Legs · Smith Machine
Smith Sumo Chair Squat
How to do the smith sumo chair 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
Set the Smith machine bar across your upper back and stand with a wide stance and toes turned out, a bench or box behind you. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until you lightly touch the seat, then drive through your heels to stand. Keep the bar path vertical along the rails throughout.
- 1Your glutes and inner thighs loading as you sit back and wide
- 2Heels driving into the floor to stand up
- 3Knees tracking out over your toes the whole way
Common mistakes
- Crashing down onto the seat instead of touching it lightly
- Letting your knees cave inward as you stand
- Rounding your lower back at the bottom
Muscles worked
The smith sumo chair squat mainly works the quads, glutes, and adductors, with the hamstrings, lower back, lower abs, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- AdductorsPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the smith sumo chair 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.