Can't do squats (suggestions?)

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  • TheRightWeigh
    TheRightWeigh Posts: 249 Member
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    Bump for squat tips
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 11,987 Member
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    georgina gave great advice. Love Bret C. Love "Strong Curves".

    (My quads tend to take over when I do back-squats, as well. There *are* better exercises to target glutes - and given how LAZY my glutes are, I'm glad I'm working on getting glutes to FIRE properly!)
  • alison590
    alison590 Posts: 61
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    I just got this book today. Thanks so much for posting that!
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
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    Just responding so I can look at this later. I have so much trouble with squats cause of my knees & back. My knees are both done for & you can hear them crack loud when I squat & cause of my back I can't move weight to my heels...like at all. Physically unable to do so without screaming in pain.
  • juiceplusbecky
    juiceplusbecky Posts: 56 Member
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    bumping for all the useful information.
  • BunkyBumBum
    BunkyBumBum Posts: 157 Member
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    Get on your hands and knees and extend your leg out behind you (raised level with your back), bring it back down on your knee and repeat. I don't know specifically what this targets, but when I do it my butt cheeks hurt like heck so it's gotta be good, right? ;)
  • DonC77
    DonC77 Posts: 92 Member
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    Use a lighter weight and focus in getting lower. Open your stance up, meaning feet located outside of shoulders. Point your feet out a little meaning toes are pointing to the left and right respectively. Nothing over exaggerated. Assuming you are using a barbell, make sure the widths of your hands is comfortable. Also make sure your hands are in an upright postion, Meaning your wrist is kept straight not leaning back away from the bar, this will help keep your back straight.
    You can also try goblet squats, these will allow you to focus on getting lower.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    bridge?
  • tehboxingkitteh
    tehboxingkitteh Posts: 1,574 Member
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    I have a fractured vertebrae from a car accident. It causes my hips to sit unevenly (my one iliac crest was visibly higher than the other when I was skinny and my hip bones stuck out). Over 10 years later I have knee problems because I walked with a limp, and an orthopedic surgeon put me on lifting restrictions last week.

    Go to the doctor. Now I'm wishing I would've done more when I was younger, before it got painful.
  • aelunyu
    aelunyu Posts: 486 Member
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    This is an imbalance in the front-upper/back-lower quadrants. Your hams and glutes are giving away to your quads and calves. most of the time, there is a mental barrier here. Sink low in your squat....very low. If you accomplish this, you can only "catch" the squat with your hips an fire them upward, using the glutes to drive the movement forward. Though if you cannot achieve this, then auxiliary work is recommended. Kettlebell swings are excellent.

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