Can You Deadlift On A Smith Machine?

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.

Can You Deadlift On A Smith Machine?

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:

• People who love Smith machines
• People who hate Smith machines
• People with legitimate concerns.

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.

SMITH MACHINE DEADLIFT VS BARBELL DEADLIFT

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. 

Fixed Bar Path

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.

Provides Stability For Better Isolation

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.

Bar Not On Ground

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

SMITH MACHINE DEADLIFT BENEFITS

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;

• Increased posterior muscles
• Greater upper back strength
• Stronger core
• Stronger grip
• Build a strong foundation

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.

DISADVANTAGES OF SMITH MACHINE DEADLIFT

• You are restricted: Because you are working on a fixed plane of motion, the biomechanics are all wrong, and you're putting your body at an increased risk of injury when performing the deadlift on the Smith Machine.
• Decreased range of motion: Just look where the bar comes to on your shins, it’s almost at knee level. So unless you're using an elevation box or weights, your range of motion is limited, and you're not getting the most out of this exercise.
• Working fewer muscles: A normal deadlift targets multiple muscles due to the stability factor. The smith machine removes the need to control the bar because of its fixed position, eliminating the use of many muscles and, ultimately, the effectiveness of the deadlift.

You can dive into the cons in more detail in our article: Are Smith Machines Bad?

SMITH MACHINE DEADLIFT MUSCLES WORKED

There are many muscles that become active when pulling weight from the floor to a lockout. 

• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Glutes
• Calves
• Erector spinae 
• Trapezius
• Rhomboids
• Abdominals
• Forearms

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.

HOW TO DO A CONVENTIONAL DEADLIFT ON A SMITH MACHINE

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;

• Understanding the proper form
• Realize the differences in form
• Potential dangers

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:

1. Set the Smith machine bar to the lowest setting, which will be on the safety catches.
2. Stand behind the bar with hip-width stance and a shin-to-bar distance about 0.5" to 1," 
3. Grip the bar just outside of your shins.
4. Sit back, and bring your hips down until your arms are vertical. Keep your back straight and shins vertical.
5. Keep your chest up and your head straight forward with shoulders pulled back. Get your body tight by pulling up slightly.
6. TIghten your core and drive your heels into the ground.
7. Continue pulling up until the bar reaches your knees. Then drive your hips forward and squeeze your glutes
8. Continue until your hips are extended. Hold and come down.
9. Slowly lower the bar down by shooting your hips back while letting the bar slowly come down and then flexing (bending) at the knees.
10. When the bar is all the way at the bottom, pause and then repeat for the desired reps (unless you are just doing 1 rep sets). 

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.

COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN DOING DEADLIFTS USING A SMITH MACHINE

• Standing facing the wrong way is a common and dangerous mistake when performing a deadlift on an angled smith machine. This causes excessive hip extension and can lead to a lower back injury.
• Arching the back will likely lead to an injury because it places too much stress on the back. Maintaining a neutral spine is essential to any deadlift and can be achieved by keeping your head in a static position throughout the movements.
• Improper placement of the feet. Your feet should be shoulder or hip-width apart.
• Rounded shoulders can cause an injury to your spine. By pulling your shoulder blades behind, you’ll maintain proper form and a neutral spine.
• Bar too far from shins. The bar should be no more than an inch from your shins, and this will prevent the bar from touching your shins and preventing your back from curving.
• Jerking the bar. This is a natural movement as the weight intensifies, but it will lead to an injury. Tighten your core and move through your heels.

SMITH MACHINE DEADLIFT BENEFITS

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;

• Increased posterior muscles
• Greater upper back strength
• Stronger core
• Stronger grip
• Build a strong foundation

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.

DISADVANTAGES OF SMITH MACHINE DEADLIFT

• You are restricted: Because you are working on a fixed plane of motion, the biomechanics are all wrong, and you're putting your body at an increased risk of injury when performing the deadlift on the Smith Machine.
• Decreased range of motion: Just look where the bar comes to on your shins, it’s almost at knee level. So unless you're using an elevation box or weights, your range of motion is limited, and you're not getting the most out of this exercise.
• Working fewer muscles: A normal deadlift targets multiple muscles due to the stability factor. The smith machine removes the need to control the bar because of its fixed position, eliminating the use of many muscles and, ultimately, the effectiveness of the deadlift.

You can dive into the cons in more detail in our article: Are Smith Machines Bad?

BEST DEADLIFT VARIATIONS & ALTERNATIVES USING A SMITH MACHINE

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.

1. STIFF-LEG DEADLIFT

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:

1. Start by setting the bar on the smith machine height to about the middle of your thighs.
2. Feet should be positioned shoulder-width apart or a slightly narrower stance, and knees slightly bent. 
3. The bar should be under the middle of your foot.
4. Get into position by grasping the bar with palms forward that are shoulder-width apart. When ready, unrack the barbell and begin the movement.
5. Push your hips back, bending at the waist while keeping your knees stationary (just a very slight bend in the knee) to begin lowering the bar down. Make sure you are keeping your back straight.
6. Once you feel a maximal stretch in your hamstrings, begin bringing your torso back up by pushing your hips forward until you return to the starting position.
7. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Related: Stiff-Leg Deadlift Exercise Guide

2. RDL

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;

• Erector spinae
• Gluteus maximus
• Adductors 
• Entire core 

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:

1. Begin by standing on an elevated platform behind the bar.
2. Your feet should be positioned hip-width apart and a slight bend in the knees.
3. Firmly grip the bar with palms down and the hands approximately shoulder-width apart, the bar should be at about the middle of your thighs and directly above the middle of your feet.
4. Hinge at the hips, while bending at the knees slightly, and maintain a straight back by pulling your shoulder blades together as you lower the bar. You aren't going to be squatting down like a conventional deadlift, but your knees can bend a bit. The movement is still mostly at the hips. 
5. Lower the bar towards the floor until you feel the maximal stretch in your hamstrings.
6. Then, press hips forward, and pull back on the knees to return to starting position.
7. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Related: Romanian Deadlift Exercise Guide

3. SMITH RACK PULL

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:

1. Set the safety stoppers to just below knee height.
2. Stand in front of the bar with a hip-width stance.
3. Hinge at the hips and grab the bar with an overhand grip and hands positioned just outside your thighs.
4. Keep your chest up to maintain a straight back. This is the starting position.
5. Drive through your heels and pull the bar up to your thighs while pushing your hips forward and chest up. The bar should be close to your body.
6. At the top of the rep squeeze your glutes and upper back without hyperextending your lower back when you lockout the weight.
7. When lowering the weight, stick your hips back first and bend your knees when the bar gets to starting position. Maintain control of the movement.

4. GOOD MORNINGS

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:

1. Choose a height setting that is appropriate so that the bar can rest on your shoulders.
2. Now step under the bar and place both hands on the bar.
3. Lift the bar off of the rack.
4. Inhale and hinge at the hips and move your torso until it is parallel with the floor, keeping your legs stationary and back straight.
5. Now begin lifting your torso back up by squeezing your glutes and thrusting your hips forward. 
6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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.

FINAL THOUGHTS

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:

• Best Smith Machines
• Smith Machine Squats
• Smith Machine Bench Press
• 11 Best Smith Machine Exercises

References 

1. Martín-Fuentes I, Oliva-Lozano JM, Muyor JM. Electromyographic activity in deadlift exercise and its variants. A systematic review. PLoS One. 2020 Feb 27;15(2):e0229507. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229507. PMID: 32107499; PMCID: PMC7046193. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32107499/
2. Martín-Fuentes I, Oliva-Lozano JM, Muyor JM. Electromyographic activity in deadlift exercise and its variants. A systematic review. PLoS One. 2020 Feb 27;15(2):e0229507. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229507. PMID: 32107499; PMCID: PMC7046193. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32107499/