girlfriends squats need fixed pls help

stakergoku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zviPAfIIdYs

I have tried telling her to do less weight and get deeper, but I'm not great at giving advice on squats could anyone out there help us out.

RaggedyPond

Not going deep enough. Lose the pad.

dylankight

thats what she said.. couldn't resist

loubidy

Achieving very little with that, she's just bouncing. Slow and deep with have faaar better results

dylankight

I agree. Not getting low enough and she needs to push through her heels. Getting low enough will help but she should generate her power through her heels. Also, she should fill her stomach with air on the way down. Form is important. She's hot and lifting, go you!

RaggedyPond

I concur. Also noted she isn't doing it in the smith so that is a plus. Srs lose the pad. Nothing screams wimpy girl more.

AZKristi

Have her try it with just the bar and see if she can increase range of motion. When I first learned to squat, my trainer put a low step under my butt and my goal was to lower myself until I felt my butt brush the top of the step. That helped me learn that I was fully capable of controlling my BW squat through the full range of motion. After that it was easier to maintain form as I added weight.

toddis

I'd probably get her to box squat so she can learn some depth and fix that curve in her back. Also make sure her upper back is tight. A cue can be that she is pulling the bar into her shoulders.

Do you two do mobility drills prior to squatting?

stakergoku

I think we both lack flexibility in our hamstrings/calves we are working on stretching, normally I have her warm up a few sets with lighter weight, any suggestions on mobility work?

rejectuf

Deep lunges are good, and I always warm up with some air squats.

Using a lacrosse ball on your glutes can really help your mobility as well.

harriethayes

She needs to lean back into the squat more. So her weight is further back rather than leaning over her toes. Also don't curve the spine quite so much, it'll only give her bad lower back pain in the long run!

toddis

If you have access to a band ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwIqeBy0t28 )

General ( http://youtu.be/EFZigzEhYcU )
I find the spider man helps a lot

rlw911

I think we both lack flexibility in our hamstrings/calves we are working on stretching, normally I have her warm up a few sets with lighter weight, any suggestions on mobility work?

Agile 8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B-3Khbht5s or Limber 11. Also, do a bodyweight squat ATG and hold at the bottom, clasp your hands together and use your elbows to push your knees out. I do these before I do any barbell squats.

She's nowhere near parallel and definitely needs to lower the bar a bit, so she can get rid of the pad.

stakergoku

Thanks we will try these stretches for sure, also why is everyone saying she cant use the pad what does it do besides make her look like a wimp?

SpiffyMom87

imo to much weight, she not pushing from the heels. You can see this because shes leaning forward making the squat pointless upright as possible and from the heels that gets results. easier said than done, thankfully she has a spotter to catch it. also do yoga once a week to gain flexibility. i love jillian michals yoga

She_Hulk

If she wants to keep the pad, tell her to keep it! I do and I highly doubt I look wimpy! *smh* :noway: Who cares what people think of me anyways? I'm working out for me, not them.

rlw911

why is everyone saying she cant use the pad what does it do besides make her look like a wimp?

There's more to it, than looking wimpy.
From StrongLifts:


1. You can’t position the bar correctly. This is even more true if you wrap a towel around the bar: the bar will end up higher on your back, and the higher the bar the worse your leverage. Granted, not that big of a deal with light weights, but it will be once you Squat heavier weights.

2. You can’t “feel” the bar – it’s like Squatting in running shoes: you have to Squat barefoot/with Chuck’s to feel the difference. The only way you’ll feel the bar using a pad is if the weight is heavy enough, but then…

3.… the bar pad will be useless when you get stronger (which you will with StrongLifts 5×5). Here’s why: the weight will compress the pad and then you’ll lose the cushion ability. So any short-term benefit, you will lose. Drop the pad now instead of waiting until your back gets thicker and remember to position the barbell correctly on your back (not on your spine).

IronSmasher

First things first. She's in the right place with the right attitude and her form isn't miles off.

If she didn't have the pad, she'd put the bar lower down where her traps are and not in her neck.

Her head is leaning too far back.

Not low enough. She looks like she can go lower without issue, but until we see her try we don't know.

Shoe stability appears to be an issue.

jayche

Both of your forms need work. Not even hitting parallel. Lower the weight and squat with correct depth.

Cherimoose

I think we both lack flexibility in our hamstrings/calves we are working on stretching, normally I have her warm up a few sets with lighter weight, any suggestions on mobility work?

In her case, the shallow depth probably isn't a flexibility issue - she's just not trying to go deeper. She's bouncing right back up instead of seeing how far down she get get. The step / box suggestion mentioned earlier is a good one.

By the way, don't use Youtube's image stabilization feature - it warps the view and makes it hard to check form.

stakergoku

A low-bar squat position will probably help her get lower. She will need to reposition the bar, and that will probably require losing the pad (nothing to do with wimpiness, cruiser gave the reasons).

I post this guide all the time but I'm not going to stop--it helped me drastically improve my squat.

low bar is what I do I believe

why is everyone saying she cant use the pad what does it do besides make her look like a wimp?

There's more to it, than looking wimpy.
From StrongLifts:


1. You can’t position the bar correctly. This is even more true if you wrap a towel around the bar: the bar will end up higher on your back, and the higher the bar the worse your leverage. Granted, not that big of a deal with light weights, but it will be once you Squat heavier weights.

2. You can’t “feel” the bar – it’s like Squatting in running shoes: you have to Squat barefoot/with Chuck’s to feel the difference. The only way you’ll feel the bar using a pad is if the weight is heavy enough, but then…

3.… the bar pad will be useless when you get stronger (which you will with StrongLifts 5×5). Here’s why: the weight will compress the pad and then you’ll lose the cushion ability. So any short-term benefit, you will lose. Drop the pad now instead of waiting until your back gets thicker and remember to position the barbell correctly on your back (not on your spine).

Thanks for explaining that.

stakergoku

First things first. She's in the right place with the right attitude and her form isn't miles off.

If she didn't have the pad, she'd put the bar lower down where her traps are and not in her neck.

Her head is leaning too far back.

Not low enough. She looks like she can go lower without issue, but until we see her try we don't know.

Shoe stability appears to be an issue.

What type of shoes would you suggest , and would going barefoot be better then her current shoes?

stakergoku

I think we both lack flexibility in our hamstrings/calves we are working on stretching, normally I have her warm up a few sets with lighter weight, any suggestions on mobility work?

In her case, the shallow depth probably isn't a flexibility issue - she's just not trying to go deeper. She's bouncing right back up instead of seeing how far down she get get. The step / box suggestion mentioned earlier is a good one.

By the way, don't use Youtube's image stabilization feature - it warps the view and makes it hard to check form.

Oh, thanks for that tip haha

summertime_girl

Have her go in a Smith Machine until her form is nailed down. She won't have the fear of going too deep.

SpecialSundae

First things first. She's in the right place with the right attitude and her form isn't miles off.

If she didn't have the pad, she'd put the bar lower down where her traps are and not in her neck.

Her head is leaning too far back.

Not low enough. She looks like she can go lower without issue, but until we see her try we don't know.

Shoe stability appears to be an issue.

What type of shoes would you suggest , and would going barefoot be better then her current shoes?

Barefoot, barefoot shoes (e.g. Vibrams) or proper lifting shoes. Running shoes are for running, not lifting.

IronSmasher

I think we both lack flexibility in our hamstrings/calves we are working on stretching, normally I have her warm up a few sets with lighter weight, any suggestions on mobility work?

In her case, the shallow depth probably isn't a flexibility issue - she's just not trying to go deeper. She's bouncing right back up instead of seeing how far down she get get. The step / box suggestion mentioned earlier is a good one.

By the way, don't use Youtube's image stabilization feature - it warps the view and makes it hard to check form.

Oh, thanks for that tip haha

and if you're using your phone as a camera, hold it like a camera.

Say no to vertical videos.

creativerick

There is a lot wrong with her squat. I'd suggest getting a strength coach or trainer who knows about squats to teach her.

Unknown

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alfiedn

Is she asking for help? Not being a lifter I don't know much about that, but I do think you can't put her through exercises unless she's asking or you're her trainer. You can try, but I'd've mad if I were her. However, if it's a matter of safety, you absolutely should suggest solutions. If she doesn't want to hear them, recommend a trainer ( so she gets the info and you aren't the bad guy).

Unknown

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toddis

I read somewhere (have brain injury and i may remeber where i read this ten years from now). That function is more important than form in lifting. That slower is better than quicker.

The premises being if you are lifting weights and have poor form you are still doing more than the sap who is sitting on the couch doing nothing. Even with poor form you can have achievements.

I know I will get blasted for this statement and sidelined with broscience but I believe it. Most days I dont know what I am doing in the gym. I watch other people, google stuff, and then try it out. I can tell you I KNOW my form is NOT on point and maybe my squats arent deep enough, but I have been trying, and since I am trying I am using muscle.

The results are AH MAY ZING

My arms are firm and tight, my stomach is almost flat, my back and shoulders and collar bones are stunning and my *kitten* is coming together marvelously.

Feel free to encourage her to better herself. However posting videos and trying to get "feedback" on what she is doing is "wrong" is not very motivational.

Perhaps let her do it her way with an occasional "lets try to do our squats a little deeper today." That way it is more about doing it together than pointing out what is wrong with her.

Just a thought from a woman is all.

Good luck.

Plugging away with bad form might not hurt you today or even tomorrow, but it'll get ya...
Although there is something to be said about just doing it, some people get too in their heads to actually do the work.