A deadlift is a compound exercise that requires a heavy weight (usually a barbell) to be lifted from the floor up to your hips. It builds Strength, muscle, and endurance.
The Smith machine deadlift allows you to perform this movement safely and effectively without access to a barbell. The Smith machine deadlift is a powerful glute-focused exercise that works multiple muscles.
Strength
Deadlifts are one of the most powerful exercises in Strength and conditioning. They’re also a great way to develop back Strength.
The Smith machine version of the deadlift is less unstable than a standard barbell deadlift, which allows for a more controlled movement and reduced risk of injury. This makes it a better alternative for beginners, casual gym goers, and lifters who prefer to limit their total body strength.
Because the bar is moving along a fixed path, you’ll need to engage your glutes more than you would with a standard barbell deadlift. This is particularly true at the bottom of the movement.
Endurance
Endurance is your body’s ability to stay active before exhaustion sets in. It’s the Strength and stamina needed to keep up with your grandkids while taking a trip to the park, dance to your favorite song at your wedding, or rake up leaves in the backyard without feeling breathless.
According to NASM-certified personal trainer Sam Goss, developing endurance requires cardiovascular and muscular training. It also includes a variety of other factors, such as eating well and getting enough sleep.
In addition to promoting general endurance, endurance training boosts the muscle’s oxidative capacity and metabolic efficiency. It does this through adaptations in oxygen utilization (mitochondrial adaptations), oxygen delivery (angiogenesis), and substrate availability.
The Smith machine deadlift is a great way to increase lower-body training volume safely and efficiently. It’s easier to perform than the barbell version and is much more effective at strengthening the glutes.
Flexibility
A deadlift is a significant powerlifting movement that builds Strength and muscle mass in the quads and back muscles. It also helps improve your posture and reduce the risk of injury.
But before you start lifting heavy weights, you must master proper deadlift form first! This can be challenging because the bar moves along a single path, so you must ensure your arrangement is tight and smooth.
In addition, you should be able to hold the bar at the same position on every rep. This is called stabilization and is essential for a safe and efficient lift.
If unsure of your Smith machine deadlift technique, ask someone to help spot you during the exercise or take a video of yourself so you can review your form before the next rep. It’s also important to remember to stabilize your core and shoulders throughout the entire lift. If you don’t do this, you’ll round your back, cave in your shoulders, and shoot up in the hips, making the charge dangerous.
Coordination
Unlike the traditional barbell deadlift, which requires many stabilizer muscles to maintain balance, the Smith machine eliminates those stabilizing muscles. It keeps the weight stationary along a single plane of movement. According to Jason Fitzgerald, USATF-certified coach and creator of Strength Running, this limits the range of motion and makes the exercise slightly safer.
He says that because the Smith machine doesn’t allow the barbell to move forward, backward, or laterally, your prime movers (the glutes, hip flexors, and lats) are the only ones generating force. You can lift noticeably more weight with a Smith machine deadlift.
The Smith machine also allows for a greater emphasis on the glutes because you are forced to perform deep angles of hip flexion, increasing the demands of the muscles. This is a great way to develop glute strength and size.