Dr. Squat - Dr. Fred Hatfield

For maximum growth in arms, chest and all other parts of your physique, ask any trainer, the squat is "The King of Exercises"! It's true, those nice comfortable machines work the legs. But for that anabolic edge, all the experts agree; the squat is capable of inducing more and faster muscle growth than any other exercise. Manta Ray is the most significant advancement in free weight training in 75 years. It is a semi rigid device that snaps onto any bar and helps you acheive the full advantage of performing the high bar squat with the proper upright posture and without discomfort. Manata Ray's superior load distribution principal transfers the weight across your Trapezius muscles, eliminating neck pain allowing you to focus on the movement. Great for Lunges too. So stop swearing your way through squats or worse, avoiding them all together. Manta Ray's unparalleled design fits any physique, any bar, any gym bag.
Keeping your knees healthy and asymptomatic begins with developing a functional understanding of how this unique joint is constructed (anatomy) and how it does and doesn't function (biomechanics). The knee is a hinge-type joint, roughly equivalent to a door hinge, but with a little “twist” to lock it into full extension. Instead of a fixed axis (such as a door hinge has), however, it’s a complicated movement consisting of gliding and rotation in such a fashion that the articulating surfaces are always changing. Hence, the axis is always changing. That can lead to trouble, particularly during unweighted exercises such as leg extensions. Bear in mind that the knee is held together by connective tissues that are all-too-easily damaged!
The old style Smith Machine Squats: Assuming that the old model of the Smith machine is bolted to the floor (most are not) and has a safety device (most do not), it was regarded as a pretty safe alternative to squats. The fact that you’re actually “leaning” against the bar during a Smith machine squat, you’re minimizing shear forces in the lower back. However, shear on the knees is still considerable. Beware!
The Natural Smith Machine: Trevit Smith co-founded SportStrength with Dr. Fred Hatfield. His dad, former Mr. America Jimmy Smith, invented the Smith machine back in the sixties. Trevit Smith took it to a new level. Now, the movement is not straight up and down as it was on the old machine. That kind of movement is not natural to the body. The path of the bar on the Natural Smith Machine scribes a natural arc that allows you to keep your feet planted under the bar (as opposed to way out in front). This, in turn, eliminates almost all of the damaging shear forces your knees are exposed to during regular squats or squats performed on the old Smith Machine.
And, oh...wait until you do your bench presses and incline presses in the new Natural Smith Machine! You’re in for an unexpectedly pleasant surprise from the natural feel of the movement