Smith Sumo Squat

Description

How to Do Smith Sumo Squat

1. 1
   Setup

   Position yourself under the Smith machine bar with a wide stance, feet wider than shoulder-width apart, and toes pointed out at a 45-degree angle.

2. 2
   Setup

   Place the bar across your upper trapezius muscles, unrack it by rotating the hooks, and ensure your chest is lifted with a neutral spine.

3. 3

   Initiate the squat by pushing your hips back and bending your knees, ensuring your knees track outwards in line with your toes.

4. 4

   Descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor or slightly below, maintaining an upright torso and engagement in your glutes and inner thighs.

5. 5

   Drive through your heels and the outer edges of your feet, extending your hips and knees to powerfully return to the starting upright position.

6. 6

   Exhale as you push up and inhale as you descend, keeping your core braced throughout the entire movement.

Tips

• Actively push your knees out throughout the entire movement to maximize glute and adductor engagement and prevent knee collapse.
• Maintain a vertical shin angle as much as possible at the bottom of the squat to place more emphasis on the glutes and inner thighs.
• Keep constant tension on your glutes and inner thighs by avoiding a full lockout of your knees at the very top of the movement.
• Experiment with your foot angle; a slightly wider or narrower toe-out position can alter the specific muscle activation in your glutes and adductors.

Common Mistakes

• ×Knees caving in: Prevent your knees from collapsing inward by consciously driving them outward, aligning them with your toes, especially during the ascent.
• ×Rounding the lower back: Avoid rounding your spine by keeping your chest high and maintaining a slight arch in your lower back throughout the squat.
• ×Shallow squat depth: Ensure you squat to at least parallel or slightly below to fully engage your glutes and inner thighs, rather than cutting the range of motion short.