Squatting Heavy without a rack

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  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
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    Thanks for the tips & videos

    I'll try the dumbells for now - Question should i keep them at waist level like a do with lunges? or lift them onto my shoulders?

    Also plan on stopping by HR and see if they would put a rack in (I work in a hotel and our staff gym generally just gets the guests leftovers)

    I do know 70lbs isnt a lot to most, but it feels pretty darn heavy to me, I'll get stronger but for now that's heavylifting.

    This should help you out a bit ----> http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/dumbbell-squat
  • TRW012448
    TRW012448 Posts: 8
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    just hold the dumb bells straight arm at your sides. No need to lift or put them on your shoulders. Weight is weight.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
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    You can do a clean and overhead press it and bring it down to squat...

    ETA: Errr, obviously, I can't recommend going heavy on these, but if you can get the bar up and do front squats or get it up behind your head on your traps then do as many as possible with lighter weight, you'll get some good results. Bring the squats all the way down to the ground.
  • stepplax
    stepplax Posts: 26
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    I personally do split squats/Bulgarian squats. My shoulders are not flexible enough for front or back squats and so splits are my favorite variation.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,634 Member
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    there's different variations of squats you could do. hack squats and jefferson squats you leave the bar on the ground. also goblet squats you only need one dumbell, and there's also dumbell squats, where you hold the dumbells on your side. sissy squats you don't even need weight. all of those methods hit your quads
    THIS.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    I've been doing Bulgarian squats with DBs. I hate them. I mean I love them. You know what I mean.

    As to the location of the DBs once you start pushing things, you won't be able to hold the DBs at shoulder height so do it while you can manage them as it will add difficulty and work the core a bit more. I do Bulgarians with 40kg DBs. No way I can lift them up to my shoulders even without doing Bulgarian squats. :-D
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
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    I do know 70lbs isnt a lot to most, but it feels pretty darn heavy to me, I'll get stronger but for now that's heavylifting.

    70 is great!. But you might top out with your current set up fairly soon.

    Keep up the awesome.

    I ditto this :-) Well done and good for you for wanting to continue to increase the weight! Do try some of the alternative squats people are mentioning, you'd be surprised how difficult they can be and how they can help with the back squats.
  • ja9smakinachange
    ja9smakinachange Posts: 144 Member
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    Love all the suggestions my *kitten* is going to be SCREAMING!
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    My son-in-law was balancing bars on furniture in the living room, so he finally got my daughter to agree to let him buy a cheapo squat rack for his "workout corner".

    We were visiting when the boxes arrived. Kitteh found the best use yet for a home squat rack.





    4ec182f2-7a2f-4083-88ec-9a6ff78af139_zps8b04f86a.jpg
  • danwood2
    danwood2 Posts: 291 Member
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    Great Topic OP... and good job on the 70lbs... My question is in line with yours... my work offers a free gym, doesn't have a power rack but a Smith Machine... if lifting heavy, should I just conform to the Smith?

    ETA: I don't want to use the Smith - so after looking up the Jefferson squat and a few others, it looks like a good alternative. I'm just starting the SL5x5. Still learning as I go
  • TRW012448
    TRW012448 Posts: 8
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    Try variations and what works for you. The question about lifting the dumb bells to your shoulders is one of how much weight can you lift and how important is your focus on squats.

    For example, holding the dumb bells at arms length by your sides may permit you to use heavier weight. You can lift the weights to your shoulders then as you squat, push the weight overhead in a "press" fashion. You may not be able to use as much weight when you press over head as you could doing just a squat. This would be a variation that works other muscle groups in addition to your legs.
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
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    You can do a clean and overhead press it and bring it down to squat...

    I just learned that's called a Thruster. When you bounce the bar up to your collarbone, you squat down, then push up into OHP. These things are a B!TCH. And I :heart: them.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    jefferson squats

    Had never heard of them before - going to have a go later. Thanks!
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
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    You can do a clean and overhead press it and bring it down to squat...

    I was going to say clean and then front squat.

    If you can actually clean and overhead press a worthwhile back squat amount, you have an immense press, given that a back squat should be around 130% of what you can C&J, for an efficient lifter and an even greater percent for an inefficient lifter.
  • nashai01
    nashai01 Posts: 536 Member
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    there's different variations of squats you could do. hack squats and jefferson squats you leave the bar on the ground. also goblet squats you only need one dumbell, and there's also dumbell squats, where you hold the dumbells on your side. sissy squats you don't even need weight. all of those methods hit your quads

    Lol @ sissy squats
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    You can do a clean and overhead press it and bring it down to squat...

    I was going to say clean and then front squat.

    If you can actually clean and overhead press a worthwhile back squat amount, you have an immense press, given that a back squat should be around 130% of what you can C&J, for an efficient lifter and an even greater percent for an inefficient lifter.

    Except that women's upper body strength is going to limit the amount they can clean. They can squat much more on the back than that.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
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    You can do a clean and overhead press it and bring it down to squat...

    I was going to say clean and then front squat.

    If you can actually clean and overhead press a worthwhile back squat amount, you have an immense press, given that a back squat should be around 130% of what you can C&J, for an efficient lifter and an even greater percent for an inefficient lifter.

    Except that women's upper body strength is going to limit the amount they can clean. They can squat much more on the back than that.

    One's upper body strength is not usually the limiting factor in how much one can clean. But you are right that one's power clean is usually nowhere near what one can back squat, and that will be true for both men and women.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
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    You can do a clean and overhead press it and bring it down to squat...

    I just learned that's called a Thruster. When you bounce the bar up to your collarbone, you squat down, then push up into OHP. These things are a B!TCH. And I :heart: them.

    Awesome! I just actually recently did the front squats correctly for he first time ever using a clean grip, but def want to do "Thrusters", too. I had pressed them up from my collar bone and brought it down behind my head (previously) to do backsquats. It works if you don't have a rack and can successfully do cleans. I care more about execution on these than weight. ATG.

    ETA: As per other previous comments. I'm a little freaky... my upper body strength is pretty much on the same page as my lower body, so I can do this **** with some difficulty, but still get it done right.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    One's upper body strength is not usually the limiting factor in how much one can clean. But you are right that one's power clean is usually nowhere near what one can back squat, and that will be true for both men and women.

    I don't clean much. Oh, wait, that was supposed to be on the "can I log housecleaning" thread.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    I would just throw around the words. safety, and lawsuit for getting crushed under the bench.

    maybe find a second person, and go ask together. Squat racks aren't THAT expensive.

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