Nervous to lift heavy weights (like barbells)

-It's definitely fine to use a barbell alone. Like jomiguelo said, make sure to use proper form. Just leave your ego at the door and if you need to start with an emtpy bar, do just that.
-I wouldn't recommend using the EZCurl for squats. It would probably be fine, but that's not the intended use of the bar and something strange could happen due to it's unusual shape.
-I'd suggest StrongLifts or Starting Strength for a workout. I've done both in the past and made quick progress. I'd just search something like 'squat form' in youtube. There's bound to be tons. Try to make sure you squat low enough for the full range of motion.

recomend front squats. No risk to your neck and you get the advantage of core work as well. You cross your arms and allow the bar to rest on your biceps and use your hands to steady the bar. You can't do as much weight but its good stuff.

I just started Stronglifts 5x5 and was also nervous about weighted squats. I've been doing the 28 day squat challenge (body weight) and that has helped with practicing form. Since I knew how it felt without weight, I just dove in... after watching some videos. You would be surprised at what you can do! Keeping it to 5 reps between sets really helps when you take advantage of the rest period. I squatted 55 lbs yesterday and amazed myself by getting through all the sets - without feeling like I had made a huge mistake! I had more trouble with the overhead press.

I'm a former in shape person who has let herself go. Soft muscles, no stamina, etc. My quads are already very firm from just a month of regular activity. I'm constantly touching them, lol.

If you can have a trainer coach you a bit, that would be ideal, as the previous poster said. Barring that, record yourself doing body weight squats and compare them to the form videos you can watch. Start with lower weight dumbbells to build, but keep increasing them even though you are nervous. You use big muscles in the squat and they will perform for you.

soccerkon26 wrote: »

Thank you all for your advice maybe I will practice my squat form with no weights first and build up to the bar

You can try squatting with a broom across your back at home to get a feel for the position in general. If you've been doing the leg press regularly, you likely have the strength to add the barbell by itself to start after you're comfortable with the position, but if it is too heavy, you could try the preloaded bars that are usually in 10lb increments. (Weights are permanently fixed to the end of the bars.)

I'd recommend watching lots of videos online about form. As mentioned, Mark Rippetoe is a great resource, and he has lots of explanations online in his blog and instructional videos.

Someone else mentioned a trainer, and this can be a good idea if the trainer is actually good; many of the trainers at my gym teach girls to squat, but they do not teach proper form. It might be a good idea to watch how the trainer works with people compare what you see to instructional videos to watch. (Easiest thing to pick up on is if they make people go to parallel or not.)

:?:

If it's any consolation, I still do an occasional workout with an empty Olympic bar. There's no shame in it!

Sets of 50+ curls, tricep extensions or front raises with an empty bar really make your biceps/triceps/shoulders scream. Especially if you do them in giant sets, but I wouldn't recommend you try them just yet!

eangel1023 wrote: »

recomend front squats. No risk to your neck and you get the advantage of core work as well. You cross your arms and allow the bar to rest on your biceps and use your hands to steady the bar. You can't do as much weight but its good stuff.

Just chiming in to say that with front squats, the bar should NOT be resting on your biceps. It should rest across your front delts. If it's on your biceps, your form is going to get really funky.

Simple progression:
- Body weight squats until you get to full depth with good form (use your phone to take a video and then compare to the instructional videos on youtube).
- Dumbbell squats. Again, good form, work up in weight.
- Barbell squats. Some gyms have lighter (thinner or shorter) bars that weigh less than the 20KG/45LBS a standard olympic bar weighs. The EZ bar is likely to hurt your shoulders, so I’d skip that. And form, form, form.
- Start adding weight.
- Enjoy!

have you tried using dumbell lunges instead of barbell if the bar is too heavy? Builld up to it.

lisalsd1 wrote: »

Best thing to do, if you have access, is to talk to a trainer at your gym. My husband signed up for 3 sessions with a trainer at our gym. It was $100, but well worth it. The trainer instructed him on proper form with a bar. I was using machines and dumb bells, pretty much sounds like what you are doing. I couldn't lift a 45lb bar or 45lb plate to start. My husband worked with my on my form with a barbell. I went from squatting an empty bar (45lbs), which was heavy for me...to now squatting 145lbs.

As for a program, you can pick your own. You can look on the forums for recommendations like New Rules, 5x5, etc.

This^^^

When I first started squatting, I was REALLY worried about the weight of the bar (my gym uses the 45lb Olympic bars) being too much. I just made sure I set the safety bars on the cage, and had someone spot me if I needed it. That was 2 years ago. Last month I hit a new record-- 225lbs. A couple guys at the gym were in awe when I did one squat at the same weight they had just done a set of 5 with.

You CAN do it. Don't be afraid to ask a trainer to check your form or spot you.

So much advice in this thread, confused yet? It's hard to say and I'm curious if you played soccer or if you play soccer. If either is true, I wonder how your ankle and hip mobility are because it's not uncommon in soccer players, especially female soccer players, for them to have poor mobility. Also, how quad dominant are you. Some of that may dictate where and how you start, if you belong to a gym and have trainers with a CSCS or NASM PES / CPT I would start there and get a good KCA done.

Here's what I think you should takeaway from this thread.
1. IF (definitely "if") you can properly do compound movements then that's a good place to start. For instance, just because one can get into a squat position that resembles a correct squat doesn't mean they're doing it correctly. If you can't, then some isolation or unilateral work may need to be done first. Something like Step-Ups (using a box where thigh is parallel to floor), Walking Lunges, and Back Raises are really good exercises. I challenge many in this thread that only Squat & Deadlift to put a barbell on their back do a step-up onto a box with thigh to parallel and hold their alternate foot up in-front at the end of the movement for 6-10 reps per leg.

2. Know your goals and work towards them. There's a difference between training for athletics and training to be in-shape. If you play Soccer still, then you need to work on mobility, posterior-chain development (glutes, hamstrings, low-back) as well as other Core muscles (couple actually are part of the posterior-chain), power / rate of force development, balance.

3. More on Core training. Take the time to do a little Core work, squats (including front squats) and deadlifts do not activate the Core as much as some think it does. Not saying they don't because they obviously have some, but they're not the end-all to Core development. Improved Core strength helps every day function and can help prevent injuries. Not to mention it will help your strength in compound lifts. Where do most people fail in the squat and deadlift; it's not in their legs.