For the love of squats do it if ya know what s good for you A benefit to using a smith machine for your squats is there is an increased concentration in your muscle development because there isn t a need to focus on balance if you were doing the same exercise with free weights If you are more of a beginner or would like more assistance in your move starting off with a smith machine is a great idea Try it out and see which one you enjoy more Personally I like both just as much free weights or using the machine it s nice to switch it up so your body doesn t plateau Let me know which one you enjoy more