I believe everyone still knows about the Smith Squat and the Free Squat. Both the Smith Squat and the Free Squat have very good training effects, but many people don’t know the difference between the Smith Squat and the Free Squat. , of course some people still understand. So, what is the difference between the Smith Squat and the Free Squat? Let’s find out together below!

Overall muscle activity

Since the body cannot rely on any equipment to maintain balance during free squats, the activity of the biceps femoris, gastrocnemius, and middle diaphragm muscles at this time is significantly higher than when doing Smith squats, although in the two movements, the activity of other muscles There is no difference in activity, but the overall muscle activity during free squats increases by an average of 43%. In this regard, free squats are better than Smith machine squats.

In the editor’s opinion, fitness is a whole-body exercise. Although isolation exercises can be used to exercise a certain muscle group, the squat itself is a compound exercise, so it should be used to exercise as many muscles as possible. Muscle group, if you want to focus on strengthening the quadriceps, then you can definitely use seated leg extensions.

Training weight

According to the above, when doing free squats, you not only need to control the up and down of the barbell, but also rely on your own strength to maintain balance. The Smith machine solves the balance problem very well. There is no doubt that for the same person, Generally speaking, the training weight of Smith machine squat is definitely heavier than that of free squat.

In the editor's opinion, although the training weight of the Smith machine squat is heavier, it can be said to be a kind of empty weight, because the Smith machine makes you completely lose the ability to balance independently. Once you do it for a long time, Your balance and stability ability will be very poor, which will give you the illusion that my thighs are strong. However, when you do free squats, the weight you can use will be very limited. In general, the leg muscles trained by free squats are more practical and natural, while the leg muscles trained by Smith machine squats are just beautiful in appearance.

Training parts

If you observe carefully, you will find that the stance of the Smith Machine Squat is slightly different from that of the Free Squat. When using the Smith machine, even if your back is leaning on the barbell, your feet are in front, and your body is diagonal, you will not lose your balance. When the barbell is lowered to the lowest point, your thighs and calves can form a 90-degree angle; When using a free squat, the feet must be as close to the center of gravity of the body as possible. When the barbell is lowered to the lowest point, the knees willReaching toe.

In the editor's opinion, the Smith machine squat completely limits the autonomy of the movement. It can only stimulate the quadriceps, but the gluteus maximus, biceps femoris and other muscles are rarely involved. Over time, the gluteal muscles will be weakened. Strength is not directly proportional to leg muscle strength, which will inevitably affect the improvement of the overall level.

Knee

According to the above, when doing Smith machine squats, you usually go straight up and down. The fixed track limits the participation of the gluteus maximus and hamstring muscles. Coupled with the special stance, the knees and spine There will be more pressure, which is undoubtedly a blow to people with bad knees. In the editor's opinion, for ordinary fitness enthusiasts, no matter whether their knees are good or bad, there is no need to pursue excessive training weights, as long as they can fully exercise their bodies. After all, overtraining can also cause physical damage.

Speaking of this, the editor would like to suggest that even novices should try not to use Smith machine squats. Its training effect is far inferior to free squats. If the gym does not have a squat rack, you can use dumbbells or Barbell Squat. Squats are one of the best fitness exercises. When used correctly, you can not only have thick and powerful thighs, but also promote the growth of muscles throughout the body. However, if you keep using the wrong movements, it will cause irreparable damage to the body. .