Using my back to squat when I'm tired

darreneatschicken · September 2014

one more question: where do you guys feel it when you squat?

i feel it mostly in the area under my hips.

yopeeps025 · September 2014

Post a vid

I got the vid on my phone, just gotta figure out a way to get it onto my computer... tried emailing it to myself through my phone, but it said the file was too large, so i dunno, i gotta like send it to my friends phone and get him to email it to me.

Upload to youtube and use the security features in youtube to lock or make private to people you choose.

yopeeps025 · September 2014

one more question: where do you guys feel it when you squat?

i feel it mostly in the area under my hips.

I feel squats in my quads.

darreneatschicken · September 2014

Ok guys, I got the vids up on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMzLXUWtP7I&list=UUfp6G6JnSdF0XYP6MCVgOQA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcfgrV2Ay0s&list=UUfp6G6JnSdF0XYP6MCVgOQA&index=2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KglS2WW06w&index=3&list=UUfp6G6JnSdF0XYP6MCVgOQA

dbmata · September 2014

First thing I see is that your knees are collapsing inwards.

DON'T ****ing let them do that. Think of keeping them out wide, mentally push them out as you are rising up.

Otherwise, I think you might be a little forward on your feet, but all in all aside from the knees. Nothing stood out to me. I'm no pro though.

Funny enough, girl in blue was not impressed with the video. lol.

darreneatschicken · September 2014

so they were collapsing inwards as i was going up? or as i was going down? or both?

my friend told me the same thing, so in the video i was mentally and physically trying to push them outwards as i went down, but also as i went up

darreneatschicken · September 2014

and are my knees collapsing in all the vids?

yopeeps025 · September 2014

and are my knees collapsing in all the vids?

I say you have a very wide stance. When your knees come in during the lift they will get f up later on. Let those knees flare out a bit.

darreneatschicken · September 2014

my friend just took a look at the vids, and she said at the bottom, is where my knees cave in a tiny bit.

so i guess when i go down i should really focus on pushing my knees out?

dbmata · September 2014

so they were collapsing inwards as i was going up? or as i was going down? or both?

my friend told me the same thing, so in the video i was mentally and physically trying to push them outwards as i went down, but also as i went up

It's not hard to keep them from collapsing in when you go down, we have more eccentric capability with the lift than we do concentric. It's the concentric cycle of the lift that is hard and when you will be under load. That's when the knees collapse. Collapsing inwards is a form fault, you should deload to a point where they don't collapse in, and build back up from there.

Do you do it in all your squats? Don't know, I saw it in the front view though, and it's an issue.

darreneatschicken · October 2014

My certified trainer friend says I should do low bar squat; it will make it easier to keep my knees from collapsing inwards. When I go up, just focus on going straight up, not pushing your knees outwards.

I tried low bar squatting, and it feels really uncomfortable. Feels like the bar is going to fall off my back and my hands are using lots of energy trying to keep it up.

I feel like I should keep doing normal squat, but just deloading to only the bar, and just focusing on going straight up. Of course if I do this, and my knees do collapse, even a tiny bit, (which is usually the case, my right knee or something will like twitch inwards really quickly then back to normal), then I can't increase the weight. At the meantime, I'll also be sure to toss in some accessory work for the glutes each workout. All my trainers have said that I have weak glutes and core, and I still feel like I do if I can't squat correctly yet.

I tried normal squatting, and I tried physically and mentally to push my knees outwards as I descended, and also when I ascended. My trainer friend said that this is bad, because now all the pressure is on the outsides of my feet, which is exactly what it felt like!

Made me think back to a trainer who told me that I should grip the floor with my toes. He said that my right glute or something would sink a bit lower than the left one when I was at the bottom position of the squat. Therefore, gripping the floor with my toes; clenching the ground, would help with the glute problem.

dbmata · October 2014

Bar position isn't going to do a lick of **** for a form fault like knees collapsing inwards.

You need to work on form first.

and really, gripping the floor with your toes? When I squat and dead lift, I often raise my toes off the ground. You're supposed to be pushing through your heels, not through your toes.

Seriously, who the hell told you that bunk?

darreneatschicken · October 2014

ok, so how do I work on form? I feel like there's only two ways:

1. work out glutes a lot

2. lower weight (don't go higher than 25 lbs on each side?)

4. mentally and physically push out knees during the entire movement

the problem with 3 is that when I do this, I feel all the pressure on the sides of my feet, you know, like the outer sides?

if the weight should be on your heels (i've always had a problem doing this for some reason), then is this wrong?

Chief_Rocka · October 2014

Form breakdown always happens at the end of a heavy set of most exercises, that's how you know when you're done. The issue is how bad the breakdown is and what kind of a risk you are taking.

It's usually not a big deal unless you keep going for more reps with the bad form. When you form starts to break down, rack the bar and stop.

tomcornhole · October 2014

Screw your certified trainer. If his advice is what got you to those videos, then he is an idiot. You will hurt yourself if you try to go heavier with those knees caving in that much.

Narrow your stance by 6 inches and try that to keep your knees out. Until you fix that, and I mean actually fix it, not just try to fix it, you should keep the weight at 135.

The rest of your form appears to be good. Keep at it.

darreneatschicken · October 2014

ok, i'll narrow my stance a lot. so do i still keep trying to mentally and physically push my knees out as i descend and ascend? as i mentioned, this transfers all the pressure onto the outsides of my feet... is this a bad thing?

tomcornhole · October 2014

Get the knees out as far as you can. You can point your toes out more to address the weight on the outside of the foot.

dbmata · October 2014

tom, what do you think about homie working some zerchers to bring up that back strength some and work "safely" on getting the flexors open and keeping his knees from collapsing in?

tomcornhole · October 2014

dbmata wrote: »

tom, what do you think about homie working some zerchers to bring up that back strength some and work "safely" on getting the flexors open and keeping his knees from collapsing in?

I like that idea a lot. Good mornings, rows and pull-ups would be a nice addition to his arsenal as well. I would also add this pre-squat regimen:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=JBHzXF-mVjY

dbmata · October 2014

hmmm, I like that.

Dern, are you doing any deadlifts at all? How about lunges and walking lunges?

JoRocka · October 2014

Dern420 wrote: »

ok, so how do I work on form? I feel like there's only two ways:

1. work out glutes a lot

2. lower weight (don't go higher than 25 lbs on each side?)

4. mentally and physically push out knees during the entire movement

the problem with 3 is that when I do this, I feel all the pressure on the sides of my feet, you know, like the outer sides?

if the weight should be on your heels (i've always had a problem doing this for some reason), then is this wrong?

lower the weights to something that isn't straining you.
form is a technical matter- not just a strength issue.

so you have to practice that- so do it with a significantly lighter weight- the bar even.

strengthening other muscles will help- but only so much b/c it's still technical- and yes- really focusing- and bringing attention to the things that are wrong and working to get them right will help.

the weight is mostly in your heels- but it's not like you're rocking back- you're kind of over thinking it- it' a lot of "as long as you aren't in your toes" kind of thing.

Outside of the foot is okay- better than the inside- which is an ankle-and therefore soon to be a knee issue- and since you're already caving it- you REALLY need to be not doing that.

Practice with a lighter weight- and don't do it till you get it right- do it till you can't get it wrong.

dbmata · October 2014

Something that helps me to stay off my toes, is to raise them while I'm doing the lift. Take them off the ground.

I also don't think you'll get solely on the heels, I know I can't, but you feinitely feel something is wrong if you start coming up on the balls of your feet.

darreneatschicken · October 2014

Ok guys, so i've been working on my squat form recently. Gonna get up some vids soon. I narrowed my stance significantly, am pointing out those toes out a bit more, and am physically pushing my knees out both when I descend and ascend. Squeeze glutes at the top of the movement (beginning and end), push butt back. Gotta admit it feels a lot better; feeling it more in my quads now, rather than the hips/glutes. Still occasionally getting the feeling of my back assisting in pushing the bar up, but it isn't as much as it used to be. Probably now a matter of training core more and holding breath in tight, tight as possible, suck in stomach, don't be scared! Really gotta brace that core! Don't even breath one bit, prep for every rep.

But yeah, you guys mentioned that the main problem is that my knees are caving in due to weak glutes and high weight and not focusing on pushing them out.

So I've been working those glutes, lowered weight to either just the bar or 20 lbs on each side, and am trying as hard as possible to keep knees from caving. I also stopped gripping the floor with my toes.

Will get a vid up ASAP

darreneatschicken · October 2014

Also, I used to have intoeing, I think its way better now. I had these insoles prescribed way back, so I think they have greatly helped. However, I have stopped wearing them for "god knows how long." Was thinking though... would they help me squat?