The squat in Smith (simulator Smith): description of technique, recommendations

The squat in Smith is a good exercise for training the hips and buttocks. It is quite common in the circles of experienced and beginning bodybuilders. As with any other exercise, the sit-ups on the Smith simulator have their advantages and disadvantages. With them, and begin to get acquainted with the exercise.

Advantages

The first advantage is the special attachment of the simulator, which allows you to do it alone without any problems. The second is not such a strong load on the spine and knees, as in squats with free weight. The third is the concentration of the load on the target muscle group. This is especially good for those who recover from injury.

disadvantages

The minus of this exercise is only one - relaxation of muscle stabilizers. If you engage in such simulators a lot, the stabilizers will lag behind in growth from the main muscle group. Therefore it is desirable to combine the squat in "Smith" with other exercises on the legs and buttocks.

Technique of execution

Like any other kind of sit-ups, the squat in "Smith" is the basic exercise. Consequently, it involves working with serious scales. 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. To sharpen the technique is desirable with a small weight, so that later there are no problems.

So, let's analyze the exercise on points:

1. Select the appropriate weight and place it on the fretboard. In this case, you need to take into account the weight of the neck.

2. Place the neck on the trapezium, at shoulder level. Take hold of him with a direct closed grip.

3. Place your feet shoulder width apart. The back should be flat, the waist - slightly bent, and the sight is directed forward.

4. If you are ready to start moving, remove the bar from the latches.

5. Bending the legs in the knees, on the inspiration, go down. It is important to maintain a level position of the back.

6. It should be lowered until the hips are horizontal. Then, on exhalation, the upward lift is carried out.

7. Returning to the starting position, take a short pause and repeat the movement the set number of times.

What muscles work

The squat in "Smith" allows you to work out such muscles:

1. Muscles of the hip: lateral, medial, straight, intermediate wide, semitendinous, semimembranous, biceps.

2. Large gluteus muscle.

Exercise Features

It is important to make sure that the knees do not go over the socks during the squat. Otherwise, the knee joint will receive a heavy load. Do not stoop, or, conversely, strongly bend your lower back. The position of the trunk should be smooth and natural. Everything must be done carefully and carefully. This will not only protect you from injuries, but will also enhance the effect of training.

The option of setting the legs determines 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 harder. With a wide setting, the inner surface of the thighs is more stressed. But in order to maximally accentuate the buttocks, you need to put your feet half a step forward, as if resting your back on the bar.

This exercise is well suited for the fairer sex. The squat in "Smite" for girls is no different from the male version of the exercise. Differences only in weight and preferences concerning the target muscle group. Girls prefer to "pump" on his buttocks, and men, usually legs.

Depth of squat depends on the training of the muscle. The muscular corset of the waist allows you to maintain a flat, slightly bent back position throughout the entire movement. The lower the athlete crouches, the more difficult it is to keep the right 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 gustily, but it's worthwhile to descend smoothly and as concentrated as possible. The press should not be too tense, but it is not worth it to relax completely.

The number of repetitions depends on your task. If you work on a relief, you need to do up to 20 repetitions with a minimum and average weight. If your goal is mass, take the maximum and average weight and try to do 8-10 repetitions.

Heels must be pressed to the floor throughout the movement. Otherwise, the desired result will not be achieved. If the heels come off, try to push the legs forward.

It is possible to linger only at the top point, a pause in the lower position will lead to a loss of training efficiency.

Frontal squat

The frontal squat in Smith's simulator has features. The bar is not located behind the head, but under the chin - on the shoulders. Due to this, the stress is focused on the quadriceps and partly on the buttocks. Frontal squats with free weight represent some disadvantages - the bar constantly strives to move off the shoulders, especially at the end of the set, when the forces are almost gone. In Smith's simulator, this problem does not arise, since the guides constantly hold the neck in a vertical plane.

Another advantage of the simulator is the ability to use the technique of explosive repetition. It allows you to work out the so-called fast fibers of the muscles of the legs. If you do frontal squats with free weight, it is almost impossible to apply this technique, since the bar constantly needs stabilization. Therefore, it is better to do explosive repetitions in Smith's simulator.

According to the technique, the front squat in "Smith" does not differ from the usual one. It should be noted that you can cross your arms for comfort, and your legs should be under the neck. That is an option for pumping the buttocks, in which the legs are put forward, is impossible here.

Squat in the "Smith" on one leg

If your legs are so hardy that all of the above techniques do not work, try making a squat for each leg separately. During squats on one leg, you need to keep balance, which adversely affects the technique of movement. And if you add more and the bar, then the correct technique and at all you can forget. Therefore, for those who want to squat on one leg with a decent weight, an invaluable assistant will be a simulator Smith.

This training allows you to accentuate the quadriceps. To maintain the correct technique, do not seek to take too much weight. The depth of the squats should be no more than in the classical version. If you squat too deeply, the knee joint will get the load, which is undesirable.

The squatting in the "Smith"

This modification of sit-ups is the least common, yet it has the right to exist. Typically, such squats are used by weightlifters and powerlifters for additional work on the lower phase of squatting with the bar. The knee squat allows, first, to load the big muscles at an unaccustomed angle, and secondly - to touch the small muscle groups, which are usually deprived of attention. In exercise, the muscles of the buttocks and thighs, as well as the semimembranous and semitendinous muscle. This is a very specific exercise, which is not suitable for those who think only about the recruitment of muscle mass.

The technique of doing this exercise is quite simple, but it requires caution. Starting position: the knees are slightly wider than the shoulders, the shins are parallel to each other, the socks are densely placed on the floor, the back is slightly bent, the neck lies just below the neck on the trapezius muscles. It is necessary to descend until the buttocks reach the upper part of the calves. In the lower position, you should feel the stretching of the gluteal muscles. Then comes the ascent. In the upper position, you can take a short pause.

Conclusion

The squat in "Smith", the technique of performing which is not very difficult, is a universal exercise. It will suit both beginners and experienced athletes as a basic training. Very well, this exercise helps those who recover from injuries.