Smith Machine Deadlift

Smith Machine Deadlift Basics

Primary muscles worked: Quads, Glute, Erector Spinae

Synergist Muscles: Lats, Hamstrings

Mechanics: Compound

Equipment: Smith Machine

How To Perform The Smith Machine Deadlift

• First, set up the smith bar on the floor with the desired weight you want to lift.
• Walk up to the bar so that your shins are directly against the smith bar.
• Squat down towards the bar until your upper thigh is parallel to the floor.
• Next, grab the bar with a mixed grip with one hand overhand and one hand underhand.
• Now, drive your hips upward by contracting your quads and glutes. You are attempting to bring the weight upwards as you stand up.
• As the bar is being lifted off of the floor, begin to straighten your back up so that it is fully erect. This will utilize the muscles in the back.
• Once your have reached full standing position, slowly lower the weight back toward the floor.

Smith Machine Deadlift Tips

• Make sure that your back remains flat throughout the lift. This means you should not excessively allow it to round upward or dip downward.
• For really heavy deadlift loads, you may need to wear a belt to help support your core and back.

Smith Machine Deadlift and Sports Application

The smith machine deadlift exercise can possibly be seen as a jump of sorts. When broken down, the deadlift is similar to both the squat and power clean on the initial upward movement. The smith machine deadlift also assists with training hip explosiveness. Being explosive through the hips, from a sports standpoint, improves many facets of an athletes game. Hip power and strength are needed in running, jumping, cutting, turning, twisting and almost any other sports move you can think of. This makes the smith machine deadlift a very valuable lift in an athlete's training arsenal.