Squating below parallel- stronglifts 5x5

JoRocka

singingflutelady wrote: »

Adah_m wrote: »

This is the thing I saw the guy in the gym using! Seriously, the guy in this pic is carrying that bar SUPER high. Like, I would be afraid to hurt my neck with it up there. I'm holding it way lower, like 8 inches down from there at least, and more across my shoulder blades. I didn't realize you could keep it up that high. I guess you would need to lean forward less to keep your weight over your feet, but I think it would still be uncomfortable. I don't have the traps to support any weight up there lol, but I do in fact have nice meaty shoulders!

Ouch!

it distributes the weight so it's "like" where it needs to be- but it's actually not. So it's not quite as bad as it looks- but still

There is a guy at my gym who uses it- I feel like part of the problem is he has poor mobility- and part of the problem is he is just soft.

MommyMeggo

nordlead2005 wrote: »

If your back hurts from the bar, then adjust the position so it is in the right spot. Go to a lower weight and find the right spot. You have to really tighten your back muscles to create a platform for the bar and you don't want it sitting directly on bone. I thought even 200lb was heavy for my back when I was younger and when I started lifting again recently, and a bit of education and finding the right spot resolved that with no problem even at 280lb. And it wasn't because I built huge muscles on my back as I've been losing weight the entire time. My wife used to complain about the bar hurting, but with enough trying she learned how to rack the bar properly.

If your wrists are hurting, stop using them to support the bar. If you are using a low bar squat, then put your thumbs over the bar, keep your wrists straight, and push your elbows back and pin the bar to your back so it doesn't move. You don't need to support the bar with your wrists.

Mark Rippetoe has a good video on bar position - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2tyOLvArw0

Helpful vid on bar position. I find I do much better with low bar- but seeing this will help me tonight to make sure its in a good position. The more I watch and read the more I learn and Im all for that! Thanks for sharing.

Scamd83

Does anyone else find front squats damn near impossible? My wrists do not bend that far back and using the cross armed grip doesn't give me the balance I need to do them.

jemhh

Scamd83 wrote: »

Does anyone else find front squats damn near impossible? My wrists do not bend that far back and using the cross armed grip doesn't give me the balance I need to do them.

Lower the weight and use the cross armed grip. Practice until you balance it well and then increase the weight over time.

Scamd83

jemhh wrote: »

Scamd83 wrote: »

Does anyone else find front squats damn near impossible? My wrists do not bend that far back and using the cross armed grip doesn't give me the balance I need to do them.

Lower the weight and use the cross armed grip. Practice until you balance it well and then increase the weight over time.

I guess that probably should have been the first thought to immediately occur to me, thanks.

SonyaCele

i dont really like front squats, but i do zercher squats with a harness thingie

arditarose

Scamd83 wrote: »

Does anyone else find front squats damn near impossible? My wrists do not bend that far back and using the cross armed grip doesn't give me the balance I need to do them.

I started with crossed arms and then one day just said enough is enough. If you are really supporting the bar properly the wrists feel a lot better. Mine still get a little strained but only while I'm squatting, they are fine once I re-rack and no pain persists afterward.

JoRocka

Scamd83 wrote: »

Does anyone else find front squats damn near impossible? My wrists do not bend that far back and using the cross armed grip doesn't give me the balance I need to do them.

just takes practice- I am not AS stable with cross grip- but I broke my left wrist as a teen and it doesn't bend well at all in that direction- so for any reps over 2 or 3- I MUST use cross grip.

It gets better. just takes time and practice.

you can also use wrist straps as well instead of xross or under...

Or- if you're feeling saucy- you can hold your arms up but out in front of you- so not holding it at all.

not advisable under super heavy %'s

kelly_e_montana

I totally agree about putting weights under your heels if you are high bar squatting, not as necessary with wider low bar squatting. I squat 285 high bar and use Nike Romaleos, which are basically like you have plates under your heels. I work out with olympic lifters, and they all use oly shoes, which are like a plate under your heels. My training partner high bar squats 400# in oly shoes (that's a chick). You need to work on your ankle dorsiflexion as well.
I just prefer to train high bar squat. I think it leads to better quad development. It's comfortable on my back and wrist. I train a lot of stiff legged deadlifts and regular conventional deadlifts, so for me, it gives me a more balanced body than a low bar squat. Plus, I had wrist reconstructive surgery and the high bar squat is much more comfortable for that. I will eventually incorporate low bar into my meet prep cycles if I want to start attempting over 300 on a platform, but for general training, I'm going to stick with high bar.

kelly_e_montana

Oh, on the front squat thing, during my time of healing from a broken scaphoid (scaphoid nonunion) in my wrist, all I could do was front squats. I did them cross over while in a cast for months. However, as I got stronger in the legs, my back couldn't keep up and I wound up hurting my upper back. After getting out of the cast, I tried wrist straps but I found those to slip and be more of a pain. So I kept my front squats lighter and incorporated heavier zercher squats. I have been working diligently on my wrist soft tissues with a variety of stretching and strengthening exercises. One of the best is just holding a 45# bar or a women's oly bar with some weight (as you get better) in the front rack position for 30 seconds to a minute each day. Last week I pulled off my first heavy front squat set since the first week of April last year in a front rack position @ 180x5. It takes time to work up that mobility, but if I can do it, almost anyone can. Mobility work is one of the best things you can do to improve ANY kind of squat!

awnurmarc

Some day I hope I'm strong enough to front squat that much.