Better way to squat?

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  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    The bar should be resting on your traps. Not your spine.
    this. you should be engaging your upper back and shoulder muscles when holding the bar and pulling your elbows back (sort of like the down part of a lat pulldown). that helps creste a kind of shelf with your lats gor the bar to rest on
  • jjburger77
    jjburger77 Posts: 31 Member
    hnaquin280 wrote: »
    Is there any way to squat with weights besides dumbbells and smith machines and squat racks? I've been squatting with dumbbells for a while, and I'm getting to the point where I can squat heavier than I can lift so the dumbbells won't work for me anymore. I tried squat racks and everything, but since my back is so bony, it hurts my spine so much that I can't even concentrate on my form. Even with a pad on the bar. I'm just super frustrated with the whole thing.
    lorrpb wrote: »
    When you go to heavier dumbbells, you can just hold them at your side, one in each hand while you squat. If even heavier,grasp one with with both hands and hold vertically near chest, called a goblet squat. My trainer has me do these variations all the time.

    I agree with this post. We do goblet squats all the time in the Tacfit class I take at work. You can go pretty heavy if adding weight is what you are looking for. If the dumbbell isn't working, take a kettle bell with the bottom up with your handles cradling the bell part and squat. Make sure you keep it up near your face and elbows locked into your ribs. I guarantee that you will feel it!
  • MondayJune22nd2015
    MondayJune22nd2015 Posts: 876 Member
    I agree with this post. We do goblet squats all the time in the Tacfit class I take at work. You can go pretty heavy if adding weight is what you are looking for. If the dumbbell isn't working, take a kettle bell with the bottom up with your handles cradling the bell part and squat. Make sure you keep it up near your face and elbows locked into your ribs. I guarantee that you will feel it!

    I feel those words!
  • nicolegoedel
    nicolegoedel Posts: 1 Member
    I had the same problem at first too! My friend helped me realize I had the bar up to high and I needed to place it below my spinal bone (C5) (also it's super dangerous to have that much weight resting on your entire spine!). If that doesn't help, though, you could try front squats. The bar goes in front of your chest and you squat that way. I like to Cross my arms to balance the bar. A friend of mine uses his thumbs but there was a lot of pressure there for me. Hope that helps!
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    goblet squats are good - another one I do also is if you stand on the platform of the assisted chin-up machine and do a goblet squat from up there - so the dumbbell goes below "ground" level.

    I don't have lack of back fat problem so don't have the same issue, however, when I first started lifting when I did put the bar too high up it hurt and felt like I had a bruised vertebra - but since then my form has been fixed and I no longer have issues.

    I agree with what people have said re working other muscles to build up more back - if that's what you want that is - then you won't hurt!

    But yeah - so many different types of squats - try some different ones before just wanting to up the weight with your current style.

  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
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  • ExRelaySprinter
    ExRelaySprinter Posts: 874 Member
    edited July 2015
    I can't do back squats (with heavy weights) to save my life, so i do front squats (but i can't do the Zercher).
    When i'm pressed for time, i do this Youtube workout which features the front squat i'm talking about.
    The Squat she does is at 3:40
    It looks a little awkward, but i find it's the easiest squat to do (for ME).
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VBNcUGRhbI
  • XavierNusum
    XavierNusum Posts: 720 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    When you go to heavier dumbbells, you can just hold them at your side, one in each hand while you squat. If even heavier,grasp one with with both hands and hold vertically near chest, called a goblet squat. My trainer has me do these variations all the time.

    OP, this is really not a bad idea. For two reasons. 1) you get an immediate solution to bar irritation and 2) if you add a shoulder shrug at the dop (straight up and down NO rolling) you will build the musculature that makes the "padding" for barbell back squatting.
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