The Ultimate Leg Workout With A Smith Machine

leg workout with a smith machine

Need a break from using a free weights for lower body training? Limited on time and need to change exercises quickly to complete your workout? Performing a leg workout with a smith machine with both. Even if a smith machine is the only piece of gym equipment available for your workout, you can still blest your legs.

With a smith machine, you can perform almost every exercise that you would with a free weight barbell and several that you would would require specific leg machines. In this article you will learn:

  • 8 leg exercises to work your lower body from your butt to your calves.
  • Exercise descriptions with step by step instructions on how to perform the movement.
  • Ways to add variety to your smith machine exercises and make them more challenging.

Smith Machine Leg Exercises

Ready for a list of everything you need to perform the ultimate leg workout in a smith machine? You can perform these exercises once per week in a traditional bodybuilder split or separate them to create two smaller workouts. We have provided a routine for both the once per week and twice per week leg workout routine.

Don’t expect any relaxing exercises during this workout. You cannot use the machine for a seated leg extension or lying leg curl exercise. Every one of these movements will place heavy demands on the muscles and keep your heart rate elevated.

A word of caution before we discuss the exercises. Be sure to set the safeties just below the bottom of your rep. This will make sure we keep you safe during a potentially failed attempt. OK, with that PSA in place, let’s talk about the exercises.

Smith Machine Squat

You probably already know that we can use a smith machine for a squat. But do you know the right way to do it? While you can perform a traditional back squat with a smith machine, we recommend a variation of this mass builder.

Because of the spinal pressure created in the smith machine, a back squat may create pain when repeatedly used in a workout program. By moving your feet forward out in front of the rack, you can take pressure off of the spine. This variation of the exercise is is more a mix of a traditional barbell squat and a hack squat machine.

How to Perform the Smith Machine Squat

  1. Place your traps in a position so that you only require a slight lift to release the bar.
  2. Load the weight and set up under the bar and grab it with your arms in a wide enough position that it does not create shoulder discomfort.
  3. Maintain abdominal pressure and contract your glutes before you lift the weight. Keep this contraction throughout the entire exercise.
  4. Shift your feet forward out in front of you so that you do not feel most of the pressure on your back.
  5. Keeping a straight line posture, lower the bar, driving your knees out to the side as you descend to the bottom.
  6. Keep the same knee distance as you press into the floor and drive back up to the top of the exercise.
  7. Stop just short of the top to maintain muscle tension and repeat the movement until at or near muscle failure.

Smith Machine Front Squat

Truly a quad punisher, the front squat is an exercise that requires a level of training experience and understanding before you can perform the free weight version.

The smith machine front squat is a good way to practice the movement without as much of a required learning curve, but it is also a great way to create more of a mind muscle connection throughout the movement.

How to Perform a Front Squat in a Smith Machine

  1. Decide which bracing option by either placing your hands on the opposite shoulder to create a closed x, or bending your elbows and placing your hands underneath the bar.
  2. Determine the position by placing your front deltoids (shoulders) under the bar. You should only require a slight lift to release the bar.
  3. Keep core and abdominal pressure before you lift the weight. Keep this contraction throughout the entire exercise.
  4. Place your feet near shoulder width apart in a position that you will be comfortable at the bottom of the lift. You can change the width to shift the emphasis on the working muscle.
  5. Maintain proper posture as you lower the bar, keeping your heels on the ground. Drive your knees out to the side as you descend to the bottom.
  6. Press through your entire foot and drive back up to the top of the lift.
  7. Do not lock out the knees at the top so that you continue to keep muscle tension at all times. Repeat the movement until at or near muscle failure.

Smith Machine Bulgarian Split Squat

A split leg squat is one of the most underutilized and unappreciated leg exercises to which we have access to. But it is also one of the most effective for building total mass as it demolishes the quadricep, hamstring, and glute muscles.

Balance is the reason many avoid this exercise. Performing a walking lunge is hard enough, but when your leg is behind you (and possibly elevated) wobbling around while performing the exercise can look pretty foolish.

A Smith Machine Split squat removes some of the balance requirements from this single leg exercise. Your lower body will feel like it is on fire as you near muscle failure with this leg workout. You can thank Bulgarian Olympic Weightlifting coach Angel Spassov for this brutal but effective leg exercise.

How to Perform a Bulgarian Squat in a Smith Machine

  1. At the same starting position as your smith machine squat, place the bar on your traps with your arms at a comfortable width.
  2. Have a workout bench, leg developer, or other comfortable place to rest your foot set behind you far enough to keep your leg out of the way during the exercise. This will take some practice, so give yourself plenty of time to find the right distance and height.
  3. Place your foot on top of the stationed footrest and then contract your core and glute muscles. Let the elevated knee fall back as you bend the front leg.
  4. Keep good posture, not letting your back round to compensate for the effort it takes to brace the weight.
  5. Keep your foot firmly planted on the ground and press hard into the ground to lift yourself back up to the top.
  6. Stop just short of the top to keep the leg muscles fully activated, increasing the total time under tension.
  7. Continue with the exercise until you are just short of muscle failure.

Smith Machine Hip Thrust

The hip thrust is a fantastic exercise for learning to fire your glutes. While many ladies use it to build their backside, anyone can use it for improving their squat, deadlift, and walking posture.

Having a smith machine can save the home gym enthusiast can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars on a hip thrust machine. The smith machine with a slight angle is the perfect tool for performing this booty blasting exercise.

How to Perform a Hip Thrust in a Smith Machine

  1. If you have a short weight bench, place it in the same direction as the smith bar. If you have a longer bench, it will need to be placed in the same direction as you would for a bench press.
  2. With a bar pad on the bar, set the height just below where you feel a full muscle contraction.
  3. Place your hips under the bar, lift the weight, and let the back fall slightly towards the bench.
  4. Control the weight as you lower it to the bottom, letting your back move away from the bench slightly.
  5. Keeping the knees out at the bottom, drive the feet into the ground and push back up to the top.
  6. Squeeze hard at the top of the lift while letting your back fall towards the bench.
  7. Repeat until near muscle failure.

Smith Machine Vertical Leg Press

Another home gym money saving tip is to use your smith machine as a vertical leg press machine. We can use the smith machine to perform a traditional leg press or a unilateral single leg press by pushing the bar upwards with our feet.

The smith machine vertical leg press builds serious leg strength in the quadriceps and hamstrings. Your legs have nowhere to hide as they immediately feel the weight placed upon them the moment you unrack the weight.

With this smith machine exercise, you can place your feet wide and work the inner thigh muscles or narrow to work the outer sweep of the quads.

How to Perform a Vertical Leg Press in a Smith Machine

  1. Set the bar at a point just before your legs are straight.
  2. With your lower back protected by a lumbar pad or bar pad, get yourself setup where the barbell is near in line with your belly button.
  3. Preferably with a lumbar pad or towel to support your lower back arch, lie on the ground.
  4. Either rest your hands next to your site or find a holding place on the bottom bar of the smith machine.
  5. Press the legs up and then push your heels to the sky. This lets the bar unrack from the hooks by changing the angle of your feet.
  6. Lower the weight while you maintain proper distance between the knees so they do not crush into your ribs.
  7. Press your legs back up to the top, making sure not to let your toes elevate above your heels. This will turn the hooks into a locking position.
  8. Perform your set to near failure and then raise the toes to turn the hooks and lock the weight.

Smith Machine Romanian Deadlift

After you have hit your leg muscles with several compound movements involving the quadriceps, it is time to focus on the hamstrings. The Romanian deadlift is a superb choice for placing demands on the hamstrings and the smith version is a tool we can use to put extra emphasis on this posterior muscle group.

We prefer the Romanian deadlift over the straight leg deadlift since it also helps incorporate the hips and glutes, while keeping the knees in a safer position.

How to Perform a Romanian Deadlift in a Smith Machine

  1. Set the bar at a height that requires only a small lift to be in an upright position.
  2. Place your feet under the bar and near shoulder width (where comfortable and you feel the hamstrings stretch) and lift the weight.
  3. Pull your shoulders down and back while contracting your core and glute muscles before you start to lower the weight.
  4. With a slight bend in the knees, lower the weight and drive your butt backwards.
  5. Once you reach a full stretch, drive your feet into the ground and press back up towards the top. Keep a firm isometric contraction on the hamstrings at all times.
  6. Stop at the point where your hamstrings stop feeling a contraction and begin to lower once again.
  7. Take your set to near failure or when your back says “no more” from the exercise.

Smith Machine Good Morning

Having pre fatigued the hamstrings with the Romanian deadlift, we can now use a lighter weight to perform this painful but effective movement. The good morning is another hamstring exercise that also emphasizes hip drive and a glute contraction at the top.

How to Perform a Good Morning in a Smith Machine

  1. Set the bar height one lower than you do for the smith machine squat. We want to start our back at a slight angle so that we position our legs correctly.
  2. Position your feet under the bar near shoulder width, with your back holding the bar at an angle positioned below your traps.
  3. Hold the bar with your arms wide enough to help stabilize the weight across your back.
  4. With a slight bend in the knees, lower the weight as you let your chest come to the ground.
  5. Push your butt back as much as allowed, while not letting the bar roll on your back.
  6. At a full stretch, press your heels into the ground and drive your back upward and your hips forward.
  7. Once you reach the point where you started, lower the weight for the next rep.
  8. This is a brutal exercise, so you will want to stop before you reach true muscle failure.

Smith Machine Standing Calf Raise

Rarely will you hear someone say they want to dedicate space in their garage gym for a standing calf raise or seated calf raise machine. But the calves shouldn’t suffer just because they don’t have a dedicated piece of fitness equipment for his leg muscle group.

A smith machine gives you several calf exercises you can perform and in this workout we will hit them hard with the standing calf raise.

How to Perform a Standing Calf Raise in a Smith Machine

  1. Set up a calf block, hex dumbbells, or a few 45 pound weight plates on the ground. Position them slightly out in front of the bar.
  2. Place the bar at a height where you will need to raise slightly with your back to unhook it from the machine.
  3. Rest the bar on your traps with a bar pad, raising the weight off the bar while keeping your core engaged.
  4. Slowly let your heels fall to the ground until they get a good stretch.
  5. Pause briefly and then press the toes down and elevate the heels. Be sure your hips do not shift forward and keep a straight line the entire time.
  6. Squeeze the calf muscles at the top and then slowly lower the weight back down.
  7. Stop at muscle failure or when the burn is just too much to handle.

Spice up This Leg Workout With Resistance Bands

You might as well experience a greater pump and maximize the strength curve while you are isolating the muscles. A resistance band is an easy and affordable tool that helps you get more out of your smith machine leg training program. Powerlifters use it for strength training and bodybuilders for muscle hypertrophy.

Hook a band to each side of the smith barbell by looping it around a heavy weight plate or dumbbell. Once we have looped it tight, stretch the band and hook it to the barbell.

Want More Smith Machine Leg Exercises?

This article covers the main weight resistance leg exercises you can perform with a smith machine. However, there are other exercises that we can use the smith machine as a way to stabilize the body.

  • Learn how to perform the sissy squat in a smith machine
  • Find out how to use the smith machine as handles for a belt squat
  • Discover more smith machine leg workouts in future articles by signing up for our newsletter