Can't do squats (suggestions?)

greenmonstergirl

I showed the girls at work how to hold onto the desk while doing them (not putting your weight on the desk, but using it so they didn't feel like they would fall backwards), UNTIL they could do them on their own.

fannyfrost

I can't do squats because of my knees, Old lady of 47 with arthritis and a bad knee.

Remember the old Buns of Steel videos, they did modified bridges that really target your butt.

Also leg lifts toward the back are great for butt. Pilates Leg exercises are great.

Search for videos or exercises on the web. You can search for leg or butt exercises and just skip all the squats. There are lots of exercises out that work.

Oh and lunges are great too if you can do those.

LorinaLynn

If you belong to a gym, see if they have a glute press. It works one leg at a time. I got better results squatting & deadlifting with a barbell, but I still got pretty darn good results on machines before that.

RobertHendrix

First off dont use the word can't, you just need to retrain your body to do them properly. Start off by doing body weight box squats. You can use a chair instead of a box. Stand in front of the chair and squat down until your butt touches the chair but don't actually sit down. Both sides of your butt should touch at the same time and if you were to look down at yourself from up above your shoulders, knees, and toes should form a straight line down to the ground. Make sure you are wearing flat shoues or do it barefoot. One of the biggest things I see with people that seem to be pushing up through their toes rather than their heels is that they are squatting in tennis shoes that has a drop from heel to toe that naturally wants to push them forward. As you get more comfortable with form you can add dumbells/kettlebells for extra weight or if you want to practice form for when you get to the point of using a barbell then put a broomstick on your shoulders where the bar would go.

Form is the biggest factor when squatting. But if you start off saying you can't do something you never will.

dbmata

FIX. YOUR. SQUAT. if you cannot perform the most basic of all movement patterns correctly you will end up with bigger problems than the shape or your butt. (that means consulting a doctor to determine the status of your hip joints.)

if you are looking for exercises to engage the glutes: deadlifts, romanian deadlifts, glute bridges... doing these will also teach you how to get your glutes to fire while squatting.

also if you are doing high bar squats switch to low bar to get the postirior chain more involved.

This.

Alphastate

A little off topic, but yoga helps loosen up my hips and teaches me how to balance evenly. I stopped squating and deadlifting for a while because I blew my back out. Ever since I've been doing yoga, my back pain has subsided and my core is stronger, which helps keep better form.

lowpro1983

When I was first learning proper form for squats, I was told to hold on to something (I used a pole at the gym). It really helps to keep your balance and reach the desired squat position.

Also, lunges.

holothuroidea

Do more squats.

If you have a serious physical problem that stops you from being able to do squats, you should see someone for PT or something.
It's a basic human movement, I can't imagine how not being able to squat would affect my daily life.

In the meantime, deadlifts and romanian deadlifts will still target your glutes.

Danny_Boy13

Check out Bodynomics.com she has some vids on youtube for squats. I would think form is your culprit.

^^^ This 10x's.

redheaddee

My hips are also uneven.

Has a doctor told you this? Have you considered seeing a chiropractor & getting adjusted back into place?

Queen_JessieA

what do you mean " can't do squats"

physically incapable?? don't like? bad balance/?

have you tried deadlifting?

My hips are uneven, and it is really hard to do them properly. I end up putting my force on to one side more than the other because my legs are not even because of my hips. And I target my thighs and quads more than my butt. Most of the time I don't target my butt at all. Squats also hurt my hips, and it feels like something is almost being pinched in a way, it's hard to describe. I do stretch before and after, and stop when I must. My left hip is higher than my right so it makes my left leg longer....

I wondered if there was something wrong with me. I never, EVER feel squats in my rear end. My form is good. But one of my hamstrings are extremely tight and it is causing some horrid lower back pain. I think that has something to do with it.

darrensurrey

Bulgarian squats is my favourite.

http://youtu.be/zr4yegVq06s

They do scare me slightly because you have to be careful or you'll fall over. :bigsmile:

Bump for the responses. I can't do squats, dead lifts or lunges due to nerve damage in feet and legs which affects balance.

If it's purely down to balance, you could try squatting in a Smith machine. Not ideal but better than nothing.

Danny_Boy13

I wondered if there was something wrong with me. I never, EVER feel squats in my rear end. My form is good. But one of my hamstrings are extremely tight and it is causing some horrid lower back pain. I think that has something to do with it.

Are your quads parallel to the floor at the bottom of the lift? If you only do half squats then the glutes / hams are not engaged. If you do get that low then you are almost guaranteed to get those glutes to work.....you just might not feel it.

TeachTheGirl

I could never do a full squat when I first started working out. I actually frustrated a trainer because whenever I'd try to do a deep squat, without even realizing it, I'd be on my toes and my heels would be off of the floor.

Just. Keep. Trying. Only go as deep as you can and perfect that and then aim deeper.

I have a bum knee that I used to think prevented me from doing lots of things. Now I realize that by actually working on the problem, my knee issues have pretty much cleared up and I'm able to do the things I couldn't when I first started.

Good luck.

recover_healthy_fit

i used to have uneven shoulder also and always put more weight on one leg, so my hips were uneven too, so i know where your coming from... with your sqauts, start out going as low as you can and slowly work toward getting 90 degrees (or lower) this may take a little time. If you have to, do them without weight or with light weight dumbells held at your side. Make sure your back is straight and put your weight in your heels. i would bet money that when you squat, at the bottom of your squat your weight is in the ball of your foot or even throughout, thats why its working your thigh and quad... when your at the bottom of your squat, you shoule be able to wiggle your toes, this load the weight in your heels and will force your hamstrings and glutes to engage...

Hope that helps, let me know how it goes.

Thank you

rrsuthy

Deadlifts are great for the butt. I'd also suggest a Yoga DVD called Hip Openers (GIAM), it really helps open the hip muscles.

I have a bad right knee (no cartilage) and my left glute muscle and hip overcompensate (i don't even realize I do it). So, I've found that doing yoga/pilates at least a couple of times a week really helps stretch and strengthen those muscles. I don't do hour long, just 20 minute sessions.

bcattoes

Check out other types of squats besides the standard squat. One-legged, curtsy squat, sumo squat and others are easier (IMO) to keep the focus on your glutes.

Also hip or pelvic lifts are wonderful, even if you are also doing squats.

JLHNU212

BUMP!

Queen_JessieA

I wondered if there was something wrong with me. I never, EVER feel squats in my rear end. My form is good. But one of my hamstrings are extremely tight and it is causing some horrid lower back pain. I think that has something to do with it.

Are your quads parallel to the floor at the bottom of the lift? If you only do half squats then the glutes / hams are not engaged. If you do get that low then you are almost guaranteed to get those glutes to work.....you just might not feel it.

Yes. I go as low as I possibly can go and push my butt back like I am going to sit in a chair. I make sure my knees don't go over my toes. Honestly, I feel alot of strain in my back when I do them and my legs hurt. Nothing in the rear.

Don't get me started on lunges. I KNOW I don't do them right and it always feels like I pull something in my thigh when I do them. I hate them.

georgina1970

Read the book called "Strong Curves."
It's all about building strong, curvatious buttocks. Talks about why it can be difficult to target the glutes, with solutions included. Many different exercises to target your glutes, and includes full workout programmes to use at home or in the gym.
Excellent book.