Smith machine squats are an excellent exercise for seasoned bodybuilders and beginners. With a Smith squat, you don't have any weight to balance, so you can focus solely on working your lower body. The Smith machine squat can offer many benefits, but maybe you need other options.
Unfortunately, not all gyms have Smith machines, and very few people have a Smith machine in their home gym. Fortunately, you can do a Smith machine squat alternative that is just as good! The guide below will go over several alternatives to the Smith squat machine.
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11 Best Smith Machine Squat Alternative Exercises
Whether you don't have a Smith machine available, you don't enjoy doing Smith squats, or you need an alternative move for any other reason, you have options. For a Smith squat alternative to be effective, it has to work the same muscles.
Here are a few Smith squat alternatives that can offer you all of the same benefits.
1. Barbell Squats
Barbell squats are an excellent Smith machine front squat alternative. Barbell back and front squats are actually a step up from Smith machine squats. They involve more balance and coordination, more core engagement, and your glutes and hamstrings are more involved. If you want to get stronger, front and back barbell squats are better than Smith machine squats.
How to perform a barbell front squat:
Read More - Dumbbell Vs Barbell Squat
2. Reverse Lunge
Reverse lunges focus more on the glutes and hamstrings than the Smith machine squat. Reverse lunges have a natural and full range of motion and can be done with minimal equipment.
How to perform:
Related Article - Benefits Of Lunges & Varations
3. Goblet Squat
Another variation of the regular squat exercise is the goblet squat. This is a great Smith machine squat alternative. You can do the exercise with a straighter back because the weight is in front of you in a wider stance, similar to Smith machine squats. This results in less core engagement compared to a back squat.
How to perform:
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4. Cable Machine Squat
A cable machine squat will work your quads like a Smith machine squat. However, a cable machine squat will provide a more intense workout for your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
Because the weight is guided on rods, it's a straightforward exercise that's easy to learn and very safe. This exercise can also be done with resistance bands.
How to perform:
Suggested Equipment - Best Cable Crossover Machines
5. Pistol Squat
Pistol squats are a challenging one-legged squat exercise that isolates one leg to develop balance, coordination, and mobility. Most people won't need any extra weight to do this exercise. But, with practice, you should work up to using impressive weights building muscular legs in the process.
How to perform:
Related Article - Do Squats Make You Shorter?
6. Stability Ball Wall Sit
Stability ball wall squats are a little easier than freestanding squats because the ball supports and guides your movements. Similar to Smith machine squats, stability ball wall squats put an emphasis on your quadriceps.
How to perform:
You can make this exercise more challenging by holding dumbbells in your hands.
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7. Zercher Squat
Zercher squats aren't the most comfortable Smith machine squat alternative, but it's an excellent exercise for building strong, muscular legs. You can place a folded exercise mat between the bar and your bent elbows or wear neoprene elbow sleeves to make them a little more comfortable.
How to perform:
8. Leg Extension
The leg extension is an excellent quad exercise because it moves your quads through its ideal biomechanical range of motion, isolating the working muscle.
How to perform:
Read Also - 10 Best Leg Extension Alternatives
10. Leg Press
The leg press has you push weights away from your body with your legs. This can be done sideways but is often done upward while sitting in a low seat.
How to perform:
See Also - Leg Press Vs Leg Extension (How They Differ)
Mistakes To Avoid When Doing Smith Machine Alternatives
You need to avoid certain mistakes when doing the above Smith machine squat alternatives. Here are just a couple.
Using Incorrect Form
When performing any exercise, form is vital. The most common mistake people make is performing the movement too fast. Instead, take your time and stay precise and focused on engaging your muscles.
This is especially important on the descent, where your ability to control your movement down is an exercise alone. Come back up at a steady rate.
And be mindful of your back. Curving your spine is always a mistake. Keeping your upper-back muscles engaged and your chest up will enable you to prevent injury. Also, be sure to get your foot placement right from the start.
Adding Too Much Weight
Another mistake a lot of lifters make is lifting too much weight. It's best to leave the ego at the door and focus on form more than weight. Lifting weights that are too heavy can cause muscle and joint damage. It can also cause spinal injuries such as herniated discs. In extreme cases, heavy lifting can even tear a heart artery, resulting in death.
Muscles Worked With Smith Machine Squat Substitutes
Quads
The Smith machine squat substitutes above focus heavily on your lower body and legs. Your quad muscles are by far the largest muscle group in your body, making up the front of your thigh.
Your leg muscles are essential for sports, and your quadriceps are the largest muscles in your legs, so they should be trained for greater athleticism.
Glutes
Your gluteal muscles are another one of your largest and strongest muscle groups. Strong glutes have always been symbols of youth, virility, and strength. The glutes sit at the center of your body, so they are involved in most athletic endeavors you undertake.
More Training - Best Dumbbell Glute Exercises
Lower Back
Your lower back muscles are found in your lumbar region. They are the center of much of your movements and provide strength and flexibility for your lower back.
The muscles of your lower back are responsible for stabilizing, extending, and rotating your spine. Your lumbar region is used extensively in your everyday life and during sports and lifting, so it's crucial to train them.
Calves
Your calf muscles are located on the back of your lower leg and are always working when you are on your feet. Your calves are responsible for extending your foot and propelling you forward and upward for sprints and jumps. Your calf muscles are the finishing touch to your legs.
Hamstrings
Your hamstrings are another large muscle group in your legs. They are responsible for extending your hip and flexing your leg, and they are involved in everything from lifting to sprinting. They are essential to training for athletics.
Smith Machine Squat Alternative FAQs
What's better for squatting - smith machine or free weights?
Do both if you're trying to decide between a Smith machine or free weights. Both exercises can be incorporated into leg training. The Smith machine squat can allow heavier lifting and the forward adjustment of foot positioning. However, the fixed nature of the Smith machine doesn't call numerous stabilizer muscles into play.
What are the reasons you shouldn't squat on a smith machine?
First, there's nothing natural about a Smith Machine Squat. When you train with free weights, your muscles have to work to stabilize the weights. On a Smith machine, though, the stability is provided for you.
The Smith machine allows for unrealistic movement patterns, so it doesn't train you to move in everyday life. Every exercise you do should be functional and transfer to how you move in sport and life. With its fixed bar path and total lack of instability, the Smith machine doesn't.
Can I replace smith machine squats with deadlifts and lunges?
Along with the alternatives above, lunges and deadlifts are excellent alternatives to the Smith squat machine. Both lunges and deadlifts work your legs and lower back and are both very functional.
Conclusion
If you don't have access to a Smith squat machine, or you'd prefer to do an alternative, you have options. The above alternatives are just as good, if not better, than the Smith squat. Incorporate one or all of these into your routine for an excellent lower body workout.
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Last Updated on March 16, 2023
