Do you get the same benefits doing squats with a machine, as opposed to doing barbell squats?
Answer:
Squats done freely are probably the most productive exercise one can do for overall body growth stimulation, however the exercise can be tough on knees and on the lower back.
Squats on a machine - may not give you the same overall body stimulation, but it can work the target muscles without the added stress to the delicate knee and low back regions.
Regardless on which exercise you choose, make sure your form is perfect and keep the reps slow with no bounce out of the bottom of the rep and no lockout at the top.
Good luck !!
Sunir
Hello Tony,
The answer to your question is no. Nothing comes close, other than the classic deadlift and it's variations. The barbell squat is the most productive movement that you can do as long as you can do it safely. I never was built for it, but I spent plenty of my time with that barbell across my back. The various "squat machines" or leg presses just don't give you the metabolic work that squats can give you. Besides the fact that you aren't working as near as much muscle. Squats are the most technically demanding exercise too. From the time you go to unrack the bar, to when you put it back up, you can't lose focus for one second. Just standing there with a 250 lb barbell on your back is work in itself. Machines such as the Tru Squat, and the Hammer Strength or Nautilus leg press are excellent ways to work your hip and thigh musculature, but when compared to the barbell squat, it's like apples and oranges. Good luck to you and thanks for your question.
Patrick
There are many opinions about this. My feeling is this: With free weight squats "balance" is a big factor. With machine squats, not so much. Power lifters need to get comfortable with the squats they compete with. For development and just pure strength, I don't see a big difference. That is unless your Squat machine is dangerous.
During the bulk of my power lifting career I did most of my squatting on a very heavy duty Smith Machine that Dick Fudge built for Al Christensen. I used an Olympic set when I could, to maintain the "feel" of a free squat. If you read some of the "opinions" that go around on the net now you would think I couldn't have been successful.......................but I was.
My answer is this: I think you'll get out of it what you put into it. Think safety and train progressively. Good luck!
Jim
