Smith Machine Squat

Muscles worked: Quads, Glutes.

How to do it

1. To begin, first set the bar on the height that best matches your height.
2. Hold on to the bar using both arms at each side (palms facing forward), unlock it and lift it off the rack by first pushing with your legs and at the same time straightening your torso.
3. Position your legs using a shoulder width medium stance with the toes slightly pointed out.
4. Begin to slowly lower the bar by bending the knees as you maintain a straight posture with the head up.
5. Begin to raise the bar as you exhale by pushing the floor with the heel of your foot as you straighten the legs again and go back to the starting position.

Coaching cues

The two cues IronPack shows on this exercise's card mid-workout:

• Feet slightly forward of the bar
• Use the fixed path to push depth safely

Logging it

IronPack suggests working in the 6 to 10 rep range, progressing in 5 kg jumps when you own the top of the range. Records are tracked automatically at every rep count from 1 to 12. Loading the bar? Use the plate calculator, and check your estimated 1RM from any hard set.

Related exercises

• Deadlift - back, glutes
• Sumo Deadlift - glutes, quads
• Trap Bar Deadlift - quads, glutes
• Back Extension - glutes

Photos and steps: free-exercise-db (public domain). Cues, muscle weighting and logging guidance are IronPack's own app data. Last generated 2026-07-17.