I now welcome Leg Day !!

projectbam
projectbam Posts: 55
in Fitness and Exercise
So i'm 6'3" and a PT at my gym advised me to stop doing conventional Squats because of my height .. because apparently i'd never be able to get down low enough for any positive affect .. and would simply injure myself (back/ hips) at some point later down the line.

So he advised me to do Split Squats holding a dumbbell in each hand .. lower for a second/ hold for two seconds and raise and repeat (8 reps left leg forward/ then 8 reps right leg forward).

I have to say that not only has this fixed alot of problems i had with my back and neck but i am seeing much better strength and muscle gains .. much better core stability and much better overall balance.

After having reached a PB Squat of 220 lbs and it looking like i probably was heading for injury .. i now feel that having originally started off holding 12.5 Kg DB's and now working with 16 kg DB's i have much further to go. I also have graduated from simple LEVEL split squats (simply one leg in front of the other) to Rear Leg Elevated Split Squats :)

Anyone else got an opinion on Standard BB Squats vs DB Split Squats?

Replies

  • m4ttcheek
    m4ttcheek Posts: 229 Member
    I've never heard of someone being too tall to squat, is there any theory behind why?

    Also why would squats effect your neck?
  • projectbam
    projectbam Posts: 55
    the guy just said that it would be difficult to get low enough for there to be any real benefit.

    oh and the neck thing (i forgot to mention) was just the bar across the back of my neck/shoulders .. i could just never seem to find a comfortable position/ the right position for me.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    I know some bodybuilding coaches that won't even teach anyone over 6'4 how to back squat. The mechanics of how long your limbs are changing the exercise too much. I don't really like db squats, but then again I don't do back squats anymore. I do dead lifts and front squats.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    I do Bulgarian squats (which I think is what you've started doing as opposed to lunges which you did first... what's a name amongst friends eh?).

    I also do hack squats - try them if you have neck problems.

    Back squats can be tricky if you have dodgy shoulders (from a rock climbing injury - can't pull my shoulder as far back as normal; well, I can if I fancy the sensation of someone sticking a knife in my shoulders) or a problematic neck (from a snowboarding injury).
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    the guy just said that it would be difficult to get low enough for there to be any real benefit.

    oh and the neck thing (i forgot to mention) was just the bar across the back of my neck/shoulders .. i could just never seem to find a comfortable position/ the right position for me.
    I started using that little foam protective thing for my shoulders. Sometimes when you have underdeveloped traps it doesn't sit right because you that's where the bar should be. You can solve this by adding more rowing movements into your routine.
  • groovy_dhruvy
    groovy_dhruvy Posts: 35 Member
    I did some 5x5 workouts before and the www.stronglifts.com website and youtube channel has some great advice re squatting heavy and not geting injured.

    I've scaled back the heavy lifting to focus on cardo for now because I love running outsdie and want to do so whilst the sun shines :-)
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    My dead lift is horrible it's only 205 when my back squats were 320, but my fingers just aren't strong enough to hold the weight yet. I do all variations on the same day as well. I do sumo, straight, and I guess "normal". I feel safer doing a sumo squat because my hands will fail before my back does.
  • projectbam
    projectbam Posts: 55
    Lots of people are into this 5x5 thing .. is that just 5 sets of 5 reps (heavy?) ..

    The squat debate will rumble on .. but i really dont see many people performing the exercise properly in the gym .. either using too much weight/ bad form or both .. makes me cringe sometimes !!!
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
    So i'm 6'3" and a PT at my gym advised me to stop doing conventional Squats because of my height .. because apparently i'd never be able to get down low enough for any positive affect .. and would simply injure myself (back/ hips) at some point later down the line.

    So he advised me to do Split Squats holding a dumbbell in each hand .. lower for a second/ hold for two seconds and raise and repeat (8 reps left leg forward/ then 8 reps right leg forward).

    I have to say that not only has this fixed alot of problems i had with my back and neck but i am seeing much better strength and muscle gains .. much better core stability and much better overall balance.

    After having reached a PB Squat of 220 lbs and it looking like i probably was heading for injury .. i now feel that having originally started off holding 12.5 Kg DB's and now working with 16 kg DB's i have much further to go. I also have graduated from simple LEVEL split squats (simply one leg in front of the other) to Rear Leg Elevated Split Squats :)

    Anyone else got an opinion on Standard BB Squats vs DB Split Squats?
    We need a video of your form.

    I train with a guy who is 6'4". The other day he squatted ATG 315x45.

    So you can squat at your height.
  • m4ttcheek
    m4ttcheek Posts: 229 Member
    oh and the neck thing (i forgot to mention) was just the bar across the back of my neck/shoulders .. i could just never seem to find a comfortable position/ the right position for me.

    The bar shouldn't be across your neck, should be a good 2/3 of inches lower.
  • groovy_dhruvy
    groovy_dhruvy Posts: 35 Member
    Yes it's 5 sets of 5 reps heavy. The theory is that you work the big muscle groups instead of focussing on isolating individual muscles - i.e. get strong by lifting heavy and then, and only then, add in isolation work.
  • projectbam
    projectbam Posts: 55
    ahhh .. OK cool .. i do that sometimes when i want to break a plateau .. eg. currently doing 5 sets of 5 32 kg DB Military Press. And will hopefully be able to do this comfortably in a few more weeks and then start gradually lifting more.

    But i dont do it consistently with each muscle group/ compound exercise. How do you find this affects your staying power in the gym? .. i would imagine after a few exercises of this you would be shattered right?!
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Bit off-topic...

    One "problem" I've found with doing more sets is the extra time it takes. The way I increase the weight is by increasing the number of reps before attempting the next weight up. So:
    1) I do 3x6
    2) then my 3x6 becomes a 2x6 + 1x8 (ie as I get used to the weight and feel I can squeeze out another 2 reps at the end I'll do it)
    3) the next session would be 3x8
    4) then the following session, increase weight and goto (1)

    Sometimes I'll stick at (3) for a couple of sessions if I'm not happy with form.

    Seems to work for me (and my gym buddies) as despite being on a calorie deficit last year, I'd continued to build strength using this method. Maybe it's got a name but I just tried it on-the-fly when I noticed I was getting confident with some heavy (to me) weight with just 3x6. And maybe it only works with newbie lifters like me and my gym buddies.
  • projectbam
    projectbam Posts: 55
    i like it !! you need to patent that dude !! .. give it a name quick !!!!!
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Thanks. How about something short and catchy?
















    Darren's Tentative Plateau-Breaking Two Extra Final Set Reps For Continued Strength Gains or DTPBTEFSRFCSG for short. I find it rolls off the tongue nicely.
  • Rambo529
    Rambo529 Posts: 170 Member
    That's interesting that your height is an issue with squats. I know a few guys at my gym that are 6' 3" and they don't have issues with squatting and even going heavy. I know one has a knee problem if he goes over 315#, but that's it. I know for me I can't go all the way to parrallel, but that's due to several surgeries on the same knee. I can go about 3/4 or more, but all the way parrallel usually causes problems. I promise you, I still feel it and get somethign out of it.

    On the 5x5's and affecting endurance thing, I usually do the 5x5 for strength, then do an additional 5 sets at a lighter weight (usually 60-75%) for around 10 reps (or more if you're feeling good) for the endurance.
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
    Height shouldn't really have much impact on squatting, apart from the making you have to move the bar further.

    Body proportion is likely to be a bigger issue, but if you don't have perfect proportions for squatting, it's not usually something that can't be overcome with mobility work. If you're ankles and hips are decently mobile, no reason you can't hit the bottom.
  • _SABOTEUR_
    _SABOTEUR_ Posts: 6,833 Member
    I'm 6ft5 and don't have a problem with low bar squats. I haven't tried high bar/olympic squats yet though. I did however have to change my deadlifts. I now do sumo deadlifts. I did this because my arms are not long enough to reach the floor to pick up the weight without compromising my form with regular deadlifts.

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