Smith Machine Split Squat
Smith Machine Split Squat trains 5 of the 18 muscle groups Full Coverage tracks: Quads 75%, Glutes 60%, Adductors (inner thigh) 35%, Abductors (outer hip) 35%, Hamstrings 15%.
How to do it
- Set the smith bar across your upper back and place one foot back on a bench.
- Position your front foot far enough forward that your shin stays near vertical.
- Lower straight down until your front thigh is parallel.
- Press back up along the rails.
- The rails take balance out of it, so you can load a split squat heavier than free-standing.
Muscles it trains
Percent of one session's target for that muscle. Anything at 100% finishes that muscle on its own.
- Quads 75%
- Glutes 60%
- Adductors (inner thigh) 35%
- Abductors (outer hip) 35%
- Hamstrings 15%
How it compares
Compared with the Dumbbell Lunges, it loads Abs 10 points lower, Calves 10 points lower, Quads 5 points higher. It needs Smith machine where the other uses Dumbbells. Compared with the Smith Machine Squat, it loads Abductors (outer hip) 35 points higher, Quads 25 points lower, Glutes 20 points higher.
Other ways to train this
Other exercises for the Quads
Related guides
Exercise illustrations and data by RepDB (repdb.co), used under licence.
Know what your whole week misses, not just one exercise
These percentages are what the app adds up. Tick what you already train and see which muscle groups your routine leaves short - free, no signup.
Check my coverage