Increasing Squat Lbs
drekay12
Posts: 5 Member
I have been strength training for about a year now and I am still squatting the same amount as I did 3 months ago. 75lbX10reps- deep, thighs parallel to floor. I would like to increase weight, but everytime I try to, my form is compromised (so I move down the weight).
How can I move my way up!!!???
How can I move my way up!!!???
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Have you tried switching up your squat routine? Are you doing warm-up sets at lower weights? I made gains when I varied between 5x5 sets, pyramids (10 reps at a lower weight, 8 at slightly higher, 6 at higher, etc. and then reverse), and particularly when I added split squats to my routine. My favorite was to do a pyramid workout with each set consisting of 5 reps on each leg in a split squat (or Romanian if you want to really challenge yourself--my balance is too crappy for those) followed by 5 reps of regular squats. You will target different muscles by using different squat variations.0
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ephiemarie wrote: »Have you tried switching up your squat routine? Are you doing warm-up sets at lower weights? I made gains when I varied between 5x5 sets, pyramids (10 reps at a lower weight, 8 at slightly higher, 6 at higher, etc. and then reverse), and particularly when I added split squats to my routine. My favorite was to do a pyramid workout with each set consisting of 5 reps on each leg in a split squat (or Romanian if you want to really challenge yourself--my balance is too crappy for those) followed by 5 reps of regular squats. You will target different muscles by using different squat variations.
I do usually warm up with bodyweight squats, bodyweight lunges, and then both with a bar (45 lbs) before adding any weight. And I warm up with cardio (20 minutes on stairs or elliptical) I'm just very scared of compromising my form and getting injured!0 -
How's your form messed up? You can try to do assistance exercises like front squat, good morning, or glute ham raise.0
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In what way does your form fall apart?0
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form and programming.
consider a linear progressive starting program (like starting strength).
you can start with the bar and load with each workout.
and as terminology: parallel is "acceptable" and by no means "Deep" at all. it shouldn't be above parallel at all. at least parallel - that's also important for form.
posting a vid of your squat could help.
good luck! and btw: AWESOME that you're squatting and trying to fix it! that's huge and really cool! cheers0 -
uconnwinsnc1 wrote: »In what way does your form fall apart?
Bending too far forward mostly...0 -
Wronkletoad wrote: »form and programming.
consider a linear progressive starting program (like starting strength).
you can start with the bar and load with each workout.
and as terminology: parallel is "acceptable" and by no means "Deep" at all. it shouldn't be above parallel at all. at least parallel - that's also important for form.
posting a vid of your squat could help.
good luck! and btw: AWESOME that you're squatting and trying to fix it! that's huge and really cool! cheers
Thanks so much for your response. I usually try and get my butt to the floor, but knees often buckle out when I come up...
Also, do you have a recommendation of foot placement (how far apart or close together, toes pointed out or parallel)? I have heard many different things...0 -
..
"Also, do you have a recommendation of foot placement (how far apart or close together, toes pointed out or parallel)? I have heard many different things...[/quote]
When you start coming up, try to push your knees out. Toe position is going to be different for everyone. Do whatever feels comfortable. For me it's shoulder width w toes slightly out. Keep your chest up, strong core, shoulders together. That should help with coming forward. When you start coming up, drive with your legs-try to push the floor down, not the bar up.
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We would really need to see video to critique.
Do you do a high bar squat or a low bar squat?0 -
Video from front, side and rear.0
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I'm by no means an expert, but when I hear you are"bending too far forward" I think two things;
1. The bar isn't far enough back on your shoulders. Make sure your thumbs are on top of the bar and let it roll off your neck to your shoulders.
2. When you push up, your using your back instead of your legs, so it puts you off balance.0 -
Without seeing video I'm just shooting in the dark, but I'm going to suggest that most likely your muscles can handle it, but you're to a point where your form in general is holding you back. If your form is off to begin with, you can only go so far...my guess is that your bar path is by default already a bit forward and you've been able to manage it...but with heavier weights you aren't.
This isn't uncommon. I had the same issues with my snatch and my cleans...you can only manage so much trying to "muscle it."0 -
1. thumbs where? wtf?
OP, keep this in mind about bending forward. Think of the squat as a single movement. You get low, then you drive through your heels to send your hips, *kitten*, nips and shoulders to god. Straight up, in one distinct movement.0 -
1. thumbs where? wtf?
Thumbs over the bar. There's a good reason for this especially with novice lifters using the low bar position. If you grip the bar with your "thumbs around" as if you were gripping it for a bench press, it's much easier to get in the habit of supporting some of the weight with your wrists and elbows, leading to "golfer's elbow." By putting your thumbs over top of the bar, you are more likely to get into the better habit of keeping your wrists straight and using your hands not to support the bar but to apply lateral force and keep it secure on the posterior deltoids.
Thumbs around is perfectly fine as long as you're not letting yourself strain your wrists and elbows, but most novice lifters do allow this to happen.0 -
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itsthehumidity wrote: »1. thumbs where? wtf?
Thumbs over the bar. There's a good reason for this especially with novice lifters using the low bar position. If you grip the bar with your "thumbs around" as if you were gripping it for a bench press, it's much easier to get in the habit of supporting some of the weight with your wrists and elbows, leading to "golfer's elbow." By putting your thumbs over top of the bar, you are more likely to get into the better habit of keeping your wrists straight and using your hands not to support the bar but to apply lateral force and keep it secure on the posterior deltoids.
Thumbs around is perfectly fine as long as you're not letting yourself strain your wrists and elbows, but most novice lifters do allow this to happen.
Ah I get what you're saying with the thumbs, an open grip, like a bench suicide grip.0 -
itsthehumidity wrote: »1. thumbs where? wtf?
Thumbs over the bar. There's a good reason for this especially with novice lifters using the low bar position. If you grip the bar with your "thumbs around" as if you were gripping it for a bench press, it's much easier to get in the habit of supporting some of the weight with your wrists and elbows, leading to "golfer's elbow." By putting your thumbs over top of the bar, you are more likely to get into the better habit of keeping your wrists straight and using your hands not to support the bar but to apply lateral force and keep it secure on the posterior deltoids.
Thumbs around is perfectly fine as long as you're not letting yourself strain your wrists and elbows, but most novice lifters do allow this to happen.
Ah I get what you're saying with the thumbs, an open grip, like a bench suicide grip.
Sorry - I guess I wasn't clear - I know "not" gripping the bar and moving it further back helped me. Glad someone was able to clarify. I found that if I gripped the bar I tended to push the bar forward onto the back of my neck twards the end of my reps.
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itsthehumidity wrote: »1. thumbs where? wtf?
Thumbs over the bar. There's a good reason for this especially with novice lifters using the low bar position. If you grip the bar with your "thumbs around" as if you were gripping it for a bench press, it's much easier to get in the habit of supporting some of the weight with your wrists and elbows, leading to "golfer's elbow." By putting your thumbs over top of the bar, you are more likely to get into the better habit of keeping your wrists straight and using your hands not to support the bar but to apply lateral force and keep it secure on the posterior deltoids.
Thumbs around is perfectly fine as long as you're not letting yourself strain your wrists and elbows, but most novice lifters do allow this to happen.
Ah I get what you're saying with the thumbs, an open grip, like a bench suicide grip.
Sorry - I guess I wasn't clear - I know "not" gripping the bar and moving it further back helped me. Glad someone was able to clarify. I found that if I gripped the bar I tended to push the bar forward onto the back of my neck twards the end of my reps.
Wrapping the thumbs is considered unsafe on a back squat, as failing a squat will pull you back with the bar if your thumbs are wrapped around it.
The "correct" grip is a false grip: thumbs and fingers on the same side of the bar.0 -
fivethreeone wrote: »itsthehumidity wrote: »1. thumbs where? wtf?
Thumbs over the bar. There's a good reason for this especially with novice lifters using the low bar position. If you grip the bar with your "thumbs around" as if you were gripping it for a bench press, it's much easier to get in the habit of supporting some of the weight with your wrists and elbows, leading to "golfer's elbow." By putting your thumbs over top of the bar, you are more likely to get into the better habit of keeping your wrists straight and using your hands not to support the bar but to apply lateral force and keep it secure on the posterior deltoids.
Thumbs around is perfectly fine as long as you're not letting yourself strain your wrists and elbows, but most novice lifters do allow this to happen.
Ah I get what you're saying with the thumbs, an open grip, like a bench suicide grip.
Sorry - I guess I wasn't clear - I know "not" gripping the bar and moving it further back helped me. Glad someone was able to clarify. I found that if I gripped the bar I tended to push the bar forward onto the back of my neck twards the end of my reps.
Wrapping the thumbs is considered unsafe on a back squat, as failing a squat will pull you back with the bar if your thumbs are wrapped around it.
The "correct" grip is a false grip: thumbs and fingers on the same side of the bar.
aha - thanks for an even better explanation.0 -
+1 for thumbless grip . Dipping forward can mean a lot of things, weak core, wrong bar placement , bad bar path, too heavy of a weight, improper bracing, the list goes on.0
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shutupandlift308 wrote: »
How do you know if you are leaning forward too much? After a wonky unbalanced squat, someone at the gym told me that I needed to lean forward more bc I had the bar low on my back. I did and it helped. Now afterm reading this, I'm afraid I'm leaning too much...0 -
shutupandlift308 wrote: »
How do you know if you are leaning forward too much? After a wonky unbalanced squat, someone at the gym told me that I needed to lean forward more bc I had the bar low on my back. I did and it helped. Now afterm reading this, I'm afraid I'm leaning too much...
If you are low bar squatting, you will naturally lean forward more than high bar squatting. The lean that is detrimental is when the hips are rising early rather than coming up in sync with the chest.0 -
Buy the book starting strength, get volume 3. Google starting strength, go to the website and watch videos and learn proper technique. Video yourself doing squats, watch yourself and try to correct your form from there. Good luck.0
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What type of shoes are you wearing? If they are a soft "running"? shoe I would recommend trying squats in your stocking feet. If that seems to help (soft shoes =horrible stability) you could get converse chucks or keep Squating without shoes.0
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Sorry, it's not letting me quote you.
OP, you say your knees buckle OUT when you come up...do you mean in? When you come up you should be thinking about trying to push them out so they don't buckle in.
I'm not professional though. So there's that.0 -
dinosnopro wrote: »What type of shoes are you wearing? If they are a soft "running"? shoe I would recommend trying squats in your stocking feet. If that seems to help (soft shoes =horrible stability) you could get converse chucks or keep Squating without shoes.
and this0 -
yeah, tennis shoes + squatting heavy = gambling.
I use vibram five fingers, because I'm special.0 -
Are you following a program that moves you forward in your weight progress?0
This discussion has been closed.
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