Trouble squatting

Quaternionz · 2018-10-12T02:00:47+00:00

Ahhhhhhhhhh!

This is so bad. Stop doing these immediately.

I did the something like this when I was first starting. I got up to 225lb and few failed reps with shitty form fucked my knees up for over a year.

I want you to do two form exercises with the help of a friend. No weight, not even the bar.

Start by standing up straight. Have your friend kneel down on the ground in front of you and put his hands on your knees. Now try two types of squats.

1) While squatting, use your knees to push your friend’s hands as far forward as you can. He should not resist. Do whatever fucked up things with your body that you have to do in order to push his hands forward with your knees, anything goes.

2) While squatting, tell your friend to push back on your knees so that they don’t move forward at all. Do whatever you can to help him with this, try squatting all the way down without moving your knees forward.

While doing version #1 all of your body weight will go on your toes, and your heels will come up. While doing version #2 all of your body weight will be on your heels, and your toes will come up.

You’ll never do either extreme in practice. A proper squat is a blend of the two, 20% version #1 and 80% version #2. Or maybe it’s 10/90. Who knows exactly, but you get the picture. It’s mostly version #2. Your weight should be on your heels, and your knees should not move forward much.

When you squat heavy you’ll find that it’s very satisfying to feel that 200lb+ worth of weight being transferred into the earth through the sturdy balls of your heels. Putting that much weight into the earth through your mid-foot or your toes does not feel good, and it’s death for your knees.

Don’t throw back on heavy weight, not even once you have the form down. Squatting like you’re squatting now has been over developing the wrong muscles. You literally do not have the correct muscle distribution to squat correctly at your previous weight. Right now you have to squat whatever lighter weight allows you to get the form right, and then work your way up by +5lb per workout. That way you’ll gradually and safely develop the correct muscle distribution.

+5lb per workout builds up really fast. If you squat 3 times per week that’s 15lb per week, or 60lb per month. Don’t rush it, it goes fast enough already. Start light with correct form and work back up.

If you’re doing 5x5 and the weight is so light that it’s boring then try adding reps to your final three sets. Start with two sets of 5 to warm up. Then go for 8-12 on the last three. Taper back down to 5x5 as you add weight and 8-12 becomes no longer doable. You’ll eventually blow right past your old weight once you get there, and you’ll get some hypertrophy to boot.

If you just so happen to be in NYC I’d be down to show you how to do it right in person.

Blackhawk2479 · 2018-10-11T23:11:19+00:00

You need to bring your elbows up and straighten your wrists more or you’re going to have serious wrist issues.

Bringing your elbows up and back a little will engage your traps more, providing a better support base for the bar and allowing you to straighten your wrists so they take less of the load.

You’re also leading too much with your butt when you come up.

https://youtu.be/RMFHgVN_pcg

failingtheturingtest · 2018-10-12T00:51:42+00:00

In addition to the other comments, you lean forward a little just as you're about to push out of the hole. This I think is a symptom of your butt-wink, but it puts the weight too far forward and you're pushing at a disadvantage.

To get out of the hole, instead of trying to 'push up', try pulling your knees back to straighten your legs. That moment where you shift your weight forward to push is throwing you off balance.

sonnydanger · 2018-10-12T15:18:16+00:00

Get your biomechanics/mobility checked out by a physio. You seem tight in some areas. Obvious points that stands out. Not engaging core/abs (always engage your core, and chest up) bar is a bit too low, weight is too heavy, wrist placment, feet placement.

HurricaneHugues · 2018-10-12T17:09:55+00:00

Your problem is you lean forward way too much, and you have a weak back. Switch to high bar squats.

JoDeBa · 2018-10-11T22:35:00+00:00

Try out the high bar. Also, you’ve got a lot of butt wink going on. You may need to stretch and roll out before and after leg day (which you should be doing anyway everyday). Your core is also very weak, do more core exercises.

10211799107 · 2018-10-12T01:51:22+00:00

Bar is too low on your back. Google Starting Strength Bar Position and watch Rip's videos.
Look down.
Widen your stance so your heels are shoulder width. Point your toes out more.
When you descend, open your legs by shoving your knees out. Dont force yourself that low your lower back is rounding.

Google Stating Strength. Look at the images that come up. Thats the correct pow bar form with an extended lower back amd correct angles.

Title	Trouble squatting
Author	Newgymbro04
Upvotes	4
Comments	8
Date	October 11, 2018 9:40 PM UTC (7 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/9ne8du/trouble_squatting/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/trouble-squatting.1685 https://theredarchive.com/post/1685

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