Quads
Smith Machine Box Squat
The Smith Machine Box Squat is a strength exercise in a Smith machine for your quads. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: gluteus maximus 23%, quads (vastus lateralis) 16% and quads (vastus medialis) 15%.
How to do it
- Place a box behind you inside the smith machine so you sit on it at about parallel depth.
- Set the bar across your upper back, grip just outside the shoulders and unhook it with a twist.
- Stand with the feet shoulder-width and slightly in front of the bar line.
- Sit back and down until you touch the box lightly, staying braced.
- Drive through the heels and mid-foot to stand back up.
Tips
- Touch the box, do not sit and relax on it.
- Keep the shins close to vertical by reaching the hips back.
Common mistakes
- Dropping onto the box with a thud.
- Rocking back and forth on the box to build momentum.
- Letting the knees cave in as you stand.
Muscles worked by the Smith Machine Box Squat
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
More forward lean, more hip. The machine or bar path takes over most of the trunk work. Guided bar: some back work, less than a free squat. Knees and hips flex and extend together under load: the vasti and glute max are the prime movers, the adductors extend the hip from the bottom, and the erectors hold the torso.
Smith Machine Box Squat alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
No equipment
Make it harder
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Smith Machine Box Squat work?
Mainly the gluteus maximus, quads (vastus lateralis) and quads (vastus medialis). The adductors and quads (rectus femoris) assist.
Is the Smith Machine Box Squat good for beginners?
Yes. The Smith Machine Box Squat is rated beginner in the Zulta library: the technique is easy to learn with a light weight.
What is a good alternative to the Smith Machine Box Squat?
For example the Smith Machine Squat, Smith Machine Sumo Squat and Belt Squat. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
How do you make the Smith Machine Box Squat harder?
Add weight or reps, or move on to the Hatfield Squat and High Bar Back Squat.
Sources
- Escamilla 2001, MSSE 33(1):127-141 (knee biomechanics of the squat)
- Kubo et al. 2019, Eur J Appl Physiol 119(9):1933-1942 (squat depth and adductors)
- Gullett et al. 2009, JSCR 23(1):284-292 (front vs back squat)
Log your sets in Zulta
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