Working my way up to Big Girl squats….

Gurlyknockout

Last night was my 2nd night at doing my "modified" squats. I feel great! Quads are a little sore going up the stars this morning but nothing horrible, but I do "feel" the workout (not in soreness). My goal is to work my way up to "big girl" squats :laugh: . Due to me recovering from back surgery and such, I am doing 10lbs (just the weights not the bars added. Not sure if you add the bar) of free weights. I squat with them both in my hands. I can get about half way down... or less not sure how to measure.

Question's are… Should I continue with this same weight and work on getting lower? Or should I add more weight (a little 20-30lbs) until it becomes easy and then work on getting lower? And how long does one stay at a weight before feeling comfy to add more? Like if you can squat that # weight 10 times should a person add more? Right now I can squat that 10lbs about 15 times before needing a rest.

Thanks

auddii

I'd start trying to get low with just body weight squats. My warmups include bodyweight squats, and I try to get as low as possible with those. I'll also try to randomly hang out in an "asian" squat at my house to try and increase flexibility (also I'm supposed to be taking up yoga...). Mastering form first is more important than adding weights (in my humble opinion). Once you get the form down, it'll be much easier to progress and add weight.

chunkmunk

I agree with auddi that mastering form is most important. Oddly, though, I think it is easier to get good form with a little bit of weight (like your ten pounds in each hand) than it is with just your bodyweight. Maybe that's just me---but if you are comfortable with your tens, I'd suggest just continuing with them until you feel your form is good and low before you increase the weights.

And I feel like a broken record for posting this over and over, but everything made a lot more sense to me after I got the book Starting Strength. It has great explanations of each lift and diagrams. I highly recommend.

Gurlyknockout

I'd start trying to get low with just body weight squats. My warmups include bodyweight squats, and I try to get as low as possible with those. I'll also try to randomly hang out in an "asian" squat at my house to try and increase flexibility (also I'm supposed to be taking up yoga...). Mastering form first is more important than adding weights (in my humble opinion). Once you get the form down, it'll be much easier to progress and add weight.

"Hang out in an "Asian" squat at my house to try and increase flexibility" That’s a good idea! Thanks. I’ve been working on stretching because my body tends to lock up and get tight easy when under stress.

What is considered "low" in the squatting world?? Like butt 5inches from the ground? Trying to figure what my goal is....

auddii

I'd start trying to get low with just body weight squats. My warmups include bodyweight squats, and I try to get as low as possible with those. I'll also try to randomly hang out in an "asian" squat at my house to try and increase flexibility (also I'm supposed to be taking up yoga...). Mastering form first is more important than adding weights (in my humble opinion). Once you get the form down, it'll be much easier to progress and add weight.

"Hang out in an "Asian" squat at my house to try and increase flexibility" That’s a good idea! Thanks. I’ve been working on stretching because my body tends to lock up and get tight easy when under stress.

What is considered "low" in the squatting world?? Like butt 5inches from the ground? Trying to figure what my goal is....

I'm not sure how low I can go right now, but I don't go that low when I'm doing my weighted squats. I just make sure I'm at least parallel or below (well, from what I can tell by the front at least. If I tried to look at the side mirror during a squat I'd probably fall over). When I'm hanging out, I don't particularly have a goal, but when I do it at the gym in front of the mirror I've noticed I'm much lower than before.

Gurlyknockout

I agree with auddi that mastering form is most important. Oddly, though, I think it is easier to get good form with a little bit of weight (like your ten pounds in each hand) than it is with just your bodyweight. Maybe that's just me---but if you are comfortable with your tens, I'd suggest just continuing with them until you feel your form is good and low before you increase the weights.

And I feel like a broken record for posting this over and over, but everything made a lot more sense to me after I got the book Starting Strength. It has great explanations of each lift and diagrams. I highly recommend.

Ok I didn’t know they had books on this stuff (newbie) but thanks for the tip! And I agree it seems easier when I have some type of weight to squat with. When I have nothing I feel like I’m going to fall over lol. So I may do a "modified warm up stretch squat" without weights with assistance (holding on to something). Ever since my surgery my balance is horrible! I think its loss of core muscles, but I've been working on this as well. Thanks!

DaniH826

Mark Rippetoe in Starting Strength somehow managed to devote 100+ pages to the weighted back squat. Really? Who does that?? :laugh:

Anyhoo, the man knows his squats, obviously.

So if you want to know about proper form, look up what he has to say.

I agree with Audii ... stay unweighted until you get the form down. Most folks' inability to squat below parallel has to do with tightness around the hips, so I highly recommend a good stretching program along with your lifting program (*makes squinty eyes at Audii for still not having started yoga*).

If you have a Kindle, the Starting Strength e-book is like $10. Highly recommend it. Rippetoe also has a lot of videos on Youtube. Just do a search for "Rippetoe squat" and you'll get all kinds of results.

I squat lower unweighted than weighted, just FYI. BUT ... the form doesn't change, and that's what matters. You want to look at the squat as a full movement, figure out what that range is, and do the entire range of the movement every time you squat. Or deadlift. Or press. Or whatever.

If it takes you several weeks to get the hang of it, who cares? This is foundational stuff, so do yourself a favor and make your foundation a good one. You'll never regret you did.

lilawolf

I would suggest that you keep going at that weight until you can get all of the way down (hips just under the knees). If you don't go all of the way down you can unbalance the muscles (front stronger than the back of the leg muscles). If you aren't sure how far down you are going, and are too embarrassed to ask, set your phone up to take a video of yourself. Cheers

Gurlyknockout

Mark Rippetoe in Starting Strength somehow managed to devote 100+ pages to the weighted back squat. Really? Who does that?? :laugh:

Anyhoo, the man knows his squats, obviously.

So if you want to know about proper form, look up what he has to say.

I agree with Audii ... stay unweighted until you get the form down. Most folks' inability to squat below parallel has to do with tightness around the hips, so I highly recommend a good stretching program along with your lifting program (*makes squinty eyes at Audii for still not having started yoga*).

If you have a Kindle, the Starting Strength e-book is like $10. Highly recommend it. Rippetoe also has a lot of videos on Youtube. Just do a search for "Rippetoe squat" and you'll get all kinds of results.

I squat lower unweighted than weighted, just FYI. BUT ... the form doesn't change, and that's what matters. You want to look at the squat as a full movement, figure out what that range is, and do the entire range of the movement every time you squat. Or deadlift. Or press. Or whatever.

If it takes you several weeks to get the hang of it, who cares? This is foundational stuff, so do yourself a favor and make your foundation a good one. You'll never regret you did.

Thanks! That's a lot of great info! I watched one video so far. I can really see what ya'll are talking about form wise. Nope, I'm not in a race to hurry up and squat hence my modified version. Right now I am tickled that I have been able to go from bed ridden to actually doing a modified version of a squat. No way I want to injure myself again = no fun.

I will pick up a copy of that book, so thanks.

lwoodroff

Had my daughter (5y.o.) checking my bodyweight squat tonight for form. What felt like parallel was still a couple of inches off. Oof. Will be trying with just the bar tomorrow at the gym I think to try and get correct form! My ribs almost had to hit my thighs to get low enough...

auddii

Had my daughter (5y.o.) checking my bodyweight squat tonight for form. What felt like parallel was still a couple of inches off. Oof. Will be trying with just the bar tomorrow at the gym I think to try and get correct form! My ribs almost had to hit my thighs to get low enough...

Is it sad that I'm excited that your 5yo knows what parallel is? My friend is a fifth grade teacher (so they're around 10), and those kids are pretty dumb when it comes to math. Helping her grade papers just makes me sad...