Is a Smith Machine worse than nothing at all?

[Kevin99]

I will be travelling next week. The "gym" at the hotel has a Smith Machine but no free barbells. Upon entering this place, I shall spit on the floor.

If I really focus on my form, can I still squat on this machine, or is there an unacceptable risk of injury? Is there moral hazard to using this piece of shit machine -- like buying gloves, am I just encouraging these people?

The answer to the second question is obviously "yes," but I'll still use the thing if it can avoid too much training setback. Thanks.

[Shion]

Squatting in a smith is a whole different animal. Just make sure your feet are positioned well ahead of you so that the spine remains parallel to the bar path set by the machine and you should be okay. Then again, you could just take the week off and eat like an animal to recover fully and blast the barbell around when you get back home.

[msingh]

Just deadlift.

Don't try the smith machine heavy if you haven't used it before - you can injure yourself quite easily on the bottom position since it can force you into a position your back doesn't wan't to be in. I used one over xmas holidays while travelling and found it scary at the bottom. Having said that, if you do partial squats it might be ok. Alternatively Leg press and do some ham/glute exercises - should be much safer.

[Paul Sousa]

Just deadlift.

In the smith machine? That sounds horribly awkward.

What other equipment does the place have? Plenty of ways to get creative for a week.

[msingh]

In the smith machine? That sounds horribly awkward.

Oh. No i don't know about deadlifts in the SM. I was assuming there was a barbell for a bench, at least, he could use for DL. If that's not the case then i'm guessing he wont be benching or pressing either.. unless he uses dumbells.

[Briks42]

I will be travelling next week. The "gym" at the hotel has a Smith Machine but no free barbells. Upon entering this place, I shall spit on the floor.

If I really focus on my form, can I still squat on this machine, or is there an unacceptable risk of injury? Is there moral hazard to using this piece of shit machine -- like buying gloves, am I just encouraging these people?

The answer to the second question is obviously "yes," but I'll still use the thing if it can avoid too much training setback. Thanks.

There is no moral hazard. If you could use it effectively, I'd say go for it. But I don't know how you use it effectively. What else does the gym have? Dumbells?

[Kevin99]

There is no moral hazard. If you could use it effectively, I'd say go for it. But I don't know how you use it effectively. What else does the gym have? Dumbells?

Light dumbbells. I think I'll take the advice from the "exercising while travelling" thread below. I'll use the Smith Machine for chin-ups and pull-ups. I'll also brush my ass against it and fart.

Whoever invented the Smith Machine should be tried as a war criminal.

[Paul Sousa]

Oh. No i don't know about deadlifts in the SM. I was assuming there was a barbell for a bench, at least, he could use for DL. If that's not the case then i'm guessing he wont be benching or pressing either.. unless he uses dumbells.

Yeah, he mentioned not having any free barbells. I was trying to picture a DL in a smith machine and it didn't sound like anything you'd be in favor of.

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Squatting in a smith is a whole different animal. Just make sure your feet are positioned well ahead of you so that the spine remains parallel to the bar path set by the machine and you should be okay.

I actually think this is a very good way to injure your knees big time.
Feet forward means that when your legs hit parallel, your back is almost vertical, and therefore your hams are shortened. Hence, there is a big force trying to pull your knee out (your quads), but no force trying to pull it back in (this would be the hams' job), and the result is a big shear force on your knee.

IPB

[Shion]

I actually think this is a very good way to injure your knees big time.
Feet forward means that when your legs hit parallel, your back is almost vertical, and therefore your hams are shortened. Hence, there is a big force trying to pull your knee out (your quads), but no force trying to pull it back in (this would be the hams' job), and the result is a big shear force on your knee.

IPB

The alternative, which would be to try and make it as close to a normal barbell squat, is horrendous stress on the lumbar and sacrum. The only way to keep these smith machine squats with the feet out in front relatively safe is to not go very deep with them. But then, the best way to not get injured while doing smith machine squats is to just not do them at all, which is what would be my choice anyway.