Half squat with leg in extension on a machine Smith

Lower by coordinating the hips and knees while keeping pressure distributed across the whole foot. Stand up by extending the hips and knees without bouncing. Use a steady tempo: control the return phase in particular and avoid relying on momentum. Exhale through the hardest part and inhale as you recover the starting position.

Check that the movement stays stable in both directions and that the torso is not compensating. The goal is controlled loading of glutes and hip flexors and quadriceps; match resistance and range to a intermediate level and never force a painful repetition. Set the seat, backrest and machine axis before loading it; poor setup changes the path and often creates compensations.