How to Deadlift on a Smith Machine

I f you have heard that doing Smith machine deadlifts means killing your back for good, you’ve probably come across people who didn’t know what they were doing. Like any strength exercise, the deadlift implies a series of risks that, in most cases, appear when users don’t follow the correct steps, either because they don’t have the patience to understand how the movement is done, or because they cannot tell that they are doing something wrong. Most experts agree that to execute this exercise flawlessly you don’t only need the best Smith machine but great guidelines that you should follow as close as possible.

Below, we explain in detail how you can successfully do a deadlift and go through the most prevalent mistakes newbies make, so make sure you check every step before jumping into a very strenuous exercise.

Deadlift Exercise with Smith Machine at Gym

What Muscles Do Smith Machine Deadlifts Work?

Even if it is difficult to execute, this exercise is great for improving your overall force, as the literature in the field has shown, since it pushes you to clutch most of the muscles in your body. Here is a list that can help you follow what is happening to your body as you go through every step of the exercise.

• Hamstrings – these long muscles function as a link between your hips and your knees, and they have a significant role in sustaining your body when you stand, walk, run, or do any other activity that employs your legs. The hams stretch as you bend to grab the barbell and help support your body as you bring it in the lockout position.
• Glutes – your gluteus or your buttocks have a lot of functions, helping you flex your hips or rotate them, but in this case, they work only as a brace for your lower back as you contract them when you reach the lockout. If these muscles are your target, then maybe you would have more to gain by using a leg press.
• Quadriceps – they are the big muscles placed in your frontal upper leg side, and they work with the hams to get you up and moving. The same happens when you lift the bar, so the quads will get engaged in the action, although you cannot expect that deadlifts only will make them big. We recommend Smith machine squatting if this is your ultimate goal.
• Back – you will use both your upper and lower back to do this exercise, as you need to keep your torso braced to prevent injuries.
• Shoulders – even if your legs are the ones sustaining the weight, your shoulders do receive some of the pressure, so it is ok to feel sore in this area. Nevertheless, if the pain persists, this could mean you are making a mistake. We will explain it in the ‘Mistakes’ section.
• Abs – they are recruited during the movement to support your torso so we can consider them directly involved. Nonetheless, they are not the direct target of the exercise, so you should consider adding other exercises to your route if getting a six-pack is your ultimate goal.

How to Do a Machine Deadlift Step by Step

The danger of getting hurt while using a Smith cage is minimal compared to classic barbell exercises, so you can try the exercises you like without having a spotter around. But it is still essential to pay attention to the steps to obtain the best efficiency and avoid getting yourself injured.

#1 Use the appropriate gear

No one is saying that you need to buy all the accessories available on the market that claim that they can make you a better lifter, prevent any accident, or allow you to increase the mass you are lifting. Yet, some of them can be really helpful in this situation. For instance, we advise that you wear a weight belt as it can be a real lifesaver if your back fails you during the movement. You can also use chalk as it makes your grip more secure but take into account that it is messy, and you will need to clean up after yourself.

#2 Prepare the apparatus

Get started by positioning the bar on the lowest setting of the machine. This, in most cases, means letting it rest in the safety catches. If this is your first time trying a deadlift, we recommend doing the first reps only with the bar to get the hand of the process and only after adding a light load. You can increase the weight gradually as you become more experimented.

Woman During Smith Cage Training Session

#3 Get your initial position right

This is a piece of advice any beginner needs, but it always seems to be overlooked. You should always step on the other side of the bar and not try to do this type of workout while facing the machine. Make sure that you leave enough space between your shins and the rod so you don’t hit them. The recommended distance is between 0.5” and 1”. Here is how your body should be positioned:

• Feet – keep your feet at a reasonable distance from each other, as you would do for squats, for instance.
• Hips – as you reach toward the bar, you should push your hips as much as possible to the back. Don’t stop until you feel that you have reached the furthest back position with your hips.
• Back – imagine that you are using a pulldown lat machine and let your lats drop as when you are doing the pulldown. Your backbone should remain in a neutral position.
• Chest – push your chest to the front and keep it up.
• Hands – your hands should be placed just a bit outside of your shins’ position. You need to grip hard as if your life would depend on it.

#4 Execute the pull

Before lifting the bar, prepare yourself both physically and mentally as you are about to put a lot of effort into this action. Flex your knees and explode with the bar off the floor. Keep your back straight all this time.

#5 Lockout

As you get to this step, you need to make sure that your legs remain aligned. Do not step with one leg forward or backward, as this can cause you to become unbalanced. When your hips are forward again, clutch your buttocks to sustain the weight for a moment. Remember that form is crucial, and this study published in the Annals of Medicine supports our view that improper posture can lead to spine injury.

#6 Lower the bar

There are two versions of how you should accomplish this step: to either lower the bar slowly or fast. Well, they are both wrong. In fact, you need to focus on maneuvering the bar, and the speed should be moderate. To place the bar on the safety catches, follow the same instructions as in step #3.

Smith Machine Deadlift Mistake to Avoid

According to most trainers, the Smith machine is safe for deadlifts, but there is still room for error and injury. Here are some of the most prevalent mistakes beginners and sometimes even intermediate trainees do:

1. Not stretching – Warming up for the exercise is essential since you are about to deal with a heavy burden. 10 minutes of stretching on a stretch trainer or a mat will get your muscles and joints prepared and prevent damage.
2. Having a too narrow or too wide grip – the correct position of your hands is just outside of your shins. If you grip too narrow, you risk that the bar obstructs your thighs, which means that you will no longer be able to move freely, and you will need to engage your lower back more. If you grip too wide, the rod will seem heavier, so you will struggle more to do the lift.
3. Arching your back – This study has revealed that 60% of the patients who suffer from lower back pain blame it on overextension injuries, which can result from improper posture throughout the workouts. This is why it is important to keep your back erect and not round.
4. Using your arms to pull instead of your legs – You have larger muscles in your legs than in your arms, so you should use those to sustain the burden you are lifting, otherwise, you risk overstretching your biceps and triceps.

The Bottom Line

The main reason you should use a Smith cage for your deadlifts is safety. Since the rod’s path is always the same no matter if your posture is correct or not, and you have safety catches to stop it from falling uncontrollably and hitting you, you can focus on learning how to complete the movement optimally. Remember to stretch and consider using other strategies to increase strength in your body. Not only that this will help you avoid accidents but it will increase your capacity to do more reps. Follow the steps we have described and try to avoid the mistakes we have listed, and we guarantee you are bound to succeed.