Squat form help please!
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kellieem
Posts: 53 Member
Hi everyone, I just need some advice on proper squat form, please!!
Before I started this, I read Mehdi's description of how to do a squat correctly and watched his video. I've been doing them and they didn't feel right, I didn't feel like my hamstrings were doing any work. So I watched the "so you think you can squat" videos over the weekend and this morning I went through my squat form for head to toe, but I still don't think I'm using my hamstrings enough. I'm trying to sit back but I feel like I'm going to fall over backwards. I tried to do a few body weight squats with the bench behind me and I kept falling onto it. So basically, any advice on how to correct this? I also feel like my torso is going to far forward to compensate for feeling like I'm going to fall backward...
Thanks for any advice!!
Before I started this, I read Mehdi's description of how to do a squat correctly and watched his video. I've been doing them and they didn't feel right, I didn't feel like my hamstrings were doing any work. So I watched the "so you think you can squat" videos over the weekend and this morning I went through my squat form for head to toe, but I still don't think I'm using my hamstrings enough. I'm trying to sit back but I feel like I'm going to fall over backwards. I tried to do a few body weight squats with the bench behind me and I kept falling onto it. So basically, any advice on how to correct this? I also feel like my torso is going to far forward to compensate for feeling like I'm going to fall backward...
Thanks for any advice!!
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Replies
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Can you post a video? The guys here are great at identifying problems!0
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Watch the Mark Rippetoe youtube videos for Starting Strength. He has the most thorough instructions for proper form. You can also get the book which is very good.0
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I don't have a video! I don't even know how I would do that, sorry!!0
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It may feel counter intuitive at first because your body is not used to doing the movement.
What I do to record is just place the camera on a plyometric box or bench.0 -
Falling over backwards doing squats may be due to leg proportions, i.e. relatively long femur compared to the tibia... it's easily remedied by taking a wider stance (just a little wider, not sumo squat stance). I can squat *kitten* to grass like this no problem at all, always have been able to, but if I take a stance that's shoulder width apart or narrower, I can't physically get my centre of gravity to stay over my feet, and I fall backwards. I can do full bodyweight squats on tiptoe with a narrow stance, or with my heel raised about 1.5 inches very easily, because this imitates the effect of having a longer shin bone. this article explains the biomechanics a bit better http://voices.yahoo.com/long-femurs-why-wide-stance-makes-parallel-squats-11752392.html?cat=50 I've always been able to do *kitten* to grass bodyweight squats, just I've always taken a wider stance without even realising it. I only became aware of this issue due to being unable to do pistol squats (impossible to take a wide stance on those) due to falling over backwards, even though I have good balance generally - which I later found out was to do with tibia/femur ratio, and then found I can't do regular bodyweight squats with my feet shoulder width apart either, even though I've always been able to do *kitten* to grass ones with a slightly wider stance.
I have no idea if this is the issue or not, but since the solution is very simple, i.e. taking a wider stance (just slightly wider, not sumo squat stance), it's worth suggesting. And pretty much every video or instruction I've seen on squats says to take a shoulder width apart stance, and they never mention this issue.
If it's something else, then taking a wider stance won't fix it and you can find out what is going on and how to fix it. but if a wider stance makes you immediately able to do below parallel squats when you can't in a narrow stance, and raising the heel an inch or two has the same effect, then it probably is this, and the problem is fixed.0 -
Are you doing high or low bar squats? That changes things, too (Starting Strength--the book--discusses the differences in how bar position affects hamstring engagement).0
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Thank you for the responses!
neandermagnon, I'll definitely try a wider stance, but I feel like my stance is pretty wide. So I'm not sure....
bumblebums, I'm fairly certain I'm doing low bar squats, but I could be wrong. I don't have Starting Strength yet, so I'm just going off what I've read on the internet.
Thanks everyone for your help. I've asked a guy, who works out at the gym, to check my squat form and offer some pointers, hopefully that will help...0 -
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Falling over backwards doing squats may be due to leg proportions, i.e. relatively long femur compared to the tibia... it's easily remedied by taking a wider stance (just a little wider, not sumo squat stance). I can squat *kitten* to grass like this no problem at all, always have been able to, but if I take a stance that's shoulder width apart or narrower, I can't physically get my centre of gravity to stay over my feet, and I fall backwards. I can do full bodyweight squats on tiptoe with a narrow stance, or with my heel raised about 1.5 inches very easily, because this imitates the effect of having a longer shin bone. this article explains the biomechanics a bit better http://voices.yahoo.com/long-femurs-why-wide-stance-makes-parallel-squats-11752392.html?cat=50 I've always been able to do *kitten* to grass bodyweight squats, just I've always taken a wider stance without even realising it. I only became aware of this issue due to being unable to do pistol squats (impossible to take a wide stance on those) due to falling over backwards, even though I have good balance generally - which I later found out was to do with tibia/femur ratio, and then found I can't do regular bodyweight squats with my feet shoulder width apart either, even though I've always been able to do *kitten* to grass ones with a slightly wider stance.
I have no idea if this is the issue or not, but since the solution is very simple, i.e. taking a wider stance (just slightly wider, not sumo squat stance), it's worth suggesting. And pretty much every video or instruction I've seen on squats says to take a shoulder width apart stance, and they never mention this issue.
If it's something else, then taking a wider stance won't fix it and you can find out what is going on and how to fix it. but if a wider stance makes you immediately able to do below parallel squats when you can't in a narrow stance, and raising the heel an inch or two has the same effect, then it probably is this, and the problem is fixed.
Can I tell you that I love you? I've been having this same issue where I didn't feel like I was getting low enough. I was struggling to push up with my heels, was always up on my toes, and I couldn't figure out how to get a better workout. Last night I went a teeny tiny bit wider in my stance and my *kitten* almost hit the ground. It was AMAZING! I felt the lift more than I have before and it was incredible.0
