Legs · Smith Machine
Smith Full Squat
How to do the smith full squat, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Smith Machine
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Position yourself under the Smith machine bar resting across your upper back, feet about shoulder-width apart and slightly forward. Unrack the bar, then push your hips back and bend your knees to squat as deep as you can control, then drive through your heels to stand.
- 1Feel your quads and glutes load as you descend deep
- 2Push your hips back and down with your chest up
- 3Drive through your heels to stand against the bar path
Common mistakes
- Don't let your knees cave inward or your heels lift
- Avoid rounding your back or collapsing your chest
- Don't bounce out of the bottom; stay controlled
Muscles worked
The smith full squat mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the smith full squat for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed June 2026.