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Everyone knows you shouldn’t do curls in a squat rack, but can you deadlift on a Smith Machine? More importantly, should you? You’ll hear plenty of answers and opinions on the internet, but we’ll break down everything you need to know for you in this article….and give you our opinion.
If you’ve ever wanted to deadlift in a Smith machine, this is what you need to know.
Yes.
The real question is, are Smith machine deadlifts a good thing?
The answer to this question will depend on who you ask. Mudding up the waters to find a good answer is difficult as there are:
Before we go further, we will tell you our opinion is that you should use a barbell when performing deadlifts under most circumstances. We feel the deadlift is one of the major, primary compound movements and yields the most benefit when performed with free weights.
However, we feel this way about all of your large, compound movements. We discuss the reasoning in greater detail in our article comparing free weights vs Smith machine.
With that said, there are some times where it may be appropriate. Perhaps you want to do some high volume accessory work. Or, you may be at a gym that doesn’t have barbells.
Either way, let’s look at the differences between free weights and Smith machines deadlifts.
The two major differences between Smith machine deadlift and a barbell deadlift is that the Smith machine has a fixed bar path and the plates will not touch the floor. So, let's discuss these two points.
The primary concern with Smith machines is that the barbell must follow a fixed path. This leads to the hindering of the body's natural mechanics.
For some movements on the Smith machine, this is fine. However, others not so much as different barbell exercises follow different paths.
With deadlifts, the problem is that most Smith machines use an angled bar path, generally a 7 or 12-degrees, Unfortunately, the ideal bar path for deadlifts is straight up. This means it’s impossible to use 100% correct biomechanics.
We’ll tell you how to deal with this below.
Again, as the bar is on a fixed path, you just need to think about pushing the bar up. There is no concern or need to stabilize the bar meaning that your stabilizing muscles aren’t trained to the same degree as free weights.
A "stabilizing muscle” can refer to any muscle that is used to stabilize a resistance. While it may not be directly involved in pressing the weight, it’s helping keep the weight stable, such as the rotator cuff in the bench press.
Now, some people may want this in certain situations. For example, a bodybuilder that wants to isolate a muscle can theoretically train the intended muscle better, such as the chest during bench press.
However, during big, strength movements, you need all of these muscles to be trained in order to improve performance. Compound movements, especially the deadlift, require every muscle in your body to fire to provide stability and move the load. By mitigating this need, you are downplaying the movement, at least in terms of strength.
You’ll notice that the smith machine doesn’t let the plates rest on the floor. This means the starting position will be higher.
With free weights, you’re lifting the weights off the floor, making it more systematically demanding. It takes a lot more strength to do this. Essentially, you'd be minimizing the range of motion (knee flexion and extension), which takes away from some leg development.
That said, the easy fix for this is to stand on a low platform or some plates, so that the bar is towards the lower part of your shins. Again, we will make note of this in the instructions below.
At the same time, we’ll even perform elevated deadlifts with a barbell so this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Related: Barbell Deadlift Exercise Guide
Are there benefits to performing the deadlift on a Smith machine? Well for one, you’ll get all the usual benefits of deadlifts. This includes;
Those are obviously great because the deadlift is great. But what about special benefits compared to conventional deadlifts?
It’s hard to say. One thing that may be helpful is learning the hip hinge. Because the bar is fixed, it kind-of guides your body into performing the movement a bit like training wheels.
You can dive into the cons in more detail in our article: Are Smith Machines Bad?
There are many muscles that become active when pulling weight from the floor to a lockout.
When you’re bringing the barbell from the floor, you target the quadriceps muscles and hamstrings. When you bring the barbell from your knees to lock out, you target the back muscles, glutes, and hamstrings.
While there are some variables to understand, deadlifting on a Smith machine can be beneficial.
Now, in order to reach these benefits and reduce risk of injury, you need to do a few things including;
With that said, the first issue you need to deal with is finding out what type of Smith machine you have.
1) Angled Smith Machine: If you are using an angled Smith machine, stand so that when facing the bar, it’s angled towards you. This will ensure the body stays close to your body. It’s also easier to pull up towards.
2) Non-Angle Smith Machine: If you are using a straight bar path Smith machine, you can face either way. Again, this is ideal as the optimum bar path for a deadlift is straight up.
Another issue to deal with is the starting position. As we mentioned, most Smith machines will start several inches off the ground, perhaps even feet. If you want to replicate a deadlift, you’ll need to stand on a platform; weight plates are an easy fix.
At the same time, you don’t need to. You can just pull from the heightened position.
Here’s step by step instructions:
If you want to watch the Smith machine deadlift, check out the video below.
VERY IMPORTANT: A deadlift is always done from a dead stop. So at the bottom, you can adjust your posture if needed, ensuring that your spine is straight, shoulder blades are retracted, and everything is good to go for the next rep.
Some more experienced lifters may do tap-and-goes. These can work but require a certain amount of core strength and form.
Are there benefits to performing the deadlift on a Smith machine? Well for one, you’ll get all the usual benefits of deadlifts.¹ This includes;
Those are obviously great because the deadlift is great. But what about special benefits compared to conventional deadlifts?
It’s hard to say. One thing that may be helpful is learning the hip hinge. Because the bar is fixed, it kind-of guides your body into performing the movement a bit like training wheels.
You can dive into the cons in more detail in our article: Are Smith Machines Bad?
While conventional deadlifts are great, there are also other variations and alternatives to consider if you only have a Smith machine.
As the deadlift is such a large movement, you can break it down into smaller parts for partial lifts or make simple changes to the biomechanics to target other muscles.
We’re going to go through four deadlift variations that can be used as stand alone exercises or to improve your deadlift performance.
The Smith machine stiff-legged deadlift is a great alternative to target your hamstrings, glutes, and low back.
As the name implies, the deadlift is performed with straight legs meaning no knee flexion and extension. As a result, the demand is predominantly placed on your posterior muscles, especially your hamstrings and glutes.
How to do Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift:
Related: Stiff-Leg Deadlift Exercise Guide
When performed correctly, the Smith machine RDLs, or Romanian deadlifts, are extremely effective at hitting the hamstrings.² This is why it's included in our Smith Machine Leg Workouts.
At the same time, it will also train;
This exercise generates high levels of muscle tension and eccentric stretch at the bottom of the movement. This aids in building mass, specifically in the hamstrings.
Overall, it is very similar to the stiff-leg deadlift, but there will be more flexion of the knees.
How to do Smith Machine Romanian Deadlift:
Related: Romanian Deadlift Exercise Guide
The Smith machine rack pull is an amazing alternative for your back.
A rack pull is essentially a partial deadlift or raised deadlift. This means you pull the bar from an elevated position.
The primary function of this exercise is to improve the top portion of a deadlift while building a huge back and traps. You can go pretty heavy with these as you progress and we recommend, assuming form and progression is done correctly.
How to do Smith machine rack pulls:
This is the only exercise that is not a deadlift. However, it is a barbell hip hinge movement that is usually associated with the deadlift and its variations as the biomechanics are similar.
It’s basically a stiff-leg deadlift, except the barbell sits on your shoulders rather than hanging from your hand.
This places the resistance farther aways from your body, increasing the torque on your back.
How to do Smith machine good mornings:
When it comes to Smith machines, the alternatives and variations that we went over are arguably better options than conventional deadlifts, at least for some. Using a combination of these exercises, you’ll target the same muscles that you would be performing the deadlift.
There may come a time when all you have access to is a Smith machine for deadlifts. And that’s okay because now you know how to effectively and safely perform a smith machine deadlift. While it is not the best option, it is an option that can surely provide results.
Related: How Much Does A Smith Machine Bar Weigh?
More Smith Machine Content:
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Garett Reid
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