How to Squat???

[bhumik]

cAN SOME one please help me.. I am so freaking frustrated. i cant do a squat to save my life.

first my shoulders cant rotate out enough to hold hte bar properly..

then when I go down, I end up losing my balance and putting the eight on my heels and then almost falling backwards..

Right now the only ting i can do is use the smith machine and lean back on smith machine and go up and down..

 

[eroc613]

Keep useing the smith machine, do it straight up, instead of leaning back. By useing the smith machine and leaning back your helping the problem.

 

[hotttsauce]

BUMP

Keep useing the smith machine, do it straight up, instead of leaning back. By useing the smith machine and leaning back your helping the problem.

The smith machine is a great way to learn to squat. Just picture yourself sitting down onto a chair. Even practice at home just sitting down really helps before going in. Mske sure to look up when your hitting them too, helps to keep your balance.

Also, Ass to Ankles! The only way to squat!

You'll get it!

 

[sup]

this guy doesn't go deep enough, but ...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ni0bc_gaGrA&feature=related

 

[1badboy]

Front Squats?

I have problems with my shoulders too that cause pain grabbing the bar behind my neck. So I've switched to front squats (I use Smith Machine too)- they are an uncomfortable exercise but you have to start with low weight and "get the groove"- try with narrow foot stance to emphasis quad muscles.

Be careful with "leaning back" into squats on smith machine- I did that for awhile and my hip joints paid for the sheer pressure that is put on them.

For me, bad shoulders screw up many exercises...

EDIT- This video of Tropinin doing 500 for 8 is great,
http://youtube.com/watch?v=7bkRyC41Us8
and Steve Kuclo making 465 look easy:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hv1byrccCeY

 

[alecaf]

this guy doesn't go deep enough, but ...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ni0bc_gaGrA&feature=related

Wow i normally try to go way lower than that. Is the guy in the video not going low enough or is this the best way to do it???

Edit: Sorry bro i didnt read your comment lol

 

[thedonker]

start with the weight low and perfect the technique before upping the weight, it's so improtant to get the technique right first. start with just a bar perhaps, take it deep and low, and then back up, when you feel more confident add more weight at slow increments.

 

[tattoojr]

That u tube squat looked like he had his knees over his toes and that is bad. the way I can explain a squat is pretend your sitting down i.e. you keep a straight back and set you butt in motion then bend at the knees whille trying to look at the ceiling. Alot of people think you need to keep your back at a 90 degree angle to the floor and if you try doing that you end up on your toes or the balls of your feet and that can and will hurt your back. When they say keep your back straight they mean arched not rounded . Breaking paralell is all I do so ass to ankles help I can't do. J.R.

 

[thebrick]

its tough if your shoulders will not rotate back enough... but keep the weight on the traps centered over your hips and keep your face looking up

 

[morepain]

while not as popular in the BB world, i have found box squats to be more effective for those who have difficulty doing high bar olympic style squatting. Read up on box squatting technique at elitefts.com

 

[Dad]

while not as popular in the BB world, i have found box squats to be more effective for those who have difficulty doing high bar olympic style squatting. Read up on box squatting technique at elitefts.com

I was just going to suggest that - good call!

Also, check out Louie Simmons' disc - The Squat Workout on the Westside Barbell site, or on Ebay.

 

[MilitaryMuscle]

Picture this.... pretend like your going to pick up a big round stone in between your legs. How would you try to pick it up? You would drop you ass straight down in between your legs. Now when you squat do that, chest out, back arched and your good to go. Use a stance thats comfortable for YOU, toes pointed out slightly and your all set. I suggest watch justin harris on youtube as well, hes a great squatter with good form and here is another good vid to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYojAPYILEo&NR=1


see how his ass goes inbetween his legs and not back? This is good form right there IMO.

But like others said start light and work your way up with good form the whole time. It will take sometime but youll get it.

 

[flexmaster]

here is how we teach someone to squat CORRECTLY...
using just a bar, get into front squat position with your arms held straight out in front of you. at a CONTROLLED speed, lower yourself as far as you can, keeping your weight on your heels and knees outward. the reason for not holding onto the bar is because this is a self corrective exercise now. if you lean forward onto your toes the bar will fall forward. if you are on your heels but not letting your hips come backward the bar will slightly choke you. this is a pretty decent video...despite the music http://youtube.com/watch?v=yHu4jhUbx9M&feature=related . it is important to keep your arms straight out in front of you when learning to squat correctly. if you feel comfortable then go ahead and keep fingers on the bar. once the front squat feels pretty good go ahead and try back squats.

just curious, how tall are you?

if you want, post a video of yourself doing them on youtube and we/i would be glad to offer some help

 

[bhumik]

I just got done with a leg wokr out.. I did it on a smith but it felt awesome. I was right under the bar,, didnt lean into it.. I think I just got some new shoes.. Uptil now i was using real street stuff shoes (18$ ones). now i bought some reebok i think that made a bit of difference..

I will post a video.. Next time i go in.. If no one is around.. lol.. U have no idea how much i squat.. right now i am squatting 50 lbs on each side on a smith machine. 8 sets for 10 reps with a minute or two rest in middle. lol.. I HAVE THE WEAKES LEGS IN THE WHOLE WORLD.

 

[flexmaster]

this guy doesn't go deep enough, but ...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ni0bc_gaGrA&feature=related

dang, that guy is terrible!

 

[flexmaster]

I just got done with a leg wokr out.. I did it on a smith but it felt awesome. I was right under the bar,, didnt lean into it.. I think I just got some new shoes.. Uptil now i was using real street stuff shoes (18$ ones). now i bought some reebok i think that made a bit of difference..

I will post a video.. Next time i go in.. If no one is around.. lol.. U have no idea how much i squat.. right now i am squatting 50 lbs on each side on a smith machine. 8 sets for 10 reps with a minute or two rest in middle. lol.. I HAVE THE WEAKES LEGS IN THE WHOLE WORLD.

there are probably several factors contributing to your difficulty squatting...tight achilles tendons, tight hips, unflexible back, weak core muscles (abdominals, low back, glutes, hip flexors). i would imagine your problem is a mixture of inflexibility and incorrect movement. if you are serious about learning to squat, put a video of you doing 10 free weight squats with something like 75-95lbs. i would personally like to see 10 reps of back squats (75-95 lb) and 10 reps of front squats (no weight, arms held straight out in front of you). we'll get you squatting correctly in no time brotha

 

[the_warrior]

For teaching the squat, I too like front squats since the torso can't go forward to compensate for an incorrect movement pattern. Instead, you will have to learn to sit between your legs while keeping your chest up (i.e. if you have writing on your chest, you shoudl be able to see it in the mirror) and your head neutral to slightly up. Push through the ball of the foot. If you are having a hard time getting a hold of the bar, then you probably are tight in your rotator cuff and should do some external rotation work. Also, focus on pushing through the ball of your foot, unless you are using a very wide stance in which case you should think push through the sides and think of splitting the earth (thank you Louie Simmons). And as others have said, don't force the weight until you feel comfortable with the movement.

 

[Mastodon]

cAN SOME one please help me.. I am so freaking frustrated. i cant do a squat to save my life.

first my shoulders cant rotate out enough to hold hte bar properly..

then when I go down, I end up losing my balance and putting the eight on my heels and then almost falling backwards..

Right now the only ting i can do is use the smith machine and lean back on smith machine and go up and down..

If you have access to a buffalo bar, try using it for your squats. The bend in the bar will help with getting your shoulders back to hold the bar. A cambered squat bar or a safety squat bar will also solve that problem.

As for falling backwards, that sounds like a flexibility issue with your achilles tendon. Start stretching it out on a calf machine, in the mean time you can place a 25lb plate under each heel or use a section of 2X4 wood.

 

[garrithv]

Picture this.... pretend like your going to pick up a big round stone in between your legs. How would you try to pick it up? You would drop you ass straight down in between your legs. Now when you squat do that, chest out, back arched and your good to go. Use a stance thats comfortable for YOU, toes pointed out slightly and your all set. I suggest watch justin harris on youtube as well, hes a great squatter with good form and here is another good vid to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYojAPYILEo&NR=1


see how his ass goes inbetween his legs and not back? This is good form right there IMO.

But like others said start light and work your way up with good form the whole time. It will take sometime but youll get it.

i cant see the vid but this was how dante explained to squat and it has helped me tremendously, i can get deep and blast out without problems. I had a herniated disk and i only use hacks and smith squats.

 

[blackhole2]

Test your lower body flexibility, maybe you are loosing balance because there is some sort of restriction...

Them make sure that there isn't some sort of gross strength imbalance test each leg separately.

If the problem isn't structural:

everyday as part of your warm up get a step platform and some raisers and build a a step to just about your knees level and perform 2 or 3 sets of bodyweight squats - keep looking ahead and your bum reaching back as if you are going to sit back. Weight always on your heels, In your way up think about jumping.

After you can nail the for with body weight you start bringing the level of the step down.

Grab a pair of wrist wraps that you use for dead lifting, wrap them around the bar let the bar sit on your traps - never your neck.

Pull the wraps aside and get a firm grip on them with your hands - you will not need as much external rotation using this resource.

Good luck.

J