Most well-equipped gyms have a Smith Machine. It is a large rectangular frame with an in-built weights bar that slides up and down. Its big advantage is safety, especially for people who are recovering from injury or who lack confidence with free weights like barbells and heavy dumbbells. You can do bench presses or squats with a Smith Machine.
You may find that you can even lift heavier weights with a Smith than if you used free weights. The reason for this is that the bar is restrained and slides up and down in the same plane, thus not exposing you to the instability and the necessary recruitment of stabilizer muscles. It's good that you can lift heavy, but it is a little artificial because you are not required to recruit these additional muscles, whether of the upper or lower body. Here's how to use it.
- If there is a bench under the bar, remove it.
- Raise the sliding bar to a height that will allow you to hold the bar across your shoulders for a back squat. Hook it over the retainers.
- Select a weights plate for either end. Start small until you know what you can lift.
- Position yourself under the bar with hands held at the appropriate position on the bar about shoulder width apart. Feet should be approximately shoulders apart and slightly turned out.
- Take the strain, then unhook the bar and start the squat, bending at the hips.
- Keep the back straight. Make sure your first movement is your butt outward. Don't get your back in a curved position.
- Go at least to the point where your upper thighs are parallel to the ground. You can go lower (butt to ground) when you get stronger and trust your knees.
- Stop this exercise (or any other for that matter) if you have acute or chronic knee or shoulder pain.
That's it. Progress slowly and upgrade to the free-weights racks when you are confident enough.
