How do you know if your doing a squat right?

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13

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  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
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    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    My hams are never sore after squatting. Gluteus Maximus and quads only, even when driving through my heels.

    You may need to do some other hamstring work to help exercise those muscles. It's not uncommon for women to over activate their quads and not initiate the hamstrings or gluteals. In your case you're not getting the hamstring activation. Since the hamstrings are largely activated in the eccentric, perhaps take a slower descent to see if that helps at all.


    I just do deads and split squats to hit the hams. Lol
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    My hams are never sore after squatting. Gluteus Maximus and quads only, even when driving through my heels.

    I was starting to think I was the only one!!!
  • doctorsookie
    doctorsookie Posts: 1,084 Member
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    My friend told me that I am not doing squats right, although she is not in very good shape so no offense to her but Id rather have a second opinion. She says that when you squat your *kitten* has to touch the floor...I have scoliosis so not only does that hurt my back but it is very difficult to get down that low. How do I know if I am doing a squat right. If I don't feel it the next day does that mean I did it in correctly?

    your friend is full of !@#. tell her to do a squat and laugh when she falls on her a@@and then say, "you think you did that right?"
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    My hams are never sore after squatting. Gluteus Maximus and quads only, even when driving through my heels.

    I was starting to think I was the only one!!!

    No ma'am. Most people I talk to are the same. The people in this thread are just weird.

    *staring at dbmata*
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    My hams are never sore after squatting. Gluteus Maximus and quads only, even when driving through my heels.

    I was starting to think I was the only one!!!

    No ma'am. Most people I talk to are the same. The people in this thread are just weird.

    *staring at dbmata*

    LOL yeah but his leg workout day is crazy.

  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    I'm weird.. I mostly feel back squats in my hams and Zercher squats in my quads *thinks I am backwards*
  • natecooper75
    natecooper75 Posts: 72 Member
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    Wouldn't the key here be if the OP was high or low bar squatting and/or what stance they squat is being utilized? Bar placement and stance width have some impact on the muscles that are activated during the movement.

    I would think that that posterior chain is activated more during a low bar squat because of the torso and hip angle that the body creates due to the bar placement. This recruits Back, glutes, and hamstrings.

    On the other hand, the high bar squat bar placement doesn't recruit the whole posterior chain. It relies more on the quad and glutes. If I had to bet, unless the OP was a Starting Strength user, their squat would probably resemble this version more because it tends to feel more natural when you first start to do the movement weighted.

    Essentially, all muscles that are trained during the squat in general are trained regardless of the way the squat is performed, some are just more dominate than others depending on how the movement is performed.
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
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    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    My hams are never sore after squatting. Gluteus Maximus and quads only, even when driving through my heels.

    I was starting to think I was the only one!!!

    No ma'am. Most people I talk to are the same. The people in this thread are just weird.

    *staring at dbmata*

    LOL yeah but his leg workout day is crazy.


    No. A crazy leg workout day is doing deads and squats. Dbmata's leg day is bat chit clown shoes crazy. No wire hangers crazy. Nuttier than squirrel chit crazy.

    I'm out of colorful expressions.....
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    My hams are never sore after squatting. Gluteus Maximus and quads only, even when driving through my heels.

    I was starting to think I was the only one!!!

    No ma'am. Most people I talk to are the same. The people in this thread are just weird.

    *staring at dbmata*

    LOL yeah but his leg workout day is crazy.


    No. A crazy leg workout day is doing deads and squats. Dbmata's leg day is bat chit clown shoes crazy. No wire hangers crazy. Nuttier than squirrel chit crazy.

    I'm out of colorful expressions.....

    This is true.

    I'm fascinated by 100s at the moment. Result, I'm calling off the leg session tonight. Shaky, heart rate 30% higher than normal, can't stay awake.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
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    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    My hams are never sore after squatting. Gluteus Maximus and quads only, even when driving through my heels.

    You may need to do some other hamstring work to help exercise those muscles. It's not uncommon for women to over activate their quads and not initiate the hamstrings or gluteals. In your case you're not getting the hamstring activation. Since the hamstrings are largely activated in the eccentric, perhaps take a slower descent to see if that helps at all.


    I just do deads and split squats to hit the hams. Lol

    Interesting that split squats give you good hammie activation, but that's cool if it works for you.
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
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    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    My hams are never sore after squatting. Gluteus Maximus and quads only, even when driving through my heels.

    You may need to do some other hamstring work to help exercise those muscles. It's not uncommon for women to over activate their quads and not initiate the hamstrings or gluteals. In your case you're not getting the hamstring activation. Since the hamstrings are largely activated in the eccentric, perhaps take a slower descent to see if that helps at all.


    I just do deads and split squats to hit the hams. Lol

    Interesting that split squats give you good hammie activation, but that's cool if it works for you.

    A wide stance hits my hams. Closer and it's quads. Same with lunges.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    single leg back extensions with weight and barbell good mornings always kill my hammies..... so I am definitely weird
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
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    dbmata wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    My hams are never sore after squatting. Gluteus Maximus and quads only, even when driving through my heels.

    I was starting to think I was the only one!!!

    No ma'am. Most people I talk to are the same. The people in this thread are just weird.

    *staring at dbmata*

    LOL yeah but his leg workout day is crazy.


    No. A crazy leg workout day is doing deads and squats. Dbmata's leg day is bat chit clown shoes crazy. No wire hangers crazy. Nuttier than squirrel chit crazy.

    I'm out of colorful expressions.....

    This is true.

    I'm fascinated by 100s at the moment. Result, I'm calling off the leg session tonight. Shaky, heart rate 30% higher than normal, can't stay awake.

    Getting sick?
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Lofteren wrote: »
    Post a video of your squats. There's no way to instruct someone on what they're doing wrong without first seeing what it is that they do wrong!

    Sorry I missed this... yes, ultimately we need to see how you move to properly diagnose any flaws in the movement. Honestly, I would take two videos; one doing an overhead-squat (bodyweight only) feed shoulder width and feet pointed forward (for assessment purposes) and then do barbelll squat.
    single leg back extensions with weight and barbell good mornings always kill my hammies..... so I am definitely weird

    Not at all weird, I get good glute and hamstring activation as well with that exercise; it's a very good exercise despite how simplistic it looks.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    DjinnMarie wrote: »
    My hams are never sore after squatting. Gluteus Maximus and quads only, even when driving through my heels.

    You may need to do some other hamstring work to help exercise those muscles. It's not uncommon for women to over activate their quads and not initiate the hamstrings or gluteals. In your case you're not getting the hamstring activation. Since the hamstrings are largely activated in the eccentric, perhaps take a slower descent to see if that helps at all.


    I just do deads and split squats to hit the hams. Lol

    Interesting that split squats give you good hammie activation, but that's cool if it works for you.

    A wide stance hits my hams. Closer and it's quads. Same with lunges.

    interesting- I tend to find it's almost all quad- I have to be uncomfortably far apart on my bulgarian's to hit any hammy- so much so I'd rather just do ghetto glute raises or bridge lifts.
    single leg back extensions with weight and barbell good mornings always kill my hammies..... so I am definitely weird

    nope- those are pretty good hammy work- I do seated and standing good mornings- finally worked them into my regular routine- not sure if it's helping but I'm doing it. Same with stiff leg DL. I think those are fantastic- more for stretch and grip- but man can I feel it back there.

  • JoyeII
    JoyeII Posts: 240 Member
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  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    edited October 2014
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    <trying to fit in with the cool kids>

    RDLs, GHRs, walking BB lunges for hams.
    back squats, front squats, leg press for quads.

    I don't feel either in my butt, but both generally require a wheelchair afterwards.