Execution Cues:
Smith Squats:
- Move the bar in the Smith Machine to shoulder height. The bar should be at roughly your nipple line. Make sure it is fully rotated into the hook and locked in place. Adjust the stops (if available) to roughly mid thigh for safety.
- Step up to the bar, place your hands equidistant from the center (as narrow as you can comfortably manage), and grip the bar firmly.
- Now dip your head under the bar, assume your desired stance, and contact the bar with your mid traps. You should now be wedged into a balanced position and ready to unrack the bar.
- The stance you choose should be adherent with your goals. Narrow width and “feet-under-hips” is going to promote more knee flexion and quad dominance. Wider and “more-forward” will cater to hip flexion (and less knee flexion) and glute dominance.
- Next, brace your midsection and extend your knees and hips to lift the bar out of the hooks. Rotate the hooks to unlock the bar. Note that it’s easier to rotate backwards to unlock and forwards to lock.
- Now take a diaphragmatic breath into your belly to brace, actively pull the bar down into your traps to engage your back musculature, and solidify neutrality from pelvis to neck. To begin the rep, break at the knees and hips simultaneously and initiate the eccentric with knee and hip flexion.
- Continue to descend with control while maintaining a neutral spine. Individual differences and specific goals will determine the biomechanics through this phase.
- Once you reach the depth in which you can no longer continue the eccentric without compromising positioning, decelerate carefully to reduce the stretch reflex and momentum. Brace hard at the bottom of the rep.
- Shift into the concentric by mirroring the eccentric as closely as possible and extending the knees/hips with careful consideration towards pelvic/spinal neutrality. Continue the ascent until fully erect and balanced with knees. Note that hips may not be fully extended in lockout of Smith Squats due to the variable stance.
- Once the set is over, carefully rotate the bar and lock the hooks back into the machine.
SSB Squats:
- Set J hooks up at shoulder height in a half or power rack. Place a safety bar inside the J hooks. At rest, the handles should be pointing in the direction you intend to be facing.
- Step up to the bar and grip the handles firmly.
- Now dip your head under the pad, shift your feet evenly under your hips, and contact the bar with your shoulders and upper traps. You should now be wedged into a balanced position and ready to unrack the bar.
- Brace your midsection and extend your knees and hips to lift the bar out of the J hooks. After you have your balance and the load settles, slowly walk back from the hooks taking small, deliberate steps. Make sure that as the load shifts with each step, your trunk rigidity is NOT compromised.
- Once the bar and plates are clear of obstructions, allow the load to settle once again, assume your desired stance (typically, about shoulder width with feet slightly externally rotated), and regain your balance/composure.
- Now take a diaphragmatic breath into your belly to brace, maintain slight upward pressure on the handles so your cervical spine is in a natural position, and make sure your low back is neutral. To begin the rep, break at the knees and hips simultaneously and initiate the eccentric with knee and hip flexion.
- Continue to descend with control while maintaining a neutral spine. Individual differences will contribute to variance within specific execution parameters like knee and hip angles so it's important to work within your own anatomical bounds. Note that pulling down hard on the handles will collapse your thoracic spine into flexion, so try to maintain consistent upward pressure on the handles (but not so much that the bar rolls backwards off your shoulders).
- Once you reach the depth in which you can no longer continue the eccentric without compromising positioning, decelerate carefully to reduce the stretch reflex and momentum. Brace hard at the bottom of the rep.
- Shift into the concentric by mirroring the eccentric as closely as possible and extending the knees/hips with careful consideration towards pelvic/spinal neutrality. Continue the ascent until upright and balanced with knees and hips locked out.
- Once the set is over, carefully walk the bar back into the rack, making sure each side has cleared the J hook lips, and mindfully set the bar back on the rack.
Key Similarities:
- Axially-loaded, bilateral squat pattern
- Large hypertrophic stimulus for the quads and glutes
- In conjunction with the above, both movements can be adjusted (to varying degrees) for more quad or glute bias
- Well suited for low-to-moderate rep ranges (5-12)
- Both work very well for increasing general lower body strength
- Each movement allows for alleviation of T-spine/shoulder mobility restrictions to varying degrees
- Dependent on specialty equipment
Key Differences:
- Due to Smith Squats being fixed on a two-dimensional track, they are not as limited by lower body mobility restrictions. SSB Squats are done with free weight and at the mercy of the trainee’s ankle and hip mobility.
- Though Smith Squats are axially-loaded, the magnitude and risk are much lower than that of SSB Squats.
- SSB Squats have a steep learning curve due to the complexity of the variation. Smith Squats can be picked up rather quickly and easily even by beginners.
- SSB Squats are better suited for very low rep ranges (1-3 reps) while Smith Squats are better for high rep ranges (12-20).
- Smith Squats are safer to train at high relative intensities (closer to failure) due to less external failure points and magnitude of axial loading.
- Smith Squats are also more applicable for using intensity techniques like load drop sets, rest-pause, and cluster sets.
- SSB Squats will have more carry-over to athletic performance and general functionality due to the more generalized demands.
- SSB Squats will also more directly stimulate the erectors, traps and abdominal complex.
- Smith Squats allow for more intra-rep and intra-set variability and corrections.
- SSB Squats are going to create more systemic fatigue and recovery deficits than Smith Squats, though the latter may come with more local fatigue in the quads and glutes due to more of an isolated effect.
- Smith Squats will come with more variability between makes and models of machines. At times, the entire movement pattern can be altered depending on which model is being used.
Primary Use Case for Smith Squats:
-Hypertrophy of the Quads and Glutes
-Increased Squat Strength
Primary Use Case for SSB Squats:
-Hypertrophy of the Quads and Glutes
-Increased Squat Strength