I feel like I'm never going to squat properly. *pics*
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For hip mobility:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBHzXF-mVjY
It looks scary and painful, but it will open things up in a way you can't imagine.
ETA: I take no credit for this link, it was passed on to me by another MFPer because I also have awful hip mobility.
Bookmark that link0 -
before i give advice there's one glaring fundamental thing that people seem to be overlooking : the OP is pretty much all leg!
As a shortwaisted/long leg squatter who's been squatting for over 20 years and some it involving competitions and all of it injury free, i can say that some of the advice given will absolutely not be useful to the OP on back squats. For instance keeping a vertical shin when you have a relatively long femur is virtually impossible on a back squat, the only time i've been able to get a somewhat vertical shin is with a front squat since there's a weight in front of me to help balance the amount i'd have to stick my butt out to get a more upright position.
OP if you're super concerned with keeping your chest more upright, you might want to try taking a less wide stance. but in doing so you're going to need more ankle/calf/hip flexibility to get post parallel. This might also be an issue if you're short waisted and squatting with a fluffier torso since belly and boobs can get in the way depending on how big you are and how deep your squats are .
This is very true. I'm not a form expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I *am* someone with relatively long legs, and I will also say that a shoulder width stance will NEVER be an option for me, ATG also won't happen, I'd literally just have to fall back on my butt. I personally wouldn't be overly concerned with your chest coming forward the way it does. Pretty sure mine does basically the same thing, but working on the hip mobility should at least HELP with that issue.
There's a section in this article about short torso/long leg squats
http://www.schwarzenegger.com/fitness/post/picking-the-squat-thats-rght-for-you
i gave up on ATG on my back squats because of the exact same reason as you and decided that as long as i get post parellel then it's good. my front squats on the hand i can get deeper0 -
Great advice in here! My trainer also had me do wall squats to help with my form. Take a kettle bell or dumb bell and place it about 3-4 inches from the wall. Face the wall, with toes about an inch or two from the wall and legs spread a little more than shoulder width apart. Squat down slowly, keeping your butt back and chest up, and don't let your nose or knees hit the wall. Pick up the weight and stand to complete the move. The next time you go down, just tap the weight on the ground before going back up.0
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bumping - great info and some good links!0
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Informative. Bumping this thread. :flowerforyou:0
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Great advice in here! My trainer also had me do wall squats to help with my form. Take a kettle bell or dumb bell and place it about 3-4 inches from the wall. Face the wall, with toes about an inch or two from the wall and legs spread a little more than shoulder width apart. Squat down slowly, keeping your butt back and chest up, and don't let your nose or knees hit the wall. Pick up the weight and stand to complete the move. The next time you go down, just tap the weight on the ground before going back up.
I have a lot of trouble with forward lean on my squats and this^^^ was the same advice given to me. Also, put a stool, chair, etc behind you and just touch your bum to it. More important to get form down vs going deeper into the squat.
I'll be checking out all these links, thanks to those that posted them.0 -
I think I lean too far forward no matter what.And I have to stand so far apart.I tried squatting close together and I could barely even get 1/4 of the way down. How would I fix that?
You look more forward because you don't squat LOL. If you were squatting all the time you would of built the frame to lean back nice, straight, and strong. You cannot do that now or you would fall over. You should practice the form thousands of times.
BTW, not everyone squats the same. Power for people is different. Some legs are closer than others.
I can tell you from my experience, if you practice a lot, you will do it right.0 -
Your shins should remain virtually vertical.
You might want to read some starting strength there for some form help.0 -
Your shins should remain virtually vertical.
You might want to read some starting strength there for some form help.
*gigglesnort* Seriously though OP, given the length of your legs, I'd say your stance is fine. I can't tell from the angle for sure but it looks like you're doing a good job pushing the knees out, but I know that's one I always have to remind myself and do an internal KNEES OUT shout every once in a while. The hip mobility stretches will help with your depth and keeping your back a little more upright (although I don't think your forward lean is as bad as you think). Honestly the only thing that really stuck out to me was I think the bar should be lower on you shoulders for the low bar squat.0 -
I think it might just be that right now, the shoulder mo might not allow for a "true" low bar. I know I can't.
I'd say though, the OP needs to give a few more pics, front, rear, and 3/4. Judging from what I've seen, I think my lifting coach would have my chest more upright in the back squat.0 -
When I first started squatting, I did lean forward, the body tends to. It wasn't until I did so many that I was able to do correctly. The power comes from the hip, and your *kitten* LOL... but no joke.
You want the weight to be comfortable on your back and if you do move up in weight it will feel heavy at first, sometimes leave a bruise but it does go away and the muscles in your back grow. Then you get so strong you don't feel any pain with heavy weight on your back. I never used a pad like some people do.
I highly suggest something to sit on, touch, go up, touch, go up. Any weight is better than none to practice. You need weight to build the frame. Naturally your forward lean will leave, it did for me too but using a stick forever won't help that.0 -
I was told at the beginning by my instructors that your knees should not go over your toes cause it is bad for your knees to do it. They said it is like sitting in a chair and your butt just needs to go back and down.
So .. I didn't look at all your pics but you do not need to go "all the way down" to get benefits. So .. just do it a little at a time and see how you do. But mostly .. just concentrate on good form. Keep the weight low at first .. cause you do not want to have bad form and high weight.
Work on the form first before you up the weight.0 -
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hips-dont-lie-3-drills-to-nail-hip-hinge.html
Getting the hip hinge down is a great step towards having great form for squats.
You can also do a box squat.
You have super long legs and this will absolutely affect how you squat.
Every body is different and it's not a one size fits all approach. There are certain fundamentals that remain the same, but stance, where the knees end up in relation to the toes and toe turnout are based on each person.
Do not increase your weight until you feel comfortable with your form, that is a recipe for injury.
Good luck!0 -
First off, your form does not seem to be too far out of whack. As others have said, hip and knee flexibility are probably the root cause of some issues. With a proper back squat, the bar should be vertically aligned with the center of the foot at the start of the drive. A lot of people try to maintain some awkward vertical back alignment when they should have their back in a more horizontal alignment (say 45 degrees) with the floor.
And everyone squats differently. Slightly varied stances, bar positioning, hand hold, hip-knee angle, etc. are all common. Google 'Mark Rippetoe squat' and watch some instructional videos. I think you will see that you're closer to a proper form than you think.0 -
You've had some good advice re: hip mobility, stretching, etc. I'm actually not a fan of elevating the heels. You did say one thing that really jumped out at me and has not been addressed so I'm going to throw it out there now.
You said that the closer together your feet are, the less depth you get. That's a big sign that your foot position is off. Normally, if your feet are angled properly, the closer together your feet are, the more depth, but less power, you have. The trick in squatting is finding that place where you get the most power and still get down far enough. You'll see tons of videos talking about how to angle your feet, but the reality is that every body is different. Your hips won't attach at the same angle as the people in those videos. Or on a forum such as this. Neither will your knees. And even if they did, your years of growing, using, and developing your body will create different angles. Find a foot position where your knee travels directly over your toes. For me, that's actually a bit more open on the left foot than the right. My right foot is about 1 o'clock but my left is closer to 10 o'clock. Play with it. What you'll find is, once you get your angle right for your feet, the hips open up automatically and your weight wants to stay in your heels. You'll be able to drop straight down with your heels closer together, but you'll feel the movement primarily in your quads. As you move your feet out you'll struggle a bit more to get down at first, and the stress of the movement will be less on your quads and more on your glutes and hamstrings. It takes practice. But it's worth the practice because, again, the wider your heels the more power you have.0 -
2 months ago I could have written this post. But I sucked it up and realized I was going to have to go some rudimentary work - so for the last month I have been doing box squats, goblet squats and more box squats.
I am much more upright now, and my depth is also greater than before - I am hitting parallel or lower for the first time ever.
Be patient and nail the basics, then progress to weights. You will be very pleased with the results as I am.0 -
Bump0
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I had this problem when i was beginning. You just need to train your body to adjust to the proper form. It will be a habit eventually. Luckily my f is a trainer so everytime i didnt have the proper form he would remind if i was sticking my derrier out too much or leanig forward. Your feet should be sjoulder width but you can adjust on what is more comfortable. Theres different types of squats.
Goodluck just keep reminding yourself to correct form, use lighter weight till you get it or you can hurt yourself0 -
Your hip mobility needs work.
Google hip stretch exercises
this this this
work with goblit squats and doing the yoga pose where you are squatting full depth- elbows on knees- it's like a seated outdoor bathroom kind of posture- gosh- I have to look it up every time and I NEVER remember. oh well. You can just google hip opening poses for yoga... and check Kelly Starlett for mobility.
high runners stretch and lower runners stretch are good options as well.
keep working it- it'll get better.0 -
I was told at the beginning by my instructors that your knees should not go over your toes cause it is bad for your knees to do it. They said it is like sitting in a chair and your butt just needs to go back and down.
Which is appropriate for folks with shorter legs. I think this is covered pretty well in starting strength, that as the leg length goes up, that ankle mo comes into play, and that your knee will go past your toes.0
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