Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
Deadlifts are one of the most powerful exercises that you can perform and should be an essential part of any training regimen, regardless of your fitness goals (with exception to those who have some certain limitations like a back injury). So what happens if your gym doesn’t barbells (people at Planet Fitness know all about this)? Is a smith machine deadlift an acceptable alternative?
We’re about to answer every question that you might have about using the smith machine to do deadlifts so that you can make up your own mind. From how to perform a deadlift on a smith machine correctly to the benefits and alternative exercises, we have you covered.
Can You Deadlift On A Smith Machine?
The answer to this question will depend on who you ask. There is a great amount of controversy surrounding this question, and for good reason. This is because the dynamics of the lift are different when using a Smith machine for deadlifts simply due to the bar path and the bar placement. The same is true for bench press and squats.
While different, there are some techniques and things to pay attention to that will allow you to perform a conventional deadlift with a Smith machine and make the mechanics as close as possible to a free barbell deadlift.
So, to answer the question, you CAN do a conventional deadlift with a Smith machine both safely and effectively...you just have to know what you are doing, and that is what we are going to teach you below.
It should be noted that if you have access to a barbell, we do highly recommend that you use it to perform standard deadlifts, beginner or not. We discuss this in detail in our article comparing free weights vs Smith machine. The barbell is obviously superior to a Smith machine when it comes to deadlifts. However, let's face it, you’re not always going to have options when it comes to equipment options. Not every gym you train at will have the right equipment, and you’ll need to make do with what you have. Planet Fitness is a prime example of this. If you go to Planet Fitness, there are no barbells, in which case deadlifting with a Smith machine is far better than not deadlifting at all. Just make sure you follow our instructions below and all will be stellar.
Before we get into how to do a Smith deadlift, let us quickly go over the differences between a Smith machine deadlift and a barbell deadlift.
SMITH MACHINE DEADLIFT VS BARBELL DEADLIFT
The two major differences between Smith machine deadlift and a barbell deadlift is that the Smith machine has a fixed bar path and the plates will not touch the floor. So, let's discuss these two points.
Fixed Bar Path: Because the Smith machine has a fixed bar path, you have no choice but to follow it. The best bar path for a deadlift is straight up and down (in line with the middle of your foot from top to bottom). With a barbell, you can do that because you control the bar path. However, Smith machines come in a variety of angled bar paths. Some are straight up and down (which is ideal for deadlifts) but most commercial gyms have a Smith machine with an angled bar path (generally 7-12˚ incline angle). This poses some issues as it messes with the form of a deadlift, and if going to full lockout, can cause excessive hip extension. This doesn't mean you can do it with an angled Smith machine, you just have to be careful of over extending your hips at the top and putting too much pressure on your low back on the way down.
Note: Another thing about a fixed bar path is it requires less effort to stabilize the weight. This makes it less effective for overall strength and building up your stabilizer muscles, but this is more of a disadvantage rather than an issue. That said, you may find that you can lift more because of this.
Bar Not On Ground: You’ll notice that the smith machine doesn’t let the plates rest on the floor. This means the starting position will be higher. With free weights, you’re lifting the weights off the floor, making it more systematically demanding. It takes a lot more strength to do this. Essentially, you'd be minimizing the range of motion (knee flexion and extension), which takes away from some leg development. That said, the easy fix for this is to stand on a low platform or some plates, so that the bar is towards the lower part of your shins. Again, we will make note of this in the instructions below.
All in all, barbell deadlifts elicit more muscles and power and it requires you to develop good mechanics. But, the Smith machine can be effective for building the same muscles, you just have to make some adjustments to account for its limitations.
Related: Barbell Deadlift Exercise Guide
HOW TO DO A CONVENTIONAL DEADLIFT ON A SMITH MACHINE
Believe it or not, when the smith machine deadlift is performed correctly, it can be an effective and safe deadlift exercise. But before you jump on the smith machine and start doing deadlifts, there are some important things that you’ll need to know. Understanding the proper form, necessary steps, and potential dangers will allow you to make the exercise effective and reduce the risk injury.
Let’s first go over the different types of smith machines. There are angled and straight bar path machines.
Non-angled machines are far better, but unfortunately, most gyms have angled smiths. And if you do not perform it correctly, there is a higher risk of a lower back injury.
If you are using an angled Smith machine for deadlifts, you will need to make sure you’re facing the machine with the angled bar path coming towards your face rather than away. This ensures that when you’re bringing the bar down it drifts away from you, and when you come up, the bar comes towards you. This reduces the pressure placed on your lower back.
If you were to stand opposite, with the angle of the machine furthest from your face, the bar would drift towards you on the way down and towards you on the way up, causing your lower back to work harder.
If you are using a straight bar path Smith machine, you can face either way and you will be working with a bar path that is natural for deadlifts, so win-win.
As for bar height, because the bar does not go all the way to the ground, you’ll want to place something under your feet so the bar is in the correct starting position. This will differ depending on your heigh and mobility. Play around with it with an unloaded Smith bar first until you find the right height. You can use two 25lb weights stacked under both your feet or some blocks. The bar should be just below the middle of your shins for conventional deadlifts.
It’s important to note another major difference with the smith machine is the smooth bar and the way the bar rolls makes gripping it difficult, especially as you increase the weight used. Some of the ways that you can improve your grip are by using grips and doing fewer reps with cluster sets and heavier weights. Cluster sets allow you to get the work in with a brief rest in between, and you’re getting the work in, in a relatively short time.
Here’s step by step instructions:
- Set the Smith machine bar to the lowest setting, which will be on the safety catches.
- Now stand just behind the bar (this will be on the side that the angle is closest to your face) and place the weights where your feet will go. The correct shin-to-bar distance should be about 0.5" to 1," and the distance between them will be hip-width apart.
- Place both feet securely on the weights or elevation box, and then grip the bar just outside of your shins and grip it as tightly as you can. Bring your hips down (while keeping your spine straight), sitting low enough so that your shins are perpendicular with the floor.
- Keep your chest up and your head straight forward to prevent your shoulders from rounding. From here, you will begin pulling up.
- You’ll explode up with the bar by pushing from the heels of your feet, extending at the knees.
- When the bar reaches your knees, you’ll drive your hips forward (extending at the hips) and squeeze your glutes while maintaining straight spine throughout.
- Don't full lockout, stop when your hips are neutral. Squeeze your glutes and keep everything tight and engaged. This is one rep.
- Slowly lower the bar down by shooting your hips back while letting the bar slowly come down and then flexing (bending) at the knees.
- When the bar is all the way at the bottom, pause and then repeat for the desired reps (unless you are just doing 1 rep sets). A deadlift is always done from a dead stop. So at the bottom, you can adjust your posture if needed, ensuring that your spine is straight, shoulder blades are retracted, and everything is good to go for the next rep.
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN DOING DEADLIFTS USING A SMITH MACHINE
- Standing facing the wrong way is a common and dangerous mistake when performing a deadlift on an angled smith machine. This causes excessive hip extension and can lead to a lower back injury.
- Arching the back will likely lead to an injury because it places too much stress on the back. Maintaining a neutral spine is essential to any deadlift and can be achieved by keeping your head in a static position throughout the movements.
- Improper placement of the feet. Your feet should be shoulder or hip-width apart.
- Rounded shoulders can cause an injury to your spine. By pulling your shoulder blades behind, you’ll maintain proper form and a neutral spine.
- Bar too far from shins. The bar should be no more than an inch from your shins, and this will prevent the bar from touching your shins and preventing your back from curving.
- Jerking the bar. This is a natural movement as the weight intensifies, but it will lead to an injury. Tighten your core and move through your heels.
If you want to watch the Smith machine deadlift, check out this video on Youtube. He will go over how to do it step-by-step, which is just as we've explained above. This guy knows what he is doing. Many other Youtube videos have people simply doing RDLs or Stiff-Leg Deadlifts on a Smith machine, not conventional deadlift, even though they claim it's a conventional deadlift. While RDLs and SLDLs are great, they are NOT the same thing.
SMITH MACHINE DEADLIFT BENEFITS
To be honest, there aren't really any benefits of doing Smith machine deadlifts over a barbell deadlift. The main benefit is that if you don't have a barbell, you can use a Smith machine. That said, if you are using a straight bar path Smith machine, there is an advantage for beginners, which is that it will keep your bar path as it should be, teaching you the proper mechanics. This will allow you to get the form down and hit your muscles correctly. But eventually, you should move on to a free barbell deadlift.
Now, when not comparing it to a barbell deadlift, the Smith machine deadlift DOES have plenty of benefits, many of which are the same as deadlifts with barbells. You can build strength and muscle mass in your quads and entire posterior chain, as well as your forearms and grip. It's also great for building stronger bones, burning calories, and building overall brute power. You know, all the usual benefits of deadlifts.
SMITH MACHINE DEADLIFT MUSCLES WORKED
There are many muscles that become active when pulling weight from the floor to a lockout.
- Quadriceps
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Calves
- Erector spinae
- Trapezius
- Rhomboids
- Abdominals
- Forearms
When you’re bringing the barbell from the floor knees you target the quadriceps muscles and hamstrings. When you bring the barbell from your knees to lock out, you target the back muscles, glutes, and hamstrings.
DISADVANTAGES OF SMITH MACHINE DEADLIFT
- You are restricted: Because you are working on a fixed plane of motion, the biomechanics are all wrong, and you're putting your body at an increased risk of injury when performing the deadlift on the Smith Machine.
- Decreased range of motion: Just look where the bar comes to on your shins, it’s almost at knee level. So unless you're using an elevation box or weights, your range of motion is limited, and you're not getting the most out of this exercise.
- Working fewer muscles: A normal deadlift targets multiple muscles due to the stability factor. The smith machine removes the need to control the bar because of its fixed position, eliminating the use of many muscles and, ultimately, the effectiveness of the deadlift.
You can dive into the cons in more detail in our article: Are Smith Machines Bad?
BEST DEADLIFT VARIATIONS & ALTERNATIVES USING A SMITH MACHINE
While conventional deadlifts are great, there are also other variations and alternatives to consider if you only have a Smith machine. The below four exercises will essentially target the same muscles that you would with deadlifts. The conventional deadlift is a bigger, compound movement, and these are more so isolation exercises, but together you can effectively train the same muscles. Plus, these are generally well accepted to be done with a smith machine.
1. STIFF-LEG DEADLIFT
The Smith machine stiff-legged deadlift is a great alternative targeting your hamstrings, glutes, and low back. It's basically a hamstring isolation exercise, but it does work the other aforementioned muscles too. The Smith machine provides more stability over the barbel for these movements, allowing to really hone in on the muscles. Also, because the knees are essentially taken out of the equation with stiff-leg deadlifts, it's a good alternative over smith machine deadlifts. There's less you have to worry about. But still, avoid over extending your hips at the top.
How to do Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift :
- Start by setting the bar on the smith machine height to about the middle of your thighs.
- Get into position by grasping the bar with palms forward that are shoulder-width apart.
- Feet should be positioned shoulder-width apart or a slightly narrower stance, and knees slightly bent. The bar should be under the middle of your foot. This is your starting position.
- Push your hips back, bending at the waist while keeping your knees stationary (just a very slight bend in the knee) to begin lowering the bar down. Make sure you are keeping your back straight.
- Once you feel a maximal stretch in your hamstrings, begin bringing your torso back up by pushing your hips forward until you return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Related: Stiff-Leg Deadlift Exercise Guide
2. RDL
When performed correctly, the Smith machine RDLs, or Romanian deadlifts, are extremely effective at isolating the hamstrings, which is why it's included in our Smith Machine Leg Workouts. It will also work the erector spinae, gluteus maximus, and adductors and aid in strengthening the core and the lower body with one move.
What makes this exercise even better is the high levels of muscle tension that you get from the deep eccentric stretch. This aids in building mass, specifically in the hamstrings.
Overall, it is very similar to the stiff-leg deadlift, but there will be more flexion of the knees. You can have a more pronounced knee bend with RDLs.
How to do Smith Machine Romanian Deadlift :
- Begin by standing on an elevated platform behind the bar.
- Your feet should be positioned hip-width apart and a slight bend in the knees.
- Firmly grip the bar with palms down and the hands approximately shoulder-width apart, the bar should be at about the middle of your thighs and directly above the middle of your feet.
- Hinge at the hips, while bending at the knees slightly, and maintain a straight back by pulling your shoulder blades together as you lower the bar. You aren't going to be squatting down like a conventional deadlift, but your knees can bend a bit. The movement is still mostly at the hips.
- Lower the bar towards the floor until you feel the maximal stretch in your hamstrings.
- Then, press hips forward, and pull back on the knees to return to starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Related: Romanian Deadlift Exercise Guide
3. SMITH RACK PULL
The Smith machine rack pull is an amazing alternative for your back. The primary function of this exercise is to improve the top portion of a deadlift and to build a beefy back and traps. You can go very heavy with this if you have wrist straps, which we recommend getting if you want to do rack pulls.
How to do Smith machine rack pulls:
- Set the safety stoppers to just below knee height.
- Stand in front of the bar with a hip-width stance.
- Hinge at the hips and grab the bar with an overhand grip and hands positioned just outside your thighs.
- Keep your chest up to maintain a straight back. This is the starting position.
- Drive through your heels and pull the bar up to your thighs while pushing your hips forward and chest up. The bar should be close to your body.
- At the top of the rep squeeze your glutes and upper back without hyperextending your lower back when you lockout the weight.
- When lowering the weight, stick your hips back first and bend your knees when the bar gets to starting position. Maintain control of the movement.
4. GOOD MORNINGS
This is the only exercise that is not a deadlift at all, but it does hit the hamstrings, glutes and low back, and it does involve the same hip function, which makes it a great alternative.
- Choose a height setting that is appropriate so that the bar can rest on your shoulders.
- Now step under the bar and place both hands on the bar.
- Lift the bar off of the rack.
- Inhale and hinge at the hips and move your torso until it is parallel with the floor, keeping your legs stationary and back straight.
- Now begin lifting your torso back up by squeezing your glutes and thrusting your hips forward.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
When it comes to smith machines, the alternatives and variations that we went over are arguably better options than conventional deadlifts, at least for some. Using a combination of these exercises, you’ll target the same muscles that you would be performing the deadlift.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There may come a time when all you have access to is a Smith machine for deadlifts. And that’s okay because now you know how to effectively and safely perform a smith machine deadlift. While it is not the best option, it is an option that can surely provide results.
Related: How Much Does A Smith Machine Bar Weigh?
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Garett Reid
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