An "ah-ha" moment?
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Calliope610
Posts: 3,775 Member
I have been taking the advice given to me this weekend about my squat form, and have come to two conclusions.
1. I have been doing the squat almost all my live, just never knew it. A friend mentioned in a PM "what you have to do is pretend you are going to sit on the toilet". That got me thinking of the last time DH and I went camping. Rather than walk 1/2 mile in the dark in the middle of the night to the camp shower/toilets, I would just go to the far side of the tent, get behind a tree, "pop a squat" and pee. Voila, I was squatting! So, keeping this image in my mind, I lose the "fear" of squatting and falling or losing my balance. So I can get deeper.
2. Watching a Rippetoe video http://www.allthingsgym.com/mark-rippetoe-on-the-squat-bar-position/ , I realized that the tighter I pull back my shoulder blades to create a cradle for the bar, the tighter my core is. Is this correct? Some of y'all mentioned a collapsing core, so by really concentrating on holding my shoulders tight, I seem to be able to stay more upright.
Comments, again, are appreciated, especially about the shoulder thing.
1. I have been doing the squat almost all my live, just never knew it. A friend mentioned in a PM "what you have to do is pretend you are going to sit on the toilet". That got me thinking of the last time DH and I went camping. Rather than walk 1/2 mile in the dark in the middle of the night to the camp shower/toilets, I would just go to the far side of the tent, get behind a tree, "pop a squat" and pee. Voila, I was squatting! So, keeping this image in my mind, I lose the "fear" of squatting and falling or losing my balance. So I can get deeper.
2. Watching a Rippetoe video http://www.allthingsgym.com/mark-rippetoe-on-the-squat-bar-position/ , I realized that the tighter I pull back my shoulder blades to create a cradle for the bar, the tighter my core is. Is this correct? Some of y'all mentioned a collapsing core, so by really concentrating on holding my shoulders tight, I seem to be able to stay more upright.
Comments, again, are appreciated, especially about the shoulder thing.
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Replies
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Hello
Great "aha squat moment :-)" made me laugh!
I'm still a newbish so no comments - but a "pro" strong lady will no doubt pop in shortly!0 -
I agree about #1.
#2 I'll have to see this evening at the gym. I never noticed a connection for me between shoulder and core before but there could possibly be.
I think different people make different body connections, so myabe for your and others tight shoulders connect with tight core, but for others tight core would connect with chest out... Know what I mean? Different people get different cues that work for them.
But I could be just spouting hogwash, too.0 -
Yeah, watching my squats and comparing them to other videos, I don't maintain a good grip as I descend into the squat. My elbows point down, to the floor, instead of following the line of my back, pointing toward my rear.
I think this may be the key to my form problems.0 -
Yea I noticed getting proper technique down with this stuff is often progressive revelation as you realize certain things and adjust along the way. There is so much that goes into these lifts, it can take weeks, if not months, to actually achieve proper form. It's also pretty amazing what a difference a few tweaks can make.
Any toddler can squat. It's a perfectly natural human movement that we've been doing since early childhood. But then we're told to squat with a barbell on our backs, and all of a sudden our brain thinks it's a new thing. When it's not; we just have to clear off the cobwebs in our memory banks and remember, then it becomes natural again, just like it always has been.0 -
I don't have much to say as I'm always learning. But, here's another article on squat form, hand placement etc. by Joy Victoria that might help as well. She's a strength coach and goes in detail - http://www.fitnessbaddies.com/wrist-angles-and-positioning-the-bar-on-your-back-for-squats/
Check out her YouTube channel too.
I'm using SL 5x5 to also correct different issues I might have with my forms. While I can squat fine, I know that I have muscle imbalance which I need to work on so I don't use more of my left leg vs. right. Hence, starting from the bar, while will be very light for me, will be beneficial for me in the long run.0 -
I remember reading a delightful short book years ago called "How to *kitten* in the woods". The author, a female hiker, described the problem vividly and laid out some solutions for various aspects of the transaction. The part that puzzled me was when she said that she was never a great squatter. It was hard for her to maintain the requisite position, so she would make this Blair Witch contraption out of twigs so she could sit on the stick instead of using her muscles. Even back then I thought it was strange that someone could be so weak as to be unable to squat long enough to pee or poo in the bushes.0
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My knees are really bad, so I find squatting for yoga, or to wee in the bush, really difficult. I had to do a bush-wee on a bike ride a couple of weeks ago, and it's really difficult to get even to parallel. However, I am much better at barbel squats. I dunno if it's the weight on my back, or a different mindset or what. I get just below parallel with the bar on my back, which is good enough for me. And I don't have to worry about weeing on my shoes which is a good thing!0
