Rocky that sounds amazing.

Beeps good for you getting on your bike. It always evokes childhood for me.

Thanks for the link Sam enjoy your rest.

Mo you are working hard! You are going to see amazing results.

I have been not exercising as much as I'd like but I had an NSv today: my mother-in-law complemented my muscles!

I have a crazy week lots of time commuting for work and lots of relatives staying with us for my youngest daughters birthday. I have only gotten her a tshirt so far...

My goals for the week are at least 2 lifting sessions and at least 2 cardio sessions. And at least one chronic pain treatment.(my physical therapist canceled today at 5:30 am for a 7 am appt...

I was watching Mark Ripptoe Starting strength for squat critques: Are you squatting below 90 degrees? Sticking your chest out with with elbows back? He has the lifter hold thier breath pressing up which braces your spine, maybe try that? Try not squatting down too far.

Nope, nope and nope! I don't have a big range of movement with my squats so I am not even able to get parallel. It's not weight related - doesn't matter, as soon as a bar is on my back I can't go low.

Definitely not holding my breath - a big exhale is the only thing that gets me back up, lol. I will check my chest next time but I don't think I do that. I may have to watch that video - is it on youtube?

Jo, I struggle with squats too. I had to dial back in my weights last year and am finally working back up. I had some flexibility issues when I started lifting that probably hindered my progress. But I didn't know enough to recognize it.

Pmag, you're still being consistent and putting effort into taking care of yourself. Every week doesn't have to be perfect- you're still trying and that's what counts!!!

Beeps, I've found I had to squat a very particular way to get my glutes to fire. I have short legs,but the arms and torso of a tall person. I definitely think individual body mechanics play a role in how well one can squat.

Busy day today, but I will lift!

I have been lurking here lately but fooling myself by thinking that if I don't take the time to post something then I am not really avoiding writing my thesis!
Anyway, I would also love to see that video of squatting. I was doing front squats the other day in the gym and a huge bodybuilder guy there basically laughed at me and told me that my squat form was awful (but he said it in a nice way!). Apparently I lean too far forward when I squat. And I tried paying more attention to sticking my elbows out and resting the bar on my shoulders and my wrists STILL hurt! I am finished front squats now but I think if I do them again it will be without the push press and hold the bar with my arms crossed. - i saw someone else doing that at the gym and it looked much easier.

Yesterday I technically finished stage 4 so on to stage 5 tomorrow. But one of my B workouts didn't get finished because i wasn't feeling well so i was thinking of repeating it next week. That is if I manage to lift at all. I'm not sure, but I might have hurt my shoulder and back. I noticed my shoulder was sore when I was going to bed on Tuesday (which was a rest day) and I realised my back was sore too when I tried to do deadlifts on Wednesday. I finished my workout but with much lighter weights. Now I'm wondering if I should take a break for a couple of days to recover. I'm pretty sure I didn't injure myself lifting but have no idea how I did do it.

wow, thats a lot of information all about me! how is everyone else doing!

The one video I posted a while back mentioned putting heels on small weigh plates to open the angle of the foot more for a deeper squat. I can actually get down lower than the rack allows and I need to start using the power rack, but I tend to leave that for the guys lifting 300+ lbs. Squats are quads and deadlifts are hamstrings.

I actually did get to zumba last night and I probably would have been better off staying home. I did something to my knee, but no idea what. There was no "ouch I hurt myself" moment. I came home took a shower and said, "hmm that doesn't feel right." and then limped through work today. Not good because I had to run interference on a kid who was going ballistic throwing chairs and punching people. I really need hazard pay for this job.

So today I will go to the dentist and have an enforced rest day, I promise.

Regarding squats, wanted to address this separately. Not because I'm any expert, but because I've done a lot of reading and watched tons of videos on proper squat form.

I don't have a big range of movement with my squats so I am not even able to get parallel. It's not weight related - doesn't matter, as soon as a bar is on my back I can't go low.

Definitely not holding my breath - a big exhale is the only thing that gets me back up, lol. I will check my chest next time but I don't think I do that. I may have to watch that video - is it on youtube?

Jo, I would implore you to drop your weight and ensure you go to parallel or even a little below. I say a little below because a lot of times when we THINK we're at parallel we're not quite there yet. Stopping before you get to parallel puts serious pressure on your knees and not enough pressure on where it should be (quads, glutes, calves, hamstrings). And that spells big trouble in the long run as it pertains to your knees. If you can't even get to parallel with just the bar, it's probably a flexibility issue as cowgirl mentioned. A lack of ankle and/or hip flexor flexibility is usually the issue. Maybe you can youtube videos to find how to improve on both.

True story, one day I was in the gym and saw a guy squatting some really heavy weights but not getting to parallel. I watched him for a while, wondering if I should tell him he needs to go lower or not. Eventually I tell him, explain to him about his knees and told him to decrease the weight if it was too heavy to go parallel. He never took my advice, just smiled and nodded. Anyway, about 2 months later he shows up at the gym the same time I do and comes over to tell me that it looks like I was right. Because he didn't take my advice and now his knees were seriously hurting even when he walked.

As for your breathing, you should take a deep breath before you go down, hold it and let it out forcefully when you're about 1/2 or 2/3 way up.

I used to squat because I thought it worked my glute muscles. It doesn't (for me). So, I have chosen exercise moves which work my glute muscles and rarely squat anymore....and, when I do, it is always a wide-legged squat (like a bowler squat or a squat where I hold the weight at chest level).

I could get below parallel at the back squat...I had to really work hard on the valgus knee thing....and even THEN, it really worked my quads! I just could not get my posterior chain to fire!

...I think, because i don't squat, I look LESS STRONG than everyone else in the gym! Meaning: to me, the backsquat is the MOST BAD-*kitten* move in the ENTIRE gym....and I don't do it!

beeps, I agree with you on both counts. First, the squat works my quads more than my glutes too. But there are two types of squats, high bar and low bar. Low bar definitely hits your glutes more. That being said, I don't do it because it hurts my back. Maybe my form wasn't right, but a lot of people complain about their back hurting from it. So I stick to my high bar squats but add hip thrusts and glute bridges so that my glutes get sufficient work.

Second, I think the back squat IS the most bad *kitten* move in the gym (well except for the pistol squat which I've NEVER seen anyone in my gym do). BUT, I haven't done the back squat in months and people STILL look at me in awe when I use heavy dumbbells to do the things required of me in Supercharged. So people will still admire your strength whether or not you do back squats.

doumc, yea, the front squat is a more upright squat and requires a really strong core. The key is to practice and practice some more, and to work on strengthening your core.

Regarding squats, wanted to address this separately. Not because I'm any expert, but because I've done a lot of reading and watched tons of videos on proper squat form.

I don't have a big range of movement with my squats so I am not even able to get parallel. It's not weight related - doesn't matter, as soon as a bar is on my back I can't go low.

Definitely not holding my breath - a big exhale is the only thing that gets me back up, lol. I will check my chest next time but I don't think I do that. I may have to watch that video - is it on youtube?

Jo, I would implore you to drop your weight and ensure you go to parallel or even a little below. I say a little below because a lot of times when we THINK we're at parallel we're not quite there yet. Stopping before you get to parallel puts serious pressure on your knees and not enough pressure on where it should be (quads, glutes, calves, hamstrings). And that spells big trouble in the long run as it pertains to your knees. If you can't even get to parallel with just the bar, it's probably a flexibility issue as cowgirl mentioned. A lack of ankle and/or hip flexor flexibility is usually the issue. Maybe you can youtube videos to find how to improve on both.

True story, one day I was in the gym and saw a guy squatting some really heavy weights but not getting to parallel. I watched him for a while, wondering if I should tell him he needs to go lower or not. Eventually I tell him, explain to him about his knees and told him to decrease the weight if it was too heavy to go parallel. He never took my advice, just smiled and nodded. Anyway, about 2 months later he shows up at the gym the same time I do and comes over to tell me that it looks like I was right. Because he didn't take my advice and now his knees were seriously hurting even when he walked.

As for your breathing, you should take a deep breath before you go down, hold it and let it out forcefully when you're about 1/2 or 2/3 way up.

I used to squat because I thought it worked my glute muscles. It doesn't (for me). So, I have chosen exercise moves which work my glute muscles and rarely squat anymore....and, when I do, it is always a wide-legged squat (like a bowler squat or a squat where I hold the weight at chest level).

I could get below parallel at the back squat...I had to really work hard on the valgus knee thing....and even THEN, it really worked my quads! I just could not get my posterior chain to fire!

...I think, because i don't squat, I look LESS STRONG than everyone else in the gym! Meaning: to me, the backsquat is the MOST BAD-*kitten* move in the ENTIRE gym....and I don't do it!

beeps, I agree with you on both counts. First, the squat works my quads more than my glutes too. But there are two types of squats, high bar and low bar. Low bar definitely hits your glutes more. That being said, I don't do it because it hurts my back. Maybe my form wasn't right, but a lot of people complain about their back hurting from it. So I stick to my high bar squats but add hip thrusts and glute bridges so that my glutes get sufficient work.

Thanks for your advice all. Funny I have never had any issues with my knees with squats at all so I don't think that is the issue. It is flexibility without a doubt. I probably should do something about that.... if only there were an extra day or so in my week! Gah

My glutes are definitely the area I feel it most - sure my quads hurt at the time, but my glutes is where I get DOMS (i.e. like right now!!). I only get DOMS in my quads if I've done Body Pump and that's a reasonable weight for serious reps. I do tend to have more of a wide leg stance for that though, I think so I can go lower. Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe I should try that with my heavy squats - I don't consciously choose a set stance - I go with what's comfy. But I'm wondering if I'm subconsciously narrowed by the presence of the squat rack bars etc. I will definitely look at this next time.

As for the breathing, I breath in on the way down and out on the way up. That's it. I'm not going to overthink it. It works for me. If I start thinking about breathing too much I'll start making it more complicated than it needs to be and get worse at it, lol. Gotta keep it simple ladies, this brain can't take much more :laugh:

Also, what is high bar and low bar?

Anyways.... today is a 'rest' day for me. I use inverted commas as I am helping at the school and studying for the most part, but no gym. Did P90X plyo yesterday - forgot how many squats THAT had too.... ouchy!