Strength Training
Lunges With a Smith Machine
Oct
We can use a smith machine for a variety of leg exercises to develop the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. If you want to put mass on your lower body, the smith machine is a welcomed addition to any home gym muscle building program. One such exercise that benefits from using a smith machine is the lunge.
Why The Lunge is an Important Exercise
This challenging exercise is one of the best for correcting a muscle imbalance between each leg and from the posterior muscles on the back of the leg.
- We often prioritize our stronger leg in compound exercises such as the barbell squat or leg press. This furthers the imbalance between our two legs.
- Our posterior chain, which includes our glute, hamstring, and calf muscles, gets less activity than they should. This creates pain in the back and knees.
Another benefit to the lunge is how it can affect posture. Like the hip thrust, a lunge requires the glutes to stretch and contract. With our excessive sitting, we have lost the mind muscle connection between contracted glutes and stability. The lunge is one way to combat this issue.
The Benefit of a Barbell Lunge
Traditionally, we perform lunges with a dumbbell in each hand, but as someone becomes comfortable with the exercise, the weight can become difficult to hold. They may look to a barbell for the answer as the back can handle significantly more weight than your hands, but this benefit comes at a cost. With your hands at shoulder height, a walking lunge with a barbell makes it harder to balance and increases the risk of injury.
How a Smith Machine Lunge is Different
Like the smith machine squat, performing a lunge inside of a smith machine removes the balance component and requires less of the stabilizer muscles. This makes the smith machine lunge a muscle hypertrophy movement rather than a strength training lift. By removing the stabilizer muscles from the exercise, the body can concentrate on isolating the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
Variations of the Smith Machine Lunge
Since you are in a stable position, you are free to do what you would like with the other leg. You can place it behind you and hold it in an elevated position for a Bulgarian Split Squat or step back for a reverse lunge & curtsy lunge. With these options, you can change the exercise to fit your workout needs.
Below you will find a brief description of each lunge variation option that you can use with a smith machine.
Smith Machine Bulgarian Split Squat
Place your leg behind you on a workout bench or plyo box about 12-24 inches high. Your foot should be high enough that you feel a slight stretch in the back leg when in the lunge’s bottom position as your knee nears the ground.
Smith Machine Reverse Lunge
Standing with the bar on your back, take a step back far enough to where you feel the pressure in the middle of your front foot as you descend. Bend your rear knee until you touch the ground and then press into the floor as you raise your leg back up.
If using a smith machine with a slight angle, known as a reverse pitch, face the direction where the barbell is moving back on the way down and forward on the way up.
Smith Machine Curtsy Lunge
Like the reverse lunge, you will step your leg back for this exercise, but this time the rear leg goes behind and across the other leg. This version of the lunge requires more glute activation since additional weight (the rear leg) is behind the body. The smith machine curtsy lunge is a great exercise for anyone looking to build up their backside.
Want More Smith Machine Exercises?
Check out our other smith machine articles helping you to develop strong and developed leg muscles.
