For girls, squatting in "Smith" is the same mandatory part of the workout as for guys. The machine, bearing a masculine name, was invented in the early 1950s. of the last century by the fitness legend Jack LaLaney, and its popular name "Smith" received from the owner of the sports club, where this power machine first appeared. The simulator is a static installation that helps athletes quickly get their bodies in shape and not only pump up the muscles of the buttocks and legsbut will also recover from injury. "Smith" consists of guides along which the bar moves, stops and, directly, the bar with hooks.
The advantage of the fitness machine is that it allows the athlete not to fall and keeps his body in a strictly defined position. In addition, when training on "Smith", an assistant or an insurer is not needed, which is very convenient for independent training or when the trainers are busy.
Essence and basic principles
Squatting in "Smith" for girls can be performed in several ways, and they depend on what effect the person who came to the gym wants to achieve. The essence of squats is to warm up, tighten and pump the muscles of the buttocks, legs and back.
Performing the exercise, you need:
- put your feet shoulder-width apart;
- position the feet so that the socks look straight or slightly to the sides;
- keep your back straight;
- go down, straining your legs and buttocks as much as possible;
- do not fall forward or backward.
Several types of squats can be performed on a fitness machine, while the main convenience is complete body fixation, which allows you to work out various muscle groups as much as possible.
There are several basic sets of legs when working on "Smith":
- together;
- shoulder width apart;
- wide (more than shoulder width);
- the feet are slightly forward.
In the first case, staging the legs "together" is used by athletes so that the maximum load falls on the front of the quadriceps and knees. This variation is commonly used by bodybuilders to prepare for a competition. Feet shoulder-width apart is a popular position among girls when exercising on a fitness machine. This positioning of the limbs will allow you to pump problem areas, such as the inner thighs and the sides of the legs. Legs behind shoulder width are also used in most cases by female athletes. In this position, the inner thigh is actively pumped.
For those who want to work out the buttocks, you need to bring your feet forward a little and lean your back on the bar. This is the only exercise that can only be done in Smith.
To get started in a fitness machine, you need to follow a few simple guidelines:
| What to do? | How to do it? |
| Set the bar to the desired level | Correct bar height is a position where the athlete does not stand on his toes at maximum extension and does not squat under the barbell at maximum squat. |
| Place the bar between the shoulder blades and neck | Approaching the bar, they grasp it in a convenient way at a level slightly wider than the shoulders and raise the elbows up, bringing the shoulder blades as much as possible.The weight should be supported by the muscles located between the shoulder blades. |
| Put your feet in the chosen position | For the workout to be effective, you need to put your legs in the required position (girls try to put their feet behind the bar line). |
| Remove the bar from a safe position | To do this, you need to crank the bar so that it comes out of the harness. |
| Start exercise | Squat in "Smith" as low as possible, so that parallel with the floor is maintained. Stand in the car so that the legs and knees are straightened as much as possible. |
When working with the simulator, you need to remember that you can approach the bar from any side convenient for the athlete. It is recommended to pull the elbows up as much as possible during training. You also need to ensure that the knees do not go beyond the line of the toes when squatting, and the weight does not fall only on the front of the feet.
Indications for the beginning of use
Squats in "Smith" for girls are performed when they cannot do full-fledged classic squats or want to get the maximum effect from the workout.
Fitness machine exercises are shown for beginners who want to work out muscles:
- breasts;
- legs;
- shoulders;
- hands;
- back;
- buttocks.
Training on "Smith" is carried out in cases where there is a problem with self-maintaining balance and after injuries, when it is not possible to sit down without support. The simulator will help girls learn how to perform a squat correctly and concentrate during training on those muscles that are currently active. In addition, a fitness machine is suitable for those who want to start training with weights, but are afraid that they will not keep their balance or cope without a partner. "Smith" is one of the safest simulators, since the bar with and without pancakes is fixed by the system and will not fall on the athlete and others.
Contraindications for use
For girls, squatting in "Smith" is contraindicated if training with this assistant takes more than 30 days. Despite the convenience of the machine, experienced athletes call it a "base killer", since the bar location parameters are not designed for individual performance. In addition, sessions with Smith are not recommended for professionals, whom he can relax and learn to keep balance and balance.
With a long training session with the simulator:
- small muscles stop developing;
- the load on the knees increases;
- natural hull stabilizers cease to develop.
Smith should not be abused after a back injury. This is due to the fact that the machine gives a load in an unnatural position of the body, while fewer joints are involved than is necessary for the correct distribution of mass. In addition, some experts believe that squats in "Smith", performed under the bar without putting the feet behind the line and too deep, are contraindicated for girls. This is due to the structural features of the female body and the functioning of the genitourinary system of the fairer sex.
Helpful hints
Squatting in "Smith" for girls should be performed only after the main body warming up. To do this, it is enough to make a few bends to straight legs, turns to the sides and hitching the arms and legs. If during training there are unpleasant sensations in the area of contact of the bar with the body, you can put a pad or a towel there. This method will also avoid possible bruising and tension on delicate skin. At the moment when knees hurt during squats, it is recommended to pay attention to the correctness of their location. Joint discomfort can occur if they look in the wrong direction.
For example, when squatting correctly, the knees point in the same direction as the feet. If during training the girl does not feel enough load, then you need to put your legs wider than the selected option or take them out of the bar line.And in the case when the pelvis "walks" while squatting and getting up, you need to try to perform the exercise outside the "Smith", while it is recommended to strain the body as much as possible and trace why there is a departure from the fixation point. To do this, you need to bend, straighten up and bring the shoulder blades as much as possible, and in this position try to sit down.
For beginners, when working in a fitness machine, it happens that the bar falls into the grooves for a safety fixation and there is not enough strength to return it to the working position. In this case, you need to approach the bar from the other side and rotate it to release the neck.
Main complex
Squatting in "Smith" for girls can be performed in several versions. You can train your glutes and quadriceps with a fitness machine by doing knee or one-legged squats. In addition, you can vary the position of the legs, from close to wide. Girls love to work on the buttocks on "Smith". To do this, the feet are carried out beyond the bar line. In this case, the higher the level of removal, the greater the load on the muscles. You can also pump problem areas, for example, by kneeling down while squatting. In order not to injure the joints, put a mat on the floor.
In this case, they kneel under the bar and, placing the barbell between the neck and shoulders, lower the body down, bending the knees and pulling the pelvis back as much as possible. In this case, the back should be straight and the shoulder blades brought together. After fixing the squat, the body is returned to its original position. On "Smith" you can make your body slimmer by performing the "Scissors" squat. To do this, they are placed under the bar so that one leg is in front and the other is in the back. When squatting, the knees are bent so that they form a right angle, while the back knee joint should not touch the floor. When performing the exercise, you need to look directly in front of you or slightly above the horizon line.
You can perform a squat on a fitness machine on one leg, putting the other on a support. To do this, the working leg is left on the floor, while it should not go beyond the bar, and the second leg is bent at the knee and placed on a stool or other hill, positioned behind the body. The position of the barbell in this case is the same as when performing classic squats in "Smith". Exercise with a narrow stance of the legs is used by girls to maximize the load on the quadriceps. To do this, they stand under the bar on level legs, putting their feet together. The squat is done so that the buttocks and legs are parallel to the floor. They also stand up without spreading their legs.
Putting your feet shoulder-width apart or a little further, you can work out the inner thigh and the side of the leg. The squat is performed according to the classical scheme, keeping the back and head straight and bringing the shoulder blades together as much as possible. In this case, the buttocks should be parallel to the floor, and the body should not fall back. The fitness machine can also be used for front squats. In this case, the bar is placed in front, on the chest muscles, with your arms crossed in the middle of the bar and holding it with your fingers. Legs during frontal training are placed at the required width.
For those who want to put their bodies in order, experts recommend exercising at least 3 times a week. For beginners, in "Smith" you need to do a regular squat and start with 4 sets of 10 repetitions each. At the same time, you can rest between approaches for no more than 2 minutes. If a girl wants to complicate a simple squat, then she can perform a variation of "Scissors" or "Split". In this case, use 4 sets of 10 reps. The leg needs to be changed after each approach. Rest is also no more than 2 minutes. Skipping workouts is not recommended, and you also do not need to increase the number of approaches after skipping.
Fixing the result
When squatting in a fitness machine, thigh muscles work such as:
- large gluteal;
- two-headed;
- lateral;
- medial;
- semi-membranous;
- semitendinosus;
- intermediate;
- straight.
For the result from squats in "Smith" to be fixed, you need to give the body and cardio loads.You can jump rope, run on a treadmill, or ride an exercise bike. It is also recommended to be sure to warm up before class, especially in the morning when the person has recently woken up. This is necessary in order not to injure the "sleepy" muscles and tendons and adjust them to a working mood. The optimal warm-up time is 10 minutes. In addition, you need to perform all approaches at full strength, so the load will bring greater efficiency than half-strength exercises.
Experienced athletes note that if a person is not tired or out of breath during training, then he needs to do a few more repetitions and pay attention to the efforts being made. More calories are burned when a person trains "all the way." The fact that everything is going right will tell the "fire" in the muscles. At the same time, a standard workout should not last more than 75 minutes. Scientists have found that with regular, repetitive exercise, the body adapts and gets used to it. Therefore, you need to change the pace and intensity of the exercise. To do this, after monotonous squats, it is recommended to jump.
You need to alternate the pace in a ratio of 1 min. fast and 4 slowly, or vice versa. After a week of approaches to "Smith" without weights, you need to start working with weights. This is required for girls not only to develop endurance, but also to form a relief body. Do not immediately hang 10 kg pancakes, it is better to start with a small mass and gradually build it up. In order for the effect of exercising on a fitness machine to take hold, you need to monitor your diet. Athletes are known to closely monitor what, how and when they eat. It is not recommended to train on an empty stomach, as the body will not have "fuel" for active work on the simulator.
Do not forget about water during classes. You need to drink at the first desire and do it in small sips. Large fluid seizures can cause coughing or discomfort in the throat and gastrointestinal tract. Water is important for thinning the blood during physical activity, since it becomes difficult for the heart to pass it through when working at a fast pace.
When to expect the effect
Arriving at the gym, the girls are immediately interested in when the first results will appear. In this case, everything depends on the intensity of the training, the correct selection of exercises and the individual characteristics of the organism. 3 weeks after classes on "Smith", a noticeable effect may not appear, but the habit of regularly visiting the gym will be developed by 100%. At the same time, experienced athletes note that 42 days is a turning point, when most of the beginners give up without getting a quick result. The visible effect will appear already at the 6th week of regular trips to the gym.
At this moment, the body is noticeably tightened and the muscular relief begins to be clearly seen. At the same time, at this stage, you should not get on the scales, since the weight, despite the slimness of the figure, may not go away. This is due to the fact that fat takes up more space in the body, but the muscles weigh heavier, so the effect "did not lose weight, but became slimmer." Experienced trainers note that the visible result of regular training becomes clearly visible only after 3 months of training. During this period, a person already knows how to squat and, usually, does exercises without using "Smith". For girls, squatting at Smith is a good start to regular workouts.
The exercise will teach you to keep balance and control the work of individual muscles and the whole body as a whole. Although the fitness machine is easy to use, it is better to start using it under the supervision of a trainer. Working out on the simulator, you need to keep the pace, not slow down and not rush.
Video about the correct squat in "Smith" for girls
Correct squatting technique in "Smith" for girls: