The Smith Machine Deadlift Guide

Have you ever moseyed into your commercial gym at 5 p.m. on a weekday, looked around at the swarm of people hovering over every piece of equipment, and thought, "Oh no, what have I done?" Welcome to peak-hour purgatory.

Sure, you could wait your turn... or ask someone to let you work in. But let's be honest — patience and small talk aren't always in the cards.

Fear not! When the free-weight area is packed and the power racks are taken, the Smith machine can be your saving grace. And if you think you can't get a solid deadlift session on it, think again — the Smith machine deadlift can be a serious strength-builder when done with the right technique.

Expert Contributor: We spoke with Jonathan Flicker, NASM-CPT, CES, and owner of FLICKER STRONG, about proper form, common mistakes, and the benefit of adding this beginner-friendly move to your workout routine.

How To Do A Smith Machine Deadlift with Perfect Form

When you're ready to add this pull to your fitness routine — and you want to do it the correct way — here's a step-by-step guide to dial-in how to deadlift on a Smith machine.

• Set the bar as low as it can go on the Smith machine.
• Place your feet beneath the bar, about hip- to shoulder-width apart, with toes facing forward or slightly turned out.
• Hinge at your hips and bend your knees just enough to reach the bar, keeping your shins close. Grip the bar just outside your legs.
• Brace your core, pull your shoulders back and down, and drive through your heels to lift.
• Once the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward and squeeze your glutes at the top to come to standing.
• To lower, send your hips back first, then bend your knees as the bar lowers. Keep the bar as close to your legs as possible and maintain a neutral spine until you've completely lowered the weight back to start.

Tip: For ideal Smith machine deadlift form, if the machine you're using doesn't allow the bar to start from a low enough position — like in a conventional deadlift pulled from the ground — try standing on weight plates to better replicate that range of motion.

Smith Machine Deadlift Benefits and Muscles Worked

Similar to the conventional deadlift with a free-weight barbell, a Smith machine deadlift lights up your posterior chain — the backside of your body — and is a functional move that mimics picking up a heavy weight (safely) from the ground.

"Deadlifting on a Smith Machine is a great alternative for lifters who are new to or uncomfortable with hip hinge mechanics or those rehabbing an injury," says Flicker when discussing why someone might opt to for this move over a free-weight deadlift. "The fixed path of the bar makes it easier to focus on posterior chain hypertrophy with less demand on balance or coordination."

Beyond muscle growth, Smith machine deadlifts can help reinforce proper bracing, strengthen your pull, and build a foundation of posterior chain strength that carries over to other lifts.

Primary Muscles Worked

• Gluteus maximus: The star of the show, tackling hip extension in your lift.
• Hamstrings: Support hip extension and stabilize the pelvis and knee joint.
• Erector spinae: These muscles support spinal extension by resisting spinal flexion.
• Adductor magnus: Helps with hip extension.

Secondary Muscles Worked

• Quadriceps femoris: Responsible for straightening your knees as you lift off the ground.
• Latissimus dorsi: Back muscles that help stabilize and support.
• Trapezius: Support spinal stability while also aiding in scapular retraction.
• Forearm flexors: These muscles are what keep your grip on the bar.

Smith Machine Deadlift Common Mistakes 

"Proper form and mechanics are crucial here for performance and safety," says Flicker. Here are some common form flops to avoid after a proper warm-up.

Rounded/Arched Back: The goal is to maintain a neutral spine from first rep to last. Arching or rounding your back to move the weight can put unnecessary stress on your spine. Engage your core and keep a straight line from your head to your hips. If you still can't maintain your alignment, you may be lifting beyond your means, so lower the amount of weight you're lifting and dial in your form.

Hunched Shoulders: Once your grip is set on the bar, pull your shoulders back to maintain that neutral spine. Think about pinching your shoulder blades together and tucking them into back pockets — this will also help engage your lats to support your lift.

A Far Bar is a Bad Bar: As you lift and lower, you want that bar as close to your legs as possible — skimming your shins and nearly dragging up your thighs. Lifting with the bar far away from you  increases stress on your lower back and reduces pulling power.

Angled Bar Path: Some Smith machines have fixed bar paths that angle slightly forward or backward rather than traveling straight up and down. Since a conventional deadlift follows a mostly vertical bar path, choose a Smith machine with a track that mimics this as closely as possible. If your gym only has an angled Smith machine, adjust your stance so the bar stays close to your body through the lift — this will help maintain proper hip-hinge mechanics and reduce stress on your lower back.

Tip: Our Smith machine rack attachment allows for adjustments to the vertical path — -7, 0, and +7 degrees — so you can choose the 0 degree bar path for your deadlift.

Smith Machine Deadlift Variations and Alternatives

If you're looking to try out other Smith machine exercises, or substitute an alternative to keep things fresh on leg day, check out the following moves to keep the heat on your lower body.

Smith Machine RDL

The Romanian deadlift Smith machine variation is essentially the top half of a conventional deadlift, with an emphasis on the hamstrings. Rather than pulling the bar from the floor on each rep, you'll lower down to mid-shin then return to standing. This alternative focuses more on the hip hinge with minimal knee bend.

How To Rep:

• Set the safety stops all the way at the bottom of the Smith machine, and if needed (because you're not feeling enough stretch in your hamstrings during your reps) add a platform or weight plate for you to stand on.
• Set the bar just below hip height. With feet hip-width apart, toes facing forward, and an overhand grip on the bar, engage your core and hinge at the hips.
• As you lower, keep a slight bend in your knees, neutral spine, shoulders back, and the bar as close to your legs as possible.
• When you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings, about mid-shin, reverse the move to come back to standing.

Tip: Use a lighter load than you would when tackling a Smith machine deadlift.

Smith Machine Single Leg Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

Take the movement pattern from the Smith machine RDL we detailed above, but this time you'll work unilaterally — targeting one side and then the other. Substitue in this kind of single-sided work to help identify and fix muscle imbalances.

How To Rep:

• Set the bar just below hip height, with one foot centered beneth the bar and the other one slightly behind you with toes touching the floor for balance.
• With an overhand grip just outside your hips, lower the bar as you hinge at the hips — you back leg will lift up as you lower, helping to maintain balance.
• Keep the bar traveling close to your leg, a slight bend to you standing leg, and a neutral spine as you lower to about mid-shin.
• Drive through your grounded heel to come back to standing.

Tip: Use a lighter load than you would when tackling a Smith machine RDL.

Smith Machine Hip Thrust

The Smith machine is a great tool for allowing an easier setup for hip thrusts — no need to shimmy under the bar for your reps and tossing on more weight is simple with the bar lifted off the ground. We specifically love this exercise for its glute activation and ability to build serious lower-body strength and size with a controlled, stable range of motion. 

How To Rep:

• Set a bench paralell and close enough to the bar so your upper back can rest on it. The bar height should be close to the height of the bench.
• Slide under the bar and take a seat. Rest your upper back on the bench, bend your knees, and rest the bar on your upper thighs just below your hip bones.
• As you drive through your heels, lift your hips and squeeze your glutes until you're a straight line from knees to shoulders.
• Drop you hips and lower back to the floor with control.

Tip: Try adding on a bar pad or a sweatshirt to give your hips some cushioning.

Smith Machine Sumo Deadlift

This sumo squat is a wide-stance Smith machine squat variation that brings the heat to your inner thighs, glutes, and quads. Doing this move on a Smith machine allows you to stay more upright and balanced, so you can focus on muscle engagement.

How To Rep:

• With the bar set at its lowest height, place your mid-foot directly under the bar, feet outside shoulder-width — or wider, depending on your body and what's comfortable — with toes angled out. 
• Bend your knees and grip the bar about hip-width apart.
• Pull your shoulders back, engage your core, and maintain a neutral spine as you drive up tall.
• As you lower, reverse the movement, maintaining a taller posture throughout your reps than you would with a conventional deadlift.

Tip: If you're not getting enough range of motion during your lift, try adding weight plates or a platform to stand on.

Takeaway

Smith machine deadlifts are a rock-solid option when the gym's packed or you're working on nailing your hip hinge. The fixed bar path helps you target your posterior chain while taking away the need for balance and coordination that you'd require in a free-weight variation. This makes it an ideal move to focus on your glutes, hamstrings, and back. However, if the machine's bar path doesn't allow you to keep the bar close to your legs or move naturally, you may want to opt for a different deadlift variation that better suits your mechanics.

FAQs

Can you deadlift on a Smith machine?

Yes! However, it isn't exactly the same as a conventional free-weight deadlift. The fixed bar path provides stability which can support beginners or those focused on rehabbing injury, but it also may limit your natural movement pattern. It also requires less work from your core and stabilizing muscles, but is great for giving your hamstrings and glutes some isolated focus.

What muscles do Smith machine deadlifts work?

While the Smith machine's fixed bar path reduces the demand on your core and stabilizer muscles, it still effectively targets your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. You'll also engage your quads, lats, traps, forearms, and grip. 

Can I use a Smith machine with a REP squat rack?

The Smith machine rack attachment — ideal for home gym setups — can work with the PR-4000 and PR-5000 rack. To help you figure out what's what, check out our Ares 2.0 Builder or set up a virtual call with our team to help walk you through your options.

Rosie Borchert is NASM-CPT, former Nike Volleyball coach, and fitness writer whose work has appeared on BarBend and Tonal. If anyone would like to hire her to play beach volleyball, snowboard, binge watch TV, or go climbing, please get in touch.

This article was reviewed by Ashley Boyer, ACE-CPT, for accuracy.