Squads with bar

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elopez1998
elopez1998 Posts: 40 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just started doing this kind of workout and find myself not squatting low enough. I'm using 25lbs, should I reduce or leave as? Any suggestions for improvement?

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  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    why aren't going going low enough, is it a flexibility issue? if so, then work on that. if its a weight issue, then drop the weight.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    as far as reducing the weight: does it feel heavy to you? if not and it's not compromising your form then no need, probably. afaik, stopping short of parallel won't harm you except in the sense your quads will do more work and your hamstrings and glutes won't do as much. you might find your knees feeling it if the front-back imbalance gets really severe, but it's not the kind of thing where people watching you are just counting down to the day your back pops.

    25% of the internet is content on how to get your squats to or below parallel, it seems to me. there are a zillion tips, but there are also a lot of reasons why someone finds parallel hard. so most of teh stuff i've had trouble with has been something i had to do a fair bit of reading and thinking about, in order to find my own set of fixes and tips for my case.
  • elopez1998
    elopez1998 Posts: 40 Member
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    why aren't going going low enough, is it a flexibility issue? if so, then work on that. if its a weight issue, then drop the weight.

    I think it's weight; standalone squats I can do with no problem.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited March 2017
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    I would post a video if you could. You say you can do bodyweight squats no problem? I am curious about your form on that because even very sedentary people (especially women) i've trained can lift around 60-75% of their body weight as a beginner.


    edit: ^ and by that i mean it's likely not a "strength" issue
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    In my experience most people who can't squat to parallel either have mobility issues or in most cases their form is off. Try a stance a little wider than shoulder width, feet pointed out 15-30 degrees, and slam your knees out and squat. If you open your hips up it's much easier to obtain depth.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    Leadfoot_Lewis wrote: »
    In my experience most people who can't squat to parallel either have mobility issues or in most cases their form is off. Try a stance a little wider than shoulder width, feet pointed out 15-30 degrees, and slam your knees out and squat. If you open your hips up it's much easier to obtain depth.

    Yep. My depth issues were because of bad ankle mobility. Squat shoes and a wider stance = good depth! You can test this by setting 5 lb plates on the floor and putting your heels on the plates while you squat. If this improves your depth, it's a lack of mobility in your ankles.
  • _incogNEATo_
    _incogNEATo_ Posts: 4,537 Member
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    NARCISSISTIC_PUP wrote: »
    38fldydqsx3q.png

    Very helpful....


    OP, a video would be helpful to assess why you're not able to drop low enough.
  • elopez1998
    elopez1998 Posts: 40 Member
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    Leadfoot_Lewis wrote: »
    In my experience most people who can't squat to parallel either have mobility issues or in most cases their form is off. Try a stance a little wider than shoulder width, feet pointed out 15-30 degrees, and slam your knees out and squat. If you open your hips up it's much easier to obtain depth.

    This explains a lot. I did lose ankle mobility and flexibility due to injury/surgery. Will try your recommendations. TY

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