Smith machine lunges with weights or body weight. Squats with a barbell, kettlebell and dumbbells to pump up the gluteal muscles

Features of the exercise

Many categories of athletes are recommended to study at Smith:

• beginners, including those with poor balance;
• girls whose goal is to correct their figure and burn calories;
• persons exercising without an insurance partner;
• athletes after injuries;
• people over 50 years old;
• persons with limited joint mobility.

The Smith machine makes a heavy base safer for you.

What's the point

The Smith machine is a special structure; it is attached to the floor using special large rods. It has hooks to secure the barbell. The essence of the device is the movement of the bar along a strict trajectory, so that even a beginner can exercise without fear of losing balance and dropping the barbell. The apparatus helps you easily achieve good results when working with weights, because it relieves the stabilizing muscles that are involved in maintaining balance, which helps you better concentrate on working with your core muscles. Like kettlebell plies or goblet squats, for example, the Smith machine works the muscles you focus on.

Benefit

Arguments in favor of the projectile:

• a large number of exercise options;
• accentuated work on specific muscles;
• high security;
• Any beginner can practice without a trainer's insurance.

The Smith machine is best suited for explosive training (performing exercises as quickly as possible while maintaining proper technique).

Smith squats provide the following benefits:

• development of small muscles, including calf muscles;
• working out all the muscles of the buttocks to create beautiful rounded shapes;
• increase in muscle volume;
• strengthening core muscles;
• stabilizing the stability of the knee joints.

Smith machine - what is it?

If we consider the design of the simulator, it consists of the following elements:

• fingerboard;
• hooks;
• guides;
• limiters.

More recently, such a simulator was equipped with a floating bar, but this is completely incorrect. Modern Smith machines are equipped with a bar positioned strictly horizontally, which allows you to perform a much wider range of exercises, even bench press with one arm.

This sports equipment was created so that the trainee could perform movements limited in amplitude by means of limiters; this is the essence of its design.

The main purpose of this type of machine is to ensure stable weight distribution. The training process for a person with increased weight that has not yet been mastered is much more effective and safer with the help of this simulator.

It should also be noted that when working on a Smith machine, you will not need to distract anyone for insurance, since its role is played by limiters. It is thanks to their presence that the possibility that the load will drop too low is eliminated, and it will never be able to crush the trainee.

What muscles work?

The load on muscle groups is distributed differently each time, it all depends on the type of exercise.

The following work in squats:

• quadriceps;
• gluteus maximus;
• gluteus minimus and medius;
• muscles of the back of the thigh;
• calf;
• lateral;
• straight hips;
• biceps femur.

While working in the simulator, you have the opportunity to install safety stops that will protect you from injury.

Execution technique

The basic rule is not to bring your knees beyond the front line of your feet. You need to keep your back straight, squeezing your shoulder blades.

Types of lunges:

• forward;
• back;
• Bulgarian;
• oblique.

At home, you can exercise both with and without weights. The extra weight will help you achieve rounder buttocks faster.

Lunges forward

Squats with your body weight shifted forward are a classic option. From a smith position with a barbell on your shoulders, you need to step forward and shift your weight, the other leg remaining behind. Lunges with dumbbells for the buttocks in Smith are the most effective, while not causing injury. The classic version is performed with various weighting materials.

Fixed plane training uses fewer joints and muscles than free weights.

Reverse lunges or back lunges

This type of squat is done from the same position, only before starting the exercise the leg is moved back. It's best for beginners to start with back lunges with a lighter weight than usual, gradually increasing the load as they progress.

Due to the vertical movement of the barbell, the main load when performing some exercises falls on the shoulder joints.

Side lunges

In this type of exercise, the adductor muscles of the thigh and gluteus medius are loaded more. It is recommended that beginners do side lunges without weights to practice the technique. A little later they add weight.

Step-by-step technique of the side version:

1. Stand straight with your feet next to each other.
2. Move your leg to the side as far as possible.
3. Bend your abducted leg at the knee to form a 90-degree angle.
4. Do not bend the other leg, do not lift it off the floor.
5. Lean your torso forward slightly as if you were squatting down.
6. Return to step 1, pushing off with the heel of your working leg.

The Smith machine allows you to remove some of the stress from the joints and back, while working the muscles of the body.

Bulgarian lunges

Bulgarian lunges are a more complicated version, suitable for those who are more prepared. They differ from ordinary ones by using a bench or other elevation. Bulgarian squats help to train not only large target muscle groups, but also the stabilizing group due to the difficulty of maintaining balance.

Correct technique:

1. Moving your leg back, place your toe on the prepared raised platform.
2. Bend the leg you are leaning on slightly.
3. Slowly descend as deep as possible.
4. Make sure your knees do not lean forward too much. If necessary, abduct your leg further.

As progress is made, weights are added.

The effect on specific muscles directly depends on how the legs are positioned.

Cross lunges

Criss-cross glute lunges (curtsy or diagonal lunges) work the hip adductors well. As you progress, you can add cross lunges with a barbell or dumbbells.

Technically, it is carried out step by step according to the following points:

1. Begin the exercise standing straight.
2. One leg is brought back crosswise with the other to the maximum distance.
3. At the same time, bend the leg on which you are leaning.
4. Return to point 1.

Try squatting with an empty bar when you don't have at least a month of training under your belt.

special instructions

When performing the exercise, follow the following tips (true for both girls and boys):

• During the approach, inhale as deeply as possible. In this case, the inhalation should be done in a negative phase, when you lower, switching the load to the legs and buttock muscles. Exhale as you lift your torso;
• control your center of gravity, which can shift when performing lunges and you will lose your balance. The ideal option is to shift the center of gravity to the heel of the working leg. In this case, the foot should be completely on the floor (without lifting the toe);
• do lunges in the most comfortable sneakers (sneakers). The sole should be flat for better fixation with the flooring. Slippers and other “house” shoes are prohibited;
• Do not spread your knees to the side under any circumstances. It is important that the knee joint points in the same direction as the toe. In this case, the risk of injury will be minimal;
• change the order of legs from time to time (it is better to do this at each new lesson). This approach will avoid distortion, helping to evenly pump the muscles of the thighs and buttocks;
• try to use the exercise not as the main one, but as an auxiliary option (in addition to the main load for the legs and buttocks). In this case, you can achieve maximum effect;
• Avoid using too much weight, which increases the risk of injury.

What alternatives are there to this exercise?

If you have problems with the musculoskeletal system, you can find an alternative: walking or working without additional weight. This way you will unload the spine and be able to work separately on different muscles.

Pistol

Pistol squats are called squats on one leg. Cross lunges (curtsy squats) can be replaced with a pistol. The pistol exercise is more difficult to perform, as you need to maintain balance.

In terms of biomechanics, this exercise is almost similar to classic squats, but for some athletes it is much more difficult to perform.

Sissy squats

This variety is one of the most productive, leads to quick results, but is suitable for trained athletes. Without good physical preparation, it can lead to injury.

Sissy squat technique:

1. Grasp or lean against the support with your hands to maintain balance.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, lift your feet off the floor.
3. Bend your knees slightly and pull them and your pelvis forward.
4. As you inhale, tilt your body back, bending your knees.
5. Lock in at the lowest point.
6. Exhaling, return to the top position.

The greatest effect will be achieved by performing sissy squats after all training on the lower body, with severe muscle fatigue.

As a rule, the exercise is used by experienced athletes, whose muscles are sufficiently developed by basic exercises and require targeted polishing of individual areas.

Jumping onto a box

The second name of this variety is spring jumping. They place less stress on the target muscles, but are an excellent addition to a lower body workout routine. This type of training is recommended as a preparatory stage for warming up the muscles before other exercises.

In this exercise you develop explosive strength and avoid damage to the knee joints.

During classes, strive for the following:

• land on your full foot;
• knees in neutral position;
• the abdominal muscles are tense;
• do not jump to a height higher than 50 centimeters.

The exercise uses almost all the muscles in the legs and is great for both men and women.

Smith lunges workout for men and women

An alternative to classic lunges were similar exercises in the Smith machine. The effectiveness of the universal technique is confirmed by regular training in the simulator for bodybuilders and powerlifters, including practices on the lower body. The isolated exercise is technically difficult. Maintaining balance requires coordination of movements.

Particular attention is paid to warming up. Muscle mobility and the safety of knee joints and ligaments depend on the degree of warming up. Before lunges, it is better to do leg presses and squats

Before lunges, it is better to do leg presses and squats.

The work involves focused pumping of the quadriceps femoris muscle with indirect loading of the posterior surface, buttocks, and trapezius. The abdominal, long back muscles serve as stabilizers.

Smith machine lunge technique

We stand on a bench or platform in the simulator, and hang plates with the required weight on the bar.

1. Holding the projectile with a narrow grip, we place it at the top of the trapezius (above the 7th cervical vertebra).
2. We take our right leg back, placing our feet firmly on the toes or bench. The wider the step, the more actively the buttocks work.
3. We align the body and focus our gaze on a specific point.
4. With a straight back, we slowly lower ourselves down, smoothly bending the supporting leg until a right angle is formed at the knee.
5. Maintaining balance, we freeze for a second.
6. We straighten up with a powerful, focused movement of the leg in front. When lifting, we feel the tension in the gluteal muscles. To increase efficiency and relieve tension from the joint, we do not straighten the knee completely.
7. Change the position of the limbs and repeat.

You can do 11-13 takes on one leg, then on the other.

"Scissors"

Girls prefer lunges in place. The exercise perfectly works the buttocks, corrects the shape of the hips, and develops core stabilizers.

Men consider the option as a shock load on the quadriceps.

1. We remove the barbell from the racks and place the trapezoid on top.
2. With your left foot, take a narrow step forward (half-lunge).
3. We either place the right knee under the shoulder or move it far back. If in the first case the emphasis is on the quadriceps, in the second - on the large gluteal muscle.
4. The center of gravity is in the center.
5. As you exhale, with the effort of both limbs we return to a vertical position.

Let's see how to do lunges in the Smith machine in the video:

Unlike the classic version, the position of the legs remains unchanged (10 x 3).

Cross lunges in Smith for girls

The modified version further develops the mobility of the hip joint. The difference is in the position of the legs, the position of the spine.

1. We turn the toe of the front leg inward by 45 degrees.
2. With the abducted leg, we step to the side, place the foot symmetrically first, and fall slightly forward with the body.
3. We perform moderately deep squats 6 times on each leg.

Lunges in the Smith machine for girls in video format:

Smith lunges from step platform

Ideal option for girls and boys.

Works: quadriceps, biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus. The exercise visually lengthens the hips and emphasizes the contours of the back, inner part.

The algorithm of actions is similar to the previous technique. A nuance - we lower the knee of the back leg below the platform, so that when lifting we have to push the body up from a deep position. Then the buttocks and hamstrings will stretch completely.

We start working with an empty bar, and after adapting to the technique, we gradually increase the weight. His choice depends on the level of training. For male athletes – 25-30 kg, women – 12-25 kg.

Training programs

Beginners should start without weights or with small weights. The exercises are combined, doing several sets of 3 sets with 10 repetitions. Depending on the goals, several types of lunges and squats are combined. To eliminate rollers under the knees, it is recommended to consult a personal trainer or other specialist; he will help you choose the right weight for training.

To effectively work out the buttocks and thighs for beginning female athletes, you can use the following scheme:

• do lunges on the spot or walk around the room, at least four approaches, each with ten repetitions;
• Smith lunges - at least four sets of ten to fifteen squats;
• Smith leg curls, five sets of ten times.

For more prepared athletes:

• squats with dumbbells in three sets at least ten times;
• Smith squats in three sets of ten to fifteen times;
• hack squats with three to four sets of ten repetitions;
• lunges with dumbbells in three sets;
• split squats three sets of ten repetitions;
• Bench leg press three sets of ten times;
• Romanian deadlift four sets of fifteen repetitions;
• walking with dumbbells in sets of ten repetitions.

Execution options

• Depending on the stride length. The shorter the step, the more the quadriceps is loaded during work, and the less = the femoral biceps. The longer the step, the more significantly the glutes work, and the less the quadriceps. The short step is designed to work the quadriceps;
• A variation of this exercise can be considered a lunge with rubber bands around the hips; in this case, additional stress is placed on the buttocks, and you can take less weight in the Smith machine;
• A separate variation is a lunge with a frontal position of the barbell; it is designed to strengthen the muscles of the front surface of the thighs and buttocks almost simultaneously. This variation is chosen if harmonious muscle development is necessary, and not just pumping up the gluteal

Bulgarian split squats in Smith sometimes serve as the main exercise in the plan, and then they are added solely as the first movement. In other plans, they are designed to complement basic compound movements, increase hip mobility, and improve the functioning of specific muscle groups. The exercise can be performed either in a power mode for 5-6 repetitions, or in a more multi-repetition mode; the choice of mode depends on the goal.

Bulgarian lunges in Smith

Watch this video on YouTube

Split squat technique

Split squats or Bulgarian lunges work well all the gluteal muscles, thigh muscles and calves. In this case, one leg remains isolated, which helps to load additional groups to stabilize balance.

With dumbbells, disc in place

Step by step execution:

1. Take weights and stand with your back to the stand.
2. Place the abducted leg on the apparatus. This is the starting position.
3. Bend your leg and squat down.
4. Don’t slouch your back or arch your back, look straight.

In Smith

Exercises with a machine help relieve the stabilizing muscles due to the fixed movement of the barbell. Due to this, it becomes easier to control the entire process of training and the correctness of movements.

To perform the Bulgarian split, you need to prepare a bench or other elevated surface. Starting position - the abducted leg lies with the toe on the bench, the bar on the shoulders. From the starting position, slowly squat so that your supporting leg is bent to 90 degrees. The first movement is the pelvis stretches back.

Subtleties of the Smith split squat:

• take an acceptable weight, do not overload, adjust the bar as comfortably as possible;
• stand comfortably under the barbell, feet shoulder-width apart;
• bend your back slightly, look strictly straight;
• inhaling, lower yourself;
• exhaling, rise

Proper squat technique in Smith

Before the exercise, you need to stretch the muscles of your legs and lower back (the classic “reach to the floor with straight legs”). We start with a warm-up. No scales!

1. We approach Smith and place the bar at the desired level. How to choose it? Set the height so that you are not standing on your toes, but also do not sag under the barbell. The step between levels is usually 10–15 cm, so choosing the right one is not a problem.
2. We stand under the bar so that it is located between your shoulder blades and neck. We take the barbell with a comfortable grip at a level slightly wider than shoulder width. We bring our shoulder blades together as much as possible by lifting our elbows up. Often in the gym there are special circular overlays for the bar. If you are afraid of bruises, or it hurts when the bar presses on your back, use a pad. It is correct when the weight is supported not on the vertebrae, not on the neck, but on the muscles between the shoulder blades.
3. The bar can be approached from both sides. You need to try sitting down this way and that way to see which way is more comfortable for you. Most often, practitioners stand with their backs to the bar on the outside of the Smith machine, rather than inside it.
4. We place our legs forward beyond the line of the bar so that you rest on the bar. This particular pose is very convenient for women, because it allows you to focus the exercise on pumping the buttocks. We bend the lower back so that the pelvis moves slightly back. We follow the natural arches in the back.
5. We turn the bar so that it leaves the safety fastenings. We try to pull our elbows as high as possible.
6. We begin to descend. Make sure (or have someone watch you) that your knees don't go past your toes. The pelvis goes back as much as possible, the body slightly forward. Smith machine squats are convenient because you won't fall. Therefore, feel free to stand up as we advise.
7. We sit down to parallel with the floor or slightly lower. We linger in this position for literally half a second. Exhale and rise to the starting position. We repeat the exercise 9 more times.

Catch your breath, ladies and gentlemen - this was a warm-up. Next we work with weight.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=embed/OBhf2yqCdpc

Forward or backward, what is the difference and which is more effective?

Lunges with or without a barbell forward are considered classics. The muscles that work in this variety are:

• medial;
• lateral;
• straight gluteal;
• quadriceps (mostly involved in the work).

When you put your feet back, the following are loaded:

• two-headed;
• semitendinosus;
• semi-membrane;
• gluteus maximus;
• quadriceps (less involved).

When the leg is laid back, the knee joints are less loaded. Due to the fact that the exercise is easier, the muscles are less loaded. The Bulgarian squat is performed using the reverse technique. You can add dumbbells after mastering the classic version, so as not to damage the joints.

Features of squats in the Smith machine and their advantages

Nuances of the exercise:

• when reaching the top point, you cannot fully extend your legs;
• the supporting leg stands firmly and does not come off the floor;
• start with light weights and repetitions in the range of 10-12 times;
• start with a low bench, later you can choose a higher support;
• look strictly straight;
• the back is not arched, the shoulder blades are closed;
• do not fall to the sides;
• Perform squats until your thighs are parallel to the horizontal surface or even deeper;
• lifting is carried out by pushing the heel into the floor;
• take your time, lower and rise without jerking, squeezing your muscles.

The disadvantages of the Smith frame include a limited trajectory of movement in one plane.

What muscle groups are squats designed for?

Depending on the position of the legs, you can focus on working with different muscle groups. If you place your legs towards each other, the quadriceps are loaded; if wide, the inner thighs and gluteus maximus are loaded; with your legs extended forward, the gluteal muscles and hamstrings are loaded. Smith barbell workouts are easy to perform, yet effective. If you can’t go to the gym or the loads seem too heavy for you, then a simulator such as a gliding disc is suitable for pumping up your hips and buttocks.

Technique for performing squats in a Smith machine

At the preparatory stage, adjust the height of the bar to suit you. It will be considered an incorrect position if you bend over or stand on your toes.

Step-by-step squat technique:

1. The bar must be positioned so that it rests on the trapezoid.
2. Grasp the bar with your hands, which you need to hold slightly further than your shoulders, pull your elbows up.
3. The bar should not fall lower and put pressure on the spine. To avoid discomfort, cover your shoulders.
4. Make a slight bend in the lower back, move your pelvis slightly back.
5. Place your feet shoulder-width apart.
6. Remove the barbell and squat deeper.
7. The pelvis should go back when squatting.

Contraindications

There are the following contraindications to performing lunges on a Smith machine:

• recent spinal injury;
• inflammatory diseases of the joints;
• gout;
• meniscus damage;
• knee problems: joint injuries, tendons, ligaments;
• pain in the joints, lower back - a ban on lunges with weights, it is recommended to replace them with other types of exercises.

Girls should not use too heavy a working weight, even if they plan to train in Smith with a minimum number of repetitions. Overload of skeletal muscles can lead to injury to the neck, spine, and knee joints.

Contraindications and precautions

If the technique is not followed correctly, the following harm can occur:

• knee joints will ache;
• there will be pain in the ankle;
• your back and lower back will hurt;
• the effectiveness of the load on the muscles will decrease.

If you have diseases of the musculoskeletal system, avoid such activities.

Weighted squats are the most popular and effective way to quickly achieve a beautiful figure. Classes at Smith are great for all categories: beginners, people after injuries, as well as athletes of any gender and level of training. Exercises for the buttocks with dumbbells are a little more difficult than Smith exercises due to increased control over balance. To diversify the load on the muscles, the complex must include lunges to the side and Bulgarian lunges in Smith. The exercise machine is used to burn calories and work out the buttocks and thighs. To pump up your buttocks, it is important not only to follow the correct technique, but also to follow a diet to gain weight.