Squat Question
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bahacca
Posts: 878 Member
How far apart should you feet be? I'm doing them on the Smith and I feel like I'm not going down low enough, but I cannot go lower without feeling off balance. Do I need a wider stance? I'm at barely wider than shoulder width.
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Replies
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It could be that you are using the smith machine, as it hinders natural motion in the squat. Slightly wider than shoulder width is correct, maybe try turning your toes slightly out, instead of straight ahead, if you are not already doing so.0
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I'll try that next week. Thanks! If it doesn't work, I guess I'll brave it in the squat rack with real people weights;-)0
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I haven't every tried squats on the Smith Machine, so I can't speak to that, but a wider stance with toes turned slightly out has helped me. I've also found that a high bar position feels more natural for me. When I've tried it with a low bar position, it felt really awkward to me.0
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unless you have an injury that you're trying to protect get your butt out of the smith machine when squatting. it's awkward and you're not getting the full benefits of the exercise0
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I'll try that next week. Thanks! If it doesn't work, I guess I'll brave it in the squat rack with real people weights;-)
If you gym has a power cage go with that, keeps you safer from a nasty fall than a squat rack.0 -
The smith machine is *kitten*.0
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your feet should be placed slightly outside shoulder as said above, with your feet at the angle your knees are going to travel. Keep pressure on your heels more than toes.0
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The smith machine is *kitten*.
This. You have to lean forward to support the bar on your back as you go down. You can't do this with a Smith.0 -
It could be that you are using the smith machine, as it hinders natural motion in the squat. Slightly wider than shoulder width is correct, maybe try turning your toes slightly out, instead of straight ahead, if you are not already doing so.
^ exactly what I do.
And get in the squat cage and away from the Smith. If you are unsure of your form, ask a trainer. Don't know where you go, but typically there should be some sort of fitness or club helpers that do more than just clean the floor. Never be afraid to ask!0 -
stance varies from person to person.
some people squat really well wide (if they have strong hamstrings and hips). others squat around shoulder width.
squatting on a smith machine will mess up your form, and probably lead to an injury.
i did it for a long time and definitely regret it0 -
OK-I'll get out of the smith and grab a trainer to help me in the cage. Yesterday I asked one to help me with bench press, so I'll ask him again if he is there. At least I got away from the stupid chest press machine! Baby steps....0
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I got in the cage today:-) Balancing that bar on my neck is going to take some getting used to, that is for sure. Did the bar and then loaded on another 10 lbs. Made the mistake of reracking the bar too high--won't do that again! The stupid cage attacked me-broke a nail and sliced my finger open when I was moving the bottom bar holder thingies(yes-that is the technical term for them).0
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I got in the cage today:-) Balancing that bar on my neck is going to take some getting used to, that is for sure. Did the bar and then loaded on another 10 lbs. Made the mistake of reracking the bar too high--won't do that again! The stupid cage attacked me-broke a nail and sliced my finger open when I was moving the bottom bar holder thingies(yes-that is the technical term for them).
LOL. Safety bars
Good to see you squatting for real now! Activitating stabiliser muscles FTW!0 -
I got in the cage today:-) Balancing that bar on my neck is going to take some getting used to, that is for sure. Did the bar and then loaded on another 10 lbs. Made the mistake of reracking the bar too high--won't do that again! The stupid cage attacked me-broke a nail and sliced my finger open when I was moving the bottom bar holder thingies(yes-that is the technical term for them).
So is the bar literally on your neck/traps (high-bar position)?0 -
Yep-I was in high-bar position, but I was only doing low bar form on the legs-so doing the 90 degree knee bend and not going all the way down. Is this ok or do I have to do one or the other? (I honestly didn't even know there were different ones until now) I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be with a low bar position honestly. I squatted all through HS and college and never used a lower bar position, but if I'm gonna hurt myself, I'll adjust. I have tendonitis in my right knee, so I cannot go all the way down like I'm seeing in the videos for the high bar.I got in the cage today:-) Balancing that bar on my neck is going to take some getting used to, that is for sure. Did the bar and then loaded on another 10 lbs. Made the mistake of reracking the bar too high--won't do that again! The stupid cage attacked me-broke a nail and sliced my finger open when I was moving the bottom bar holder thingies(yes-that is the technical term for them).
So is the bar literally on your neck/traps (high-bar position)?0 -
Yep-I was in high-bar position, but I was only doing low bar form on the legs-so doing the 90 degree knee bend and not going all the way down. Is this ok or do I have to do one or the other? (I honestly didn't even know there were different ones until now) I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be with a low bar position honestly. I squatted all through HS and college and never used a lower bar position, but if I'm gonna hurt myself, I'll adjust. I have tendonitis in my right knee, so I cannot go all the way down like I'm seeing in the videos for the high bar.I got in the cage today:-) Balancing that bar on my neck is going to take some getting used to, that is for sure. Did the bar and then loaded on another 10 lbs. Made the mistake of reracking the bar too high--won't do that again! The stupid cage attacked me-broke a nail and sliced my finger open when I was moving the bottom bar holder thingies(yes-that is the technical term for them).
So is the bar literally on your neck/traps (high-bar position)?
I'm not sure about depth with high-bar squat, but I've always heard that it's ATG (*kitten*-to-grass) where as with low-bar you can just hit parallel and that's acceptable. Rippetoe also argues that it works the posterior chain more. I'm no expert though. I've just always found the high-bar squat to really hurt my neck/upper back. Once I switched to low-bar it felt a ton better. I believe it comes down to personal preference.0 -
I believe it comes down to personal preference.
THIS.
I'm normally low bar for heavy stuff but for assistance I might switch to high bar as I feel it hits the quads a bit more & I'm hamstring dominant.
Re depth: I just go as deep as my mobility allows for all squats regardless of bar position but for competitions it just has to be past 90deg.0 -
I'll try low bar on Thursday and just make sure a trainer is there to spot me since I haven't done it before.0
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I'll try low bar on Thursday and just make sure a trainer is there to spot me since I haven't done it before.
I'm curious. What gym do you go to? Because I've lost all faith in the trainers at my gym (was actually told not to squat to full depth by one).0 -
I go to a rather small gym called Fitness 19. There are only a handful of trainers I'll actually ask for help. I've watched their form and if it doesn't measure up, I don't ask them for help. There is also one guy I see in there frequently that is VERY good and is a trainer himself, but doesn't work for the gym. He helps me since I ask him for form checks ONLY.0
