Stronglifts 5x5 Squat Question

sarabeartx

Hey I have a quick question and was hoping someone could offer me some advice... I'm on Week 3 of the Stronglifts program and began with the 45lb bar as suggested and have progressed +5lbs each workout (today was Workout A with 75lbs squat) I am REALLY feeling it in my quads, but not so much in my glutes. What do you make of this? I keep all the weight through my heels and squeeze my glutes with abs contracted as much as I can throughout but I'm just not really feeling it in the bum area. I read somewhere about putting a plate under my heels but I'm pretty much a beginner so I wasn't sure if that would be helpful or not. Any help would definitely be appreciated!! Thanks ya'll

funforsports

How deep are you going with your squats? The deeper you go the more it activates the glutes and hamstrings. Squats will typically work the quads a bit more than the glutes anyway.

sarabeartx

Ah okay! I'm going slightly past parallel -- I really should have had someone video me (but I'm new & scared to death to ask someone lol!) I'm just wondering because Deadlifts holy cow, I can feel it instantly in my glutes. But I've always seen "Want a better butt? Squats, squats, squats!" So that's why I was wondering. Thanks for the response )

funforsports

No problem, anywhere past parallel is adequate for squats. I have always found that deadlifts work the glutes much more than squats. If you continue to do both, you will build a great butt and body. Those are the two best exercises you can do.

liftingbro

Hey I have a quick question and was hoping someone could offer me some advice... I'm on Week 3 of the Stronglifts program and began with the 45lb bar as suggested and have progressed +5lbs each workout (today was Workout A with 75lbs squat) I am REALLY feeling it in my quads, but not so much in my glutes. What do you make of this? I keep all the weight through my heels and squeeze my glutes with abs contracted as much as I can throughout but I'm just not really feeling it in the bum area. I read somewhere about putting a plate under my heels but I'm pretty much a beginner so I wasn't sure if that would be helpful or not. Any help would definitely be appreciated!! Thanks ya'll

Make sure the crease of your hip is a little below your knees and feet are shoulder width apart. Also, just because you don't feel it the same as you do in the quads doesn't mean you are not working them right. Could mean the glutes are better conditioned to that exercise than your quads are.

Polymorphist

I always feel squats in my glutes and in my hips. Whenever i've felt it in my quads i'd notice that I just wasn't going down far enough. It often feels like you are, but you'll be surprised. Sounds like you are videoing yourself, though, so it could be that your quads are just tight and you need more flexibility but that's merely a guess.

But good luck with this program. I got really freaking strong by doing this and eventually I was squatting a lot of weight. Make sure your form is down, when squatting heavier weights you can get injured if your form is off which is what happened to me.

sarabeartx

Ya'll are all so freakin awesome! Thank you so much for the advice )

mdizzle99

In his book "Starting Strength," Mark Rippetoe says on the subject...

"All styles of squatting tend to make the quads sore, more so than any of the other muscles in the movement. This soreness occurs because the quads are the only knee extensor group, while the hip extensors consist of three muscle groups (hamstrings, glutes, adductors). They comprise more potential muscle mass to spread the work across - if they are trained correctly."

Bottom line, it's totally normal to have your quads feel like they are working the most.