I need tips to help me from leaning forward when I squat!

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245

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  • RobsGirl_lds
    RobsGirl_lds Posts: 211
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    One thing that helped me correct this was to increase the angle of my feet outward, and then as I moved down, I focused on pushing my knees out to the side, so they were inline with my toes. Google around and find some stuff where Mark Rippetoe talks about squat form.

    The front squat accessory work is solid advice too.

    Completely agree with opening the angle of the feet which opeans the pelvis as you track your need over your toes. Find the angle that let's you sit straight down.

    Squat down with out any weight and find the angle that is comfortable, with your chest up and weight in your heals.
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
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    arms out in front of you, bum backwards like you're sitting on a chair.

    How do you hold the bar?
  • webbeyes
    webbeyes Posts: 105 Member
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    Here's how I teach people to do squats correctly:

    Pretend your heels are at the edge of a cliff. At the bottom of the squat, pretend you're trying to poop over the edge of the cliff without hitting your shoes.

    Taaa-daaaah
  • jim9097
    jim9097 Posts: 341 Member
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    I guess I could just be another person to tell you some pointer on how to do squats, but I would suggest it is likely a flexibility issue. Work on your hip flexibility and you will likely crack this nut!!
  • MapleFlavouredMaiden
    MapleFlavouredMaiden Posts: 595 Member
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    A friend posted this yesterday and it's an excellent squat technique how-to

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw8Q4yxHG7Q
  • bryant28408
    bryant28408 Posts: 52 Member
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    I do squats in the Smith rack. That holds the bar in the vertical "slot" and helps with your posture. Might help you?
  • jennycjenny
    jennycjenny Posts: 15 Member
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    I'm not an expert or anything- but I had this problem and discovered that my footwear was actually part of the issue. I typically wear running shoes to the gym, thicker heels that push your weight forward to your toes. Most real lifters have squat shoes that are perfectly flat. Once I took my running shoes off and started squatting in my sock feet, I noticed a huge difference with being able to balance back on my heels.

    Just a thought :)
  • gymkoala
    gymkoala Posts: 76
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    It may sound silly but I found doing front squats helped me correct this. Havin the weight in front of me made me feel less like sitting back with a straight back would topple me over backwards.


    also for me front squats with lighter weights helped me correct my form
  • David_BBF
    David_BBF Posts: 1
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    Get a step up box (about 18" high) stand directly in front of it and perform squats by sitting down on the box and then standing back up. Use lighter weight initially. This will train you to stay through your arches and drive up through your glutes this should be all you need to correct the issue
  • gymkoala
    gymkoala Posts: 76
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    I'm not an expert or anything- but I had this problem and discovered that my footwear was actually part of the issue. I typically wear running shoes to the gym, thicker heels that push your weight forward to your toes. Most real lifters have squat shoes that are perfectly flat. Once I took my running shoes off and started squatting in my sock feet, I noticed a huge difference with being able to balance back on my heels.

    Just a thought :)


    also this! really too much people lift in running shoes and that's not good :)
  • _rachel_k
    _rachel_k Posts: 243 Member
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    Thanks everyone for your responses!! I have only browsed a few but I promise I will read them!

    I would like to mention I am squatting at home, no barbell (I was holding dumbbells at my sides when I was squatting) but even weightless I lean forward
  • Lofteren
    Lofteren Posts: 960 Member
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    It's not necessarily a bad thing to bend down when you squat. Some people's anthropometry makes it necessary to lean forward in order to sit back into it. One thing you can do to remain more upright is to wear a shoe with a raised heel, take a narrower stance and a higher bar position. If you are already setting up to stay upright with a big chest but you're caving in, there are a few things that could be going wrong. They are:

    1) Your shoulders aren't flexible enough. So in order to hold the bar on your shoulders you have to hunch forward. Solution, take a wider grip on the bar and do some external rotation stretches to get a greater range of motion in your shoulders.

    2) Your upper back muscles are weak, causing your chest to cave in when you get some weight on your back. Solution, lots and lots of upper back work. You can train your upper back 5-6 times a week without over doing it. Your upper back has a tremendous work capacity compared to the rest of your body.

    3) You are keeping too much weight on your toes or are looking down. Solution, lift your big toe off the floor and keep your head up.
  • Lofteren
    Lofteren Posts: 960 Member
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    Thanks everyone for your responses!! I have only browsed a few but I promise I will read them!

    I would like to mention I am squatting at home, no barbell (I was holding dumbbells at my sides when I was squatting) but even weightless I lean forward

    Whoa, just realized you weren't even doing real squats. Hold the dumbbells up high on your chest and do front squats with them. If you're lifting a weight that's hanging from your arms that's not a squat, it's a deadlift.
  • turtledove773
    turtledove773 Posts: 122 Member
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    The bar needs to be lower. I would venture to guess you have the bar sitting on top of your traps.

    This... Same thing was happening to me and I had the bar to far up on my shoulders.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,659 Member
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    Try doing squats facing a wall, with your toes a few inches from the wall. Do the squat, don't touch the wall.
    Wall may impede knees going forward, so this wouldn't be a good resolve.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Thanks everyone for your responses!! I have only browsed a few but I promise I will read them!

    I would like to mention I am squatting at home, no barbell (I was holding dumbbells at my sides when I was squatting) but even weightless I lean forward

    Well, this is certainly information we could have used....
  • MissB46
    MissB46 Posts: 143 Member
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    I'm not an expert or anything- but I had this problem and discovered that my footwear was actually part of the issue. I typically wear running shoes to the gym, thicker heels that push your weight forward to your toes. Most real lifters have squat shoes that are perfectly flat. Once I took my running shoes off and started squatting in my sock feet, I noticed a huge difference with being able to balance back on my heels.

    Just a thought :)

    I am the same I take my shoes off when squatting, it removes any instability from the foot as I feel quite wobbly with trainers on and keep the bar as low as possible on the back (rather than on the shoulders/neck) and make sure that my weight is on my heels - I have just finished my 80kg squats in stronglifts - 82.5kg next time....
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    It may sound silly but I found doing front squats helped me correct this. Havin the weight in front of me made me feel less like sitting back with a straight back would topple me over backwards.

    yup.

    can be replicated with goblet squats.

    Since you are at home try doing them barefoot and really feel your feet on the floor and how the weight transfers from the front as you go down- if you can start to really connect with that- you can help bring that attention backwards to the heel.

    Also- just doing a body squat- pick your toes up- it's practically impossible to lean forward and have your butt down and back- AND pick your toes up.
  • MissAnjy
    MissAnjy Posts: 2,480 Member
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    Put your weight into your heels and push your *kitten* out :)
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
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    It's not necessarily a bad thing to bend down when you squat. Some people's anthropometry makes it necessary to lean forward in order to sit back into it. One thing you can do to remain more upright is to wear a shoe with a raised heel, take a narrower stance and a higher bar position. If you are already setting up to stay upright with a big chest but you're caving in, there are a few things that could be going wrong. They are:

    1) Your shoulders aren't flexible enough. So in order to hold the bar on your shoulders you have to hunch forward. Solution, take a wider grip on the bar and do some external rotation stretches to get a greater range of motion in your shoulders.

    2) Your upper back muscles are weak, causing your chest to cave in when you get some weight on your back. Solution, lots and lots of upper back work. You can train your upper back 5-6 times a week without over doing it. Your upper back has a tremendous work capacity compared to the rest of your body.

    3) You are keeping too much weight on your toes or are looking down. Solution, lift your big toe off the floor and keep your head up.
    Did... did we just *agree* on something?! I may drop dead! :wink:

    Seriously though, OP, all good advice. Even after working on all the other stuff he mentions above, looking up is something I still work on. I just pretend I'm Donkey from Shrek and I'm going over a rickety bridge over a boilin' lake of lava... "Keep on squatting... and don't look down!"

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