Breaking parallel

jessiferrrb

Hi, I'm having trouble breaking parallel on my barbell squats. I have no problems doing it weightless, or with barbells even up to 45 pounds, but as soon as the bar goes on my back I can't do it. I was initially progressing on weight and thinking that breaking parallel would come in time but now I've deloaded to just the bar. My last workout I focused on trying to break and couldn't. Should I stick with just the bar until I can? I think the issue is with stability rather than weight. Does anyone have any tips? I very very briefly considered putting a bench under where my butt would be if I lost it at the bottom trying to get down there, but since nobody ever mentioned that in all my googling I decided it was a bad idea.

canadianlbs

your idea is actually known as 'box squats', i think. so you could try googling that, because i've definitely seen sources on it.

can you explain what you mean by stability? i sometimes try to overcome that by doing static holds at the bottom position, i.e. i get below parallel and practice just sitting there with the necessary muscles engaged.

jessiferrrb

The instability is feeling like I am going to fall if I go further, I have knee that isn't very reliable. I actually did a lot better yesterday lowering the bar a few inches down my back. I'm pretty tall so i don't know if that is a factor in being more wobbly with the bar high.

I'll try hanging out below parallel as well

Thank you for the info on box squats, I'm going to check it out for sure. Thanks!!

canadianlbs

where the bar is on your back alters the angle of your upper body. the higher the bar the more upright your torso has to be in order to keep your centre of gravity over mid-foot. mark rippetoe had all this geometry showing the differences in starting strength, with circles and arrows to indicate which muscle groups are brought more into play by the different styles. here's a random search-result page with some of the more common images:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=high+bar+low+bar+squats&rlz=1C1CHRG_enCA480CA480&tbm=isch&imgil=m7Q41-lp42uoYM%3A%3BTS8QjHIwDiwgvM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fboxlifemagazine.com%252Fhigh-bar-vs-low-bar-back-squats-whats-the-difference%252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=m7Q41-lp42uoYM%3A%2CTS8QjHIwDiwgvM%2C_&usg=___BnPIvBbUjvmXX1FJJffWNhAgRs=&biw=657&bih=355&ved=0ahUKEwianqi5vLzPAhVM32MKHajhDuQQyjcIOg&ei=nyzxV9rSM8y-jwOow7ugDg#imgrc=m7Q41-lp42uoYM:

having a higher bar (sitting above your shoulderblades across your mid traps) tends to keep your hips closer to the centre of gravity, too. so that means your knees get pushed a little further forward. with low bar, you can fix your knees at an earlier point, so maybe that's why a lower bar feels more stable to you. having a joint you don't trust makes a big difference sometimes.

you can also post a short clip of yourself in the 'form check' sticky, if you think getting feedback would help. they get overlooked sometimes, so if you do that, putting a note into the 'daily workout' usually gets people's attention so they know to go take a look.

jlynnschroyer

I had that problem which fixed itself when I took off my shoes. Do you wear running shoes when you squat? And I whole heartedly recommend box squats when squatting (I just started and it helps me know how far I'm going down!)

jessiferrrb

canadianlbs wrote: »

where the bar is on your back alters the angle of your upper body. the higher the bar the more upright your torso has to be in order to keep your centre of gravity over mid-foot. mark rippetoe had all this geometry showing the differences in starting strength, with circles and arrows to indicate which muscle groups are brought more into play by the different styles. here's a random search-result page with some of the more common images:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=high+bar+low+bar+squats&rlz=1C1CHRG_enCA480CA480&tbm=isch&imgil=m7Q41-lp42uoYM%3A%3BTS8QjHIwDiwgvM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fboxlifemagazine.com%252Fhigh-bar-vs-low-bar-back-squats-whats-the-difference%252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=m7Q41-lp42uoYM%3A%2CTS8QjHIwDiwgvM%2C_&usg=___BnPIvBbUjvmXX1FJJffWNhAgRs=&biw=657&bih=355&ved=0ahUKEwianqi5vLzPAhVM32MKHajhDuQQyjcIOg&ei=nyzxV9rSM8y-jwOow7ugDg#imgrc=m7Q41-lp42uoYM:

having a higher bar (sitting above your shoulderblades across your mid traps) tends to keep your hips closer to the centre of gravity, too. so that means your knees get pushed a little further forward. with low bar, you can fix your knees at an earlier point, so maybe that's why a lower bar feels more stable to you. having a joint you don't trust makes a big difference sometimes.

you can also post a short clip of yourself in the 'form check' sticky, if you think getting feedback would help. they get overlooked sometimes, so if you do that, putting a note into the 'daily workout' usually gets people's attention so they know to go take a look.

THANK YOU!
TIL that low bar position is helpful for people with knee issues because it engages more of the hamstrings and pulls back on the tibia. which may be why i feel more stable with my knee when i lower the bar a bit.

and i'm pretty excited about box squats as well as a training tool. i can't wait to get back to the gym tonight.

jlynnschroyer wrote: »

I had that problem which fixed itself when I took off my shoes. Do you wear running shoes when you squat? And I whole heartedly recommend box squats when squatting (I just started and it helps me know how far I'm going down!)

i don't do cardio on the days where i lift so i wear converse to the gym then. i prefer doing most things barefoot but i'm clutzy and i would 100% drop plates on my toes if i took off my shoes in the gym. lol

Julieboolieaz

I struggle with this too! Lower bar squats are easier for me as I can lean forward a bit more and don't feel like I'm going to fall backwards. Lots of people squatting at the gym have form issues so you're not alone! I'm working on mine too, but agree, box squats are a great way to practice safely!

jessiferrrb

Julieboolieaz wrote: »

I struggle with this too! Lower bar squats are easier for me as I can lean forward a bit more and don't feel like I'm going to fall backwards. Lots of people squatting at the gym have form issues so you're not alone! I'm working on mine too, but agree, box squats are a great way to practice safely!

i don't know if it was psychological or practice or form correction, but i came really close to parallel yesterday with the bench behind me. i used it as a tap down guide rather than a full box squat and the difference was really noticeable. i expect wednesday will be better still. i kind of think of squat form as an ever evolving goal. as soon as i've got one aspect under control i just get to focus on another. having the bench there did allow me to think more consistently about my breathing, my core and my gaze (not that everything can't use more improvement), rather than the constant "am i gonna fall over?".

i feel very grateful to this community for being as kind and generous and supportive as you all are. i wouldn't have even started lifting if it wasn't for mfp, and i would be consistently overwhelmed with all the interwebz info and bro science without this forum where i can ask
questions.

Julieboolieaz

Good to hear! I may need to drag a box over to the rack tomorrow... thanks!