll maintain this stationary lunge position throughout the exercise. 
• Unrack the bar and start squatting down, specializing in 90% of the burden in your front leg.
• When you get to around parallel to the ground, drive through your front foot and return to the starting position. Repeat and switch sides.

9. Bulgarian Split Squat:

One other 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 correct single-leg squat. A shorter stance focuses more on the quads, while a wider one will goal more of the glutes. 

do the Bulgarian Split Squat:

• Place a flat bench or box behind the smith machine where your back leg could be in a lunge. 
• Arrange under the bar with it resting in your traps and grab it with each hands just outside shoulder width apart.
• Reach one leg back and rest the highest of your foot on the bench with a slight bend in your knee. Place your front foot barely in front of the bar in a lunge position. 
• Begin the descent by breaking at your hips and squatting until your front leg is around a 90-degree angle. 
• Push through the front foot and return to the starting position. 

10. Front Foot Elevated Split Squat:

That is probably 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 provide you with excellent isolation of the glutes. 

do the Front Elevated Split Squat:

• Place a riser or stack 2-3 weight plates barely in front of the bar where your front foot could be for a split squat
• Arrange under the bar like you might be preparing to squat and unrack it.
• The first step foot forward onto the riser/plates and the opposite foot back right into a lunge position like an everyday split squat.
• Keep your upper body and core tight and squat down by flexing each knees. Lower until each legs are at 90-degree angles or your back knee touches the bottom. 
• Power through the front foot and extend your knee as you come back to the starting position. 

11. Barbell Hip Thrust:

The hip thrust is certainly one of the more popular Smith machine exercises, but it might be difficult and uncomfortable to establish.

Use the hip extension to construct glutes and increase lockout strength for squats and deadlifts. It makes the hip thrust easier because the fixed path means the Smith machine bar rolls less in your hips.

do the Barbell Hip Thrust:

• Arrange a flat bench behind the bar, and use a pad for the barbell so it doesn’t hurt your hips. 
• Arrange along with your upper back on the bench and center the bar just above your hips.
• Be sure your feet are hip-width apart and are slightly below your knees.
• Grab the bar and unrack it by extending your hips before slowly lowering it towards the ground.
• Squeeze your glutes, extend your hips to thrust the bar back to the starting position, and repeat. 

12. Standing Calf Raise:

Calves are hard enough to construct for most individuals, and the balancing act of doing them with the barbell doesn’t make it easier.

The Smith machine will allow you to create a mind-muscle connection to the calves in the course of the standing calf raise, actually constructing the muscle as an alternative of wobbling in every single place attempting to stabilize. 

do the Standing Calf Raise:

• Place a riser or two weight plates just in front of the bar.
• Stand under the bar on the sting of your riser/plates with the bar in your shoulders and grab just outside shoulder width with each hands.
• Unrack the bar and rise up straight, keeping your legs locked out.
• Press through the balls of your feet and lift your heels as high as possible before lowering down under control to the ground. 
• Repeat for indicated reps. 

FAQs

Listed below are among the commonly asked questions on Smith machine leg workouts.

Are you able to construct legs with a Smith machine? 

You’ll be able to absolutely construct your leg muscles using a Smith machine. It lets you isolate the muscles higher and never worry about stabilizers.

Does the Smith machine help grow glutes? 

The Smith machine can allow you to goal and construct your glutes when you use the right exercises. It helps you to feel the glutes working higher in movements like a curtsy lunge or front foot elevated split squat. 

Are you able to construct quads with the Smith machine? 

The Smith machine is superb for isolating the quads in several positions. They often are hard to hook up with with multiple muscle groups working, but you may get an excellent quad pump without the stabilizing aspect. 

How do you hit your legs on a Smith machine?

By effectively programming exercises identical to a workout with free weights. When using the Smith machine, decelerate and deal with tension and isolating the muscles as an alternative of lifting fast. 

Smith Machine Leg Workouts: Key Takeaways

Although the Smith machine is usually a “find it irresistible or hate it” machine within the fitness world, it has tons of advantages for training legs. Especially when you’re a bodybuilder-type who’s just fascinated with muscle growth for show, it might increase hypertrophy and eliminate excuses to coach to failure with out a spotter.

It is vital to notice that while the Smith machine offers certain benefits, it shouldn’t replace free weight exercises entirely, because it lacks the engagement of stabilizer muscles and natural movement patterns.

Still, when used appropriately, the Smith machine is usually a precious tool in leg workouts, providing targeted muscle stimulation and increased weightlifting capability.