Feeling rubbish after squat attempts!

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Replies

  • punkeson
    punkeson Posts: 37 Member
    Hey guys, OP here again, thank you so much for your fantastic advise which I have already started to take on board! I am determined to get squats nailed!
    One last question, how often should I train squats each week? I currently workout every weekday - I have a day for upper body, a day for lower body, then two days for cardio and a final day which is normally another upper body session or maybe a run or something with yoga. I definitely feel that I should be squatting two or even three times a week but want to give my body adequate recovery time for the muscles to grow! What would you recommend?
    Thanks x
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Try different frequencies to find out what you can do.

    Some weeks I can squat 3x, with a heavy load, medium load, light load approach.

    Other weeks I can only squat once or twice. Particularly when I've worked a heavy load day at high intensity. My tuesday squat session last week had me sore and tired until Saturday. Granted, I hit a new PR, so that's a great trade off. Sometimes you just feel it, sometimes you don't.

    It's a good idea to become well versed in listening to your body, and observing your own performance.
  • martinel2099
    martinel2099 Posts: 899 Member
    If you do the strong lifts program it has you doing squats 3 days a week. That's what I am currently doing.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    I heavy squat and heavy deadlift on the same day twice a week.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    punkeson wrote: »
    Hey guys, OP here again, thank you so much for your fantastic advise which I have already started to take on board! I am determined to get squats nailed!
    One last question, how often should I train squats each week? I currently workout every weekday - I have a day for upper body, a day for lower body, then two days for cardio and a final day which is normally another upper body session or maybe a run or something with yoga. I definitely feel that I should be squatting two or even three times a week but want to give my body adequate recovery time for the muscles to grow! What would you recommend?
    Thanks x

    Frequency really depends on the programming (load & volume primarily). What does your training look like?
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    I heavy squat and heavy deadlift on the same day twice a week.

    manimal.
  • PwrLftr82
    PwrLftr82 Posts: 945 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    I heavy squat and heavy deadlift on the same day twice a week.

    manimal.

    +1!
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    I heavy squat and heavy deadlift on the same day twice a week.

    This is what I do, too, mainly because it's what works with my schedule. I'd like to lift at least one more day per week, but I haven't worked that in yet.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    I have found working on mobility helped more than just doing more squats with lighter weight.

    I used a towel and did this at home multiple times per day and my comfort at depth increased a lot. I spent some time paused at the bottom and did some adjustments to find out which stance width and foot angle felt the most comfortable also.

    http://youtu.be/K9VGSjFLodo
  • Numberwang22
    Numberwang22 Posts: 213 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    unh, push it.

    push it good.

    Push it real good, da
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    mustgetmuscles1 wrote: »
    I have found working on mobility helped more than just doing more squats with lighter weight.

    I used a towel and did this at home multiple times per day and my comfort at depth increased a lot. I spent some time paused at the bottom and did some adjustments to find out which stance width and foot angle felt the most comfortable also.

    http://youtu.be/K9VGSjFLodo

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9VGSjFLodo
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    mustgetmuscles1 wrote: »
    I have found working on mobility helped more than just doing more squats with lighter weight.

    I used a towel and did this at home multiple times per day and my comfort at depth increased a lot. I spent some time paused at the bottom and did some adjustments to find out which stance width and foot angle felt the most comfortable also.

    http://youtu.be/K9VGSjFLodo

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9VGSjFLodo

    That's interesting and unfortunately I can't listen to his commentary. Please keep in-mind that Mr. Candito is an advanced competitive powerlifter and this might not be relevant to somebody with basic flexibility issues.

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Yeah, so FYI:
    If you want to embed youtube vids.
    Use the youtube /youtube tag, and use the randomized characters instead of the whole youtube link.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    One thing that can help you activate the right muscles is to put something under your heels...a weight plate, a 2 x 4, anything just an inch or two tall and nicely stable which will help lift your heels. You'll be forced to use your glutes more, and it will help lift your chest.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    mustgetmuscles1 wrote: »
    I have found working on mobility helped more than just doing more squats with lighter weight.

    I used a towel and did this at home multiple times per day and my comfort at depth increased a lot. I spent some time paused at the bottom and did some adjustments to find out which stance width and foot angle felt the most comfortable also.

    http://youtu.be/K9VGSjFLodo

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9VGSjFLodo

    That's interesting and unfortunately I can't listen to his commentary. Please keep in-mind that Mr. Candito is an advanced competitive powerlifter and this might not be relevant to somebody with basic flexibility issues.

    Thats a fair point but I dont think there was anything too advanced about the advice. Using a narrow grip overhead squat to help with flexibility/mobility issues in a below parallel back squat. He did the exercise with an empty bar and I just did it with a towel. I think the thumbnail for the video is misleading.

  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    mustgetmuscles1 wrote: »
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    mustgetmuscles1 wrote: »
    I have found working on mobility helped more than just doing more squats with lighter weight.

    I used a towel and did this at home multiple times per day and my comfort at depth increased a lot. I spent some time paused at the bottom and did some adjustments to find out which stance width and foot angle felt the most comfortable also.

    http://youtu.be/K9VGSjFLodo

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9VGSjFLodo

    That's interesting and unfortunately I can't listen to his commentary. Please keep in-mind that Mr. Candito is an advanced competitive powerlifter and this might not be relevant to somebody with basic flexibility issues.

    Thats a fair point but I dont think there was anything too advanced about the advice. Using a narrow grip overhead squat to help with flexibility/mobility issues in a below parallel back squat. He did the exercise with an empty bar and I just did it with a towel. I think the thumbnail for the video is misleading.

    True. I just looked at the OP's original post about getting to parallel and I'm thinking there's just basic mobility and strength issues to be addressed first. You and DBmata are both more experienced lifters than the OP so for you two something like this is simple. When I troubleshoot something like this I like to look for the simplest answers first and then go from there. If somebody can't do a basic barbell squat, I don't see how doing an OH Squat is going to help them; especially when the OH Squat is probably a little more technical or at a minimum just as technical as the Back Squat. It's like when somebody says hey, my PC won't turn on. You check to make sure it's plugged in first before your rip out the power supply and replace it. :)
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Yeah, if someone can't squat, they can eat a goblet squat until they're spittin' nails. At least from my very basic understanding, because it's going to open up the lower chain mobility.

    I remember back when I was working just form with my coach, he was pushing me, pulling me, making me move right while doing the hb back squat movement with light weight on me. At one point I started letting the weight push me deeper, closer to an atg, and it opened up my hips well enough.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    edited November 2014
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    mustgetmuscles1 wrote: »
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    mustgetmuscles1 wrote: »
    I have found working on mobility helped more than just doing more squats with lighter weight.

    I used a towel and did this at home multiple times per day and my comfort at depth increased a lot. I spent some time paused at the bottom and did some adjustments to find out which stance width and foot angle felt the most comfortable also.

    http://youtu.be/K9VGSjFLodo

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9VGSjFLodo

    That's interesting and unfortunately I can't listen to his commentary. Please keep in-mind that Mr. Candito is an advanced competitive powerlifter and this might not be relevant to somebody with basic flexibility issues.

    Thats a fair point but I dont think there was anything too advanced about the advice. Using a narrow grip overhead squat to help with flexibility/mobility issues in a below parallel back squat. He did the exercise with an empty bar and I just did it with a towel. I think the thumbnail for the video is misleading.

    True. I just looked at the OP's original post about getting to parallel and I'm thinking there's just basic mobility and strength issues to be addressed first. You and DBmata are both more experienced lifters than the OP so for you two something like this is simple. When I troubleshoot something like this I like to look for the simplest answers first and then go from there. If somebody can't do a basic barbell squat, I don't see how doing an OH Squat is going to help them; especially when the OH Squat is probably a little more technical or at a minimum just as technical as the Back Squat. It's like when somebody says hey, my PC won't turn on. You check to make sure it's plugged in first before your rip out the power supply and replace it. :)

    :) It was definitely not simple for me when I tried it the first time. In fact I could not get anywhere near parallel. I think that is kind of the point though. Working on getting lower in this movement had a carry over right away to the back squat that I was not getting by just doing more squats, even by lowering the weight.

    I am a fan of mobility/flexibility/accessory work though. I listened to people for a long time that said "just squat more" and I think it held me back. Getting used to this movement made getting deeper in a regular back squat feel almost easy.

    Different thing click for different lifters. For someone else it might be box squats or wall squats. This one helped me out. It is not a difficult move that a novice cant do it. Start with a wide grip on a bar, rod, or band, raise your arms over your head, and try to squat down. Move your arms closer together as you get better at it.
  • Edie30
    Edie30 Posts: 216
    Squats!!! My face is like a smacked *kitten* when I do squats!! Don't compare yourself to anyone else :-)
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