squat advice

joybedford

I am not new to lifting but I really struggle with squats. I can't get low enough, my hips feel tight, my heels come up off the floor and i end up leaning too far forward. My husband watched me last night and he said my technique was all wrong tried to show me but I couldn't get it and just got frustrated. I have fibromyalgia and suffer from pain in my legs and hips. I really want to get my technique right. Would you concentrate on bodyweight squats until I have the correct form. The same goes for lunges really bad at them. I run 3-4 times a week also but the pain is there if I don't work out, this is just something I have to live with and work through I guess. Any tips on correct form would be appreciated.

JBApplebee

When you begin, form is far more important than weight. I had to put a small weight under my toes to help me keep my heels down & a chair to prevent me from going too far down when I first started.

SnicciFit

I AM new to lifting and struggle with squats a lot too! I have noticed a considerable difference with getting lower since my coach told me to start driving my knees out. In order to do this, I have to really think about opening my hips up every. single. rep.

Bekahmardis

When you begin, form is far more important than weight. I had to put a small weight under my toes to help me keep my heels down & a chair to prevent me from going too far down when I first started.

Just this - use a chair behind you. Start by sitting in the chair. Lean forward and stand up from the chair without using your arms. Then sit back down into the chair - SLOWLY - again without using your arms. Your hips and glutes will slowly develop to the point where you can get low enough without thinking about it any more.

I always use a guide like this when starting something new. Good luck!

bostonwolf

I am not new to lifting but I really struggle with squats. I can't get low enough, my hips feel tight, my heels come up off the floor and i end up leaning too far forward. My husband watched me last night and he said my technique was all wrong tried to show me but I couldn't get it and just got frustrated. I have fibromyalgia and suffer from pain in my legs and hips. I really want to get my technique right. Would you concentrate on bodyweight squats until I have the correct form. The same goes for lunges really bad at them. I run 3-4 times a week also but the pain is there if I don't work out, this is just something I have to live with and work through I guess. Any tips on correct form would be appreciated.

Next time try significantly widening your stance. Also, your toes should point outwards at about 30 degrees. You have to have a wide stance to allow your pelvis/belly to pass between our legs. The top fold of your leg near your hip should get below your kneecap. If not, it isn't keep enough. Get wider.

And as your coach said, focus on knees OUT when driving upwards. This is more for knee stability and to avoid injury than anything else from what I have heard.

I just bought this guys book, which is great. See if this video helps. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kawBY5p29fQ

For lunges, don't step straight forward. Step a bit OUT. Not a lot, just a few inches from straight forward. The lunge will be a bit wider and more stable. As you get used to the exercise and stronger, bring your foot slowly back in to straight.

texasfight78

I would definitely start with body weight squats while focusing on proper depth & staying back on your heels. Don't be in a rush to add weight until you're comfortable with your technique. You should go on youtube and search for "Dan John squat" he has an awesome video on correct squatting techniques. It's a fairly long video though. Hope it helps out.

ksellen1

I AM new to lifting and struggle with squats a lot too! I have noticed a considerable difference with getting lower since my coach told me to start driving my knees out. In order to do this, I have to really think about opening my hips up every. single. rep.

Ditto on the above. Concentrating on the knees and really pushing up through the heels will help you stay up right. I do squats onto a 16" box right now to make sure I don't go too deep (partially due to knee injuries) before I get my posture perfect.

Abells

most of the time a lack of being able to squat low and going on your toes in a lack of flexibility in your hips

start stretching by holding onto a pole or something solid based to the ground and sit back in you heels and use elbows to push knees out and stretch those hip flexors...do it daily

also def start with body weight squats. Also squat facing a wall with your toes touching it -- that will teach you to keep your chest up and have a nice straight back and squat sitting without falling forward. you might fall back but that's ok..you'll learn

da_bears10089

what kind of shoes do you use? Make sure you have some flat shoes. I bought some sweet Chuck Taylors for like 25 bucks. I was doing squats and i had progressed to 165# but i watched myself and i didn't feel like i was getting low enough, so i backed off the weight and watched videos. this one is my favorite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yha2XAc2qu8

I'm now back up to where i was before, but i am getting below parallel now.

mikejholmes

Yes, work with bodyweight squats until you get correct form.
I'd buy Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe to get very detailed instructions on correct form.

One thing I'd start with (from his book), your feet should be about shoulder width apart, maybe a bit wider, with your toes pointed out about 30 degrees, and then go down. A good stretch is to put your elbows on the insides of your knees, with your palms together, and use that to force your knees out. It's the only way I can get lower.

ZealousMissJJ

Make sure you do a good warm up. You'll find plenty examples on YouTube.

I agree with above posters, practise air-squats first (body weight) before you start weighted squats. Practise will a larger ball (like a medicine ball) under your bum to make sure you go deep enough. If your knees tend to bend inwards, like mine, you might want to tie a rope or elastic band loosely around your knees so you have to keep pushing them outwards to prevent them from ending up around your ankles. If you find it hard to keep your heels on the ground, temporarily place a mat under your heels (not your toes) to make you more comfortable until you get the hang of it.

Good luck!!

chubby_checkers

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hips-dont-lie-3-drills-to-nail-hip-hinge.html?mcid=facetraining

Check out this article and video. Get this movement down to help with your squats. Also, as mentioned, a wider stnace will help. Stick with body weight until you get the form down.

Mrsallypants

Try Goblet squats and box squats.

Also, don't wear running shoes when squatting, that can also throw you off balance.

Just go slightly below parallel to prevent butt tucking.

HelloDan

Sounds like there is a strong chance that ankle mobility is hindering you, IMHO.

If you have limited dorsiflexion at the ankle (moving you foot towards your shin) it will make squatting to good depth much harder. You need to keep your centre of gravity (or combined CofG of you and the bar) over your base of support - the mid foot. With normal ankle mobility, the dorsiflexion moves your whole body forward relative to your feet, so you can squat deep, with a relatively upright torso. If you don't have this mobility, you will either fall on your butt, or have to find another way to stay in balance, leaning forward will do this, as will lifting the heel, which is why you see these compensations.

I would work on soft tissue of the calf, and ankle joint mobility. I could list drills here, but mobilitywod (google it) will have everything you need if you search on ankle and/or dorsiflexion.

You can't rule out tight hips either, although I don't think they are the root of this problem right now, they will be when you have more ankle mobility, so hit them too, again mobilitywod should have some good stuff.

Hope this helps!

missymuffet

So glad you asked this!! I have Fibromjyalgia also and have been doing the NRWLFW but seem to really have pain in my knees and hips with the sqats and lunges also. I find it hard to keep my weight in my heels too--one bit of advice someone gave me really helps.....she said to lift my toes up in my shoes with my weight in my heel-- it forces me to keep my weight back while sqatting. But frankly, I just have to protect my joints more than most people do so it's one area I go easy on.

Good luck to you!! We can do it I know!! Just maybe a little slower and not as deep as others. :flowerforyou: Friend request me and we'll work on it together!

Missy

notyouraveragetalia

bump

Angie80281

Bumping so I can watch the videos later.