Squat help and warmup sets

osualex

So I just finished Week 1, but I'm weak so I stayed at the same weights all week :sad:

So I have a question about squats, I can't get parallel when I'm squatting the bar (btw, how much does the bar weigh? Mine feels like 40 lbs?) If I get too low, I start to lose decent form. Is it worth doing the squats if I cannot get parallel?

As for warmup sets - are these within or in addition to the 5x5? Would I do 2 sets of lighter weight and then 3 sets of heavier weight, or would I just do 7 sets, 2 warmup and 5 heavy?

HIITMe

bar weight?? depends.... could be 35 or 45 pounds....

the warm up is in addition to the 5x5... I practiced the bar with no weight added to get form down, then do sets with minimal weight added... nothing wrong with not adding weight after every workout... its not a race

Also, stretching before seems to have helped a lot as well)
links from earlier thread too:

squat stretch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2D5kh4X5Og

courtesy of vette:
Stand with feet shoulder width apart, bend at the waist and grab your toes with both hands, then squat down with your weight on your heels and your toes being held (so not touching the ground). Sink into the squat as far as you can and relax, "So you feel like you can sit there all day" and hold it for 30 seconds. Do three sets. It helps with flexibility in the hips and ankles.


these links helped me a lot when it came to form ( cant remember who originally linked them on the other thread)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ME8gEN54Ao

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV8ZxGICsL0

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvv4uk9XbsY

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

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/whats-the-proper-way-to-squat-qa.html

glwerth

I found that when I first started with the bar, it was more a balance issue. Once I got used to the bar, the squats came easier.

The balance point is something you need to get used to, at least it was for me.

ccmandel

I just found out that no my gym doesn't have a bar lighter than 45 lbs. I doubt I could squat with that at this point. I have been using kettle bells to do front squats and can do it with 24 lbs. what should I use in the meantime?

Susan

osualex

Thank you all, I think I need to improve my flexibility. I think my gym has lots of different bars at different weights, so I'll have to track my weights progress a bit differently than the program, as the bar weight isn't written on the bar and we have no scale :-(
pretty basic gym I go to.