Squat depth
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More squat-play at the gym today. It was actually pretty great.
Squats -- 1x10 @ 45 (warmups); 1x5 @ 55, 65, 75, 85; 5x5 @ 115
They all felt really good -- though 115 would likely have felt a lot easier without all the previous sets -- and I am confident I am getting as low as I possibly can, at least at the moment.
I forget to check the bench height, but can confirm that my thighs are NOT hitting my calves at the bottom of my squats. Again, not sure if they are supposed to, but it is what it is.
At some point, I got into a below parallel position, feet flat and hanging on to the rack for balance, and tried to pinpoint where my actual hip was in relation to my knee by jamming my finger through my extra layers. As much as I hate to admit it, the extra mass in my hips and upper thighs may very well be obscuring the visual confirmation I'm looking for in the videos and when I've got the bar on my back.
So, I am officially done *worrying* about whether or not I am getting below parallel. I am going to just keep concentrating on doing my absolute best, pushing myself, and progressing. I'm also going to work on hip flexibility, which I know will help with all of this.0 -
d'oh. a fool is me . . . mispost.0
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I have been de loading and going deep with squats. I put mirrors up in our exercise room so I can see what I am doing. I can get parallel with weight on the bar but no lower unless I deload more. I did a working set last night of 100lbs and today it feels like I pulled a quad muscled in my left leg. Must stretch more before :-(0
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I wish I could offer some help :-\ a friend of mine lifts with me and is almost at parallel but can't seem to get there. Besides telling him to read Starting Strength and play with foot placement, I don't know how to help.
It might benefit you to try and get a session with a trainer.0 -
Ahhh I decreased the weight and my form felt so much better. I think I went up too fast. I think I'll do one more session at that weight and then start increasing by 5lb at a time.0
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Fittreelol wrote: »
I just have tip toes on the floor.... should I not?![:\](https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
Short answer: that depends. Are you able to get sufficient leg drive when benching? If so that is fine. If you're not or you plan on competing in the USAPL/IPF someday then work on getting feet flat- either by changing your stance, working on mobility, or putting plates under your feet.
I just posted this on a friends wall, but wanted to put it in here as well because it's useful! The 2nd picture is about as far down as you can go with a lowbar style squat. Granted there are several lifters that lift low bar but use a highbar style or hybrid style squat so they look like the first picture even though they have the bar lower on their back.
Are we supposed to do low bar or high bar for SL? I did high bar yesterday and it felt sooo much better than my previous squats using low bar. And my knees weren't going as far forward as that fellow's in the photo.0 -
I wasn't sure so I tried both but I've been doing high bar most of the time. Low bar feels a bit too awkward for me and there isn't much distance from low and falling off. So, I'm sticking with high bar for now.0
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I do low bar.0
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Low bar and parallel is in the program but you could do high bar if you like it better. I think with high bar, though, you should be going lower than parallel.0
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MissHolidayGolightly wrote: »Low bar and parallel is in the program but you could do high bar if you like it better. I think with high bar, though, you should be going lower than parallel.
Ah see I thought you were supposed to go lower than parallel no matter what. And I couldn't do it well with low bar.0 -
Each time I see the image I wonder about foot placement. My feet are a tad angled but pretty close to pointing straight forward. Maybe I should try a bit more turn out or something. hmmm
So much to consider on the lifts.0 -
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MissHolidayGolightly wrote: »Low bar and parallel is in the program but you could do high bar if you like it better. I think with high bar, though, you should be going lower than parallel.
Ah see I thought you were supposed to go lower than parallel no matter what. And I couldn't do it well with low bar.
Hips go slightly below knees which is parallel. ATG is below where hamstrings touch calves.0 -
DawnEmbers wrote: »Each time I see the image I wonder about foot placement. My feet are a tad angled but pretty close to pointing straight forward. Maybe I should try a bit more turn out or something. hmmm
So much to consider on the lifts.
Turning out around 30 degrees helps me.0 -
I was going to post, but Miss Golightly said everything I was going to. So yes.
Random thoughts:
I'm too tired to check if I posted it in here or on someone's wall; ATG typically means squatting with your calves to hamstrings, but it is also used as a shorthand way of saying "as deep as possible" which for someone squatting low bar or with mobility issues might not be actual *kitten* to grass. It just depends on context.
If one doesn't have a problem with low bar one should probably try to do the program with lowbar. It recruits more of the posterior chain which is helpful as most people have a super weak posterior chain. That being said high bar does still work the posterior chain so if one has a physical issue that encourages high bar then by all means do that.
Another thought: When I first started squatting my low bar was wayyyyyyyyyy too low. I hired a trainer after a month or so of stronglifts to do a form check (at a strongman gym no less) who said everything was fine. It wasn't until a year later a training buddy was like, "Tree wtf are you doing that bar is way too low." Angels sang and my life changed forever.0 -
Ahhh I see. Ok, I will play with form a bit more today. I think I might be able to get a video of my form tomorrow... if I post it, could people critique?
For low bar, the bar should be in line with the tips of your shoulders, right?0 -
DawnEmbers wrote: »
Uh... did you watch the whole video? I moved ahead to around 6 minutes to see squat variations and it was him squatting with pants down ready to defecate by a tree. I'm clutching my pearls :wtf:
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Yeah, I've seen the whole video. Thought the tight white shorts were worse than the short example in the woods. lol0
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Haha I just wasn't expecting that and I didn't have volume up so I was protecting my eyes. His hair is also pretty interesting. All around interesting guy.0
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Despite a couple "wut" moments, that video was super helpful...I have much to think about at the gym tonight. Maybe I'll wear white tighties. Nope, nope, nope.0
