Recently someone on /fit/ said i should do smith machine squats because its safe for lower back (lumbar degenerative disc disease here). I started looking for some information on the internet and half of the articles says it will destroy you lower back and other half says it's good for lower back. Can anyone tell me how it is really? I can't just go and try it out even with pussy weight because last time i did it with regular squats it triggered my spine and it took 8 fucking months for the pain to go away. Im not dealing with this shit ever again.
Just be careful ok?
Why not just leg press?
>>37426998
im doing leg press, leg extensions (ocasionaly) and leg curls for my lower body. Im going to switch my routine and i tought about smith machine squats.
The energy from your legs is still being transferred through your back into the bar. I dont think they will be much better for your back
Better try Skate Board Squats
They work as good as Smith Machine squats and are 100% safe
Don't for the love of god squat in the smith death trap.
>Never had back problems in my life.
>roomate goes to planet fatness
>"bro come lift with me."
>sure. wait no bench, no squat rack, no diddly platform.
>"just squat in smith machine."
>lower back pain for 3 months after.
Smith death trap not even once.
desu I prob had bad form since idk how to squat in a smith machine but still.
>>37426962
>lumbar degenerative disc disease
You say this like it's a thing. It's not. You know how many people get degenerative disc "disease"? Everybody. Yes. 100% of people. Degenerative discs is like wrinkles on your forehead. It's not a fucking disease.
People who have back pain get an MRI and the radiologist simply sees signs of degeneration, which is perfectly normal, but the ignorant fuckup doctor tells you that must be why you're in pain.
Listen, chronic back pain is a problem with your nervous system moreso than anything else. Luckily for you, you can do something about it. Check out pain-ed.com.
Regarding Smith machine squats. They offer more freedom as far as what angle you want to position your back in because you don't have to worry about balance. Other than that, there's no fucking difference as far as safety or pain prevention goes. If regular squats fucked you up, Smith machine squats most likely will too. That's not to say you can't learn to squat, because you probably can, but maybe you're not ready for it yet.
>>37427936
Don't get me wrong you are partially right but there is a such thing as degenerative disc disease. However a lot of fatties are miss-diagnosed with it because the excess weight and poor diet cause more stress on the body overall. If you were right then a 90 pound 13 year old girl couldn't have it. However there are plenty of cases of that, in which a child with less than 20 years on the earth has 80 years of normal wear and tear on their spine.
TL;DR: It's real but most are just fat and don't really have it.
>>37427972
>However there are plenty of cases of that, in which a child with less than 20 years on the earth has 80 years of normal wear and tear on their spine.
That's true. But who's to say those degerative changes are actually what's causing the pain? Considering the fact that millions of people walk around in the same condition without feeling a thing.
well i can do twice the smith squats as i can do normal squats
i consider smith squats closer to an isolation exercise
they'll get your quads and glutes but you don't need stabilizers
so, i do both
>>37427936
i had those pains since forever and i was diagnosed with "degenerative disc disease" last year. I would really love to do squats but im afraid the pain will kick in and i will be in agony for another few months
>>37427998
You do realize pain is subjective. What's a 10 on the pain scale to my fiance is a 1-2 for me.
What is a 10 to me could be a 1-2 to you.
What isn't subjective is the fact that as disc wear down bone can touch bone which does cause pain. The reason we have connective tissue like cartilage.
>>37428013
Proper form and a strong core will insure that doesn't happen. desu it's much more likely that you just had shit form since you don't squat and that gave you the pain. Also if you back is weak make the rest of your core strong to support yourself.
no fuck off I hate fucking instagram/facebook memers squatting or deadlifting in the smith maching
that's not what it's fucking for, in fact I don't even know what it's for but the fucking rack is angled and if that doesn't clue you in as to why it's retarded to squat in it you should wear a helmet just in case
squat without a rack, the way you're supposed to, without any bullshit to force you into incorrect form and incorrect muscle activation patterns
