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How do you know if you're doing squats the right way

angellll12
angellll12 Posts: 296 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
when I do squats, the next day the muscles on my knees are killed, so much that I walk without bending my knees because they are so stiff and aching. Why aren't my glutes aching tho ? My butt feels like I did nothing.

Replies

  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
    Make sure you're putting your weight back on your heels, not on the toes or front of your feet. My quads above my knees KILLED me until I started shifting my weight back. Try pointing your toes up inside your shoes while you're lifting.
  • angellll12
    angellll12 Posts: 296 Member
    Timorous_Beastie wrote: »
    Make sure you're putting your weight back on your heels, not on the toes or front of your feet. My quads above my knees KILLED me until I started shifting my weight back. Try pointing your toes up inside your shoes while you're lifting.

    There you go. Smh I go straight on my tippy toes I am so stupid. All this work for nothing I could die.
  • victorprocure
    victorprocure Posts: 17 Member
    If you record yourself doing them, there are some groups here we will critique your form and give suggestions. They've been quite helpful
  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
    Go to YouTube. Look for "strengthtraining06". There is a great video on there that Chris Duffin did with SilentMike. They went over the basics of doing a squat.
  • fat2strongbeth
    fat2strongbeth Posts: 735 Member
    I watched a lot of youtube videos to study the correct form when I first started.
  • CarlydogsMom
    CarlydogsMom Posts: 645 Member
    angellll12 wrote: »
    when I do squats, the next day the muscles on my knees are killed, so much that I walk without bending my knees because they are so stiff and aching. Why aren't my glutes aching tho ? My butt feels like I did nothing.
    Try to get your form down without the bar, or maybe just use a broom stick. Form is key; right now, to heck with the weights.

    Wear flat shoes; socks; or bare feet. Do NOT wear normal tennies with the padded heel. Feet about shoulder or hip width apart, toes SLIGHTLY angled outwards. Knees stay in the same alignment of your toes as you squat down.

    Back straight, head in neutral position, not facing down and not straining or bent backwards to face up.

    Lower your body down, keeping knees over toes, using your heels as your basis for support. Back straight, not leaning forward. I cannot stress how important it is to keep those knees over your toes. They can (depending on the length of your legs) go OVER the toes slightly, but must be in the same alignment. Be consciously pushing your knees outwards if you have to--you really physically can't push your knees to the outside of your toe line even if you tried. Knees OUT and over those toes.

    Go to depth--hip joint should be parallel, if not lower, than your knee joint. You should really feel that your heels are holding you in place, but also keep your entire foot flat on the ground. Back should be straight (no curling of the lower back at the bottom).

    Open your hips, meaning let those hips expand.

    Now, push the earth away from your body using your heels as you rise up. Keep your back in the same alignment as you did going down (a friend of mine consistently raises her hips first, and her back almost goes horizontal, it drives me nuts). Essentially, you're firing your quads going down, and your quads, hams, and glutes to power back up. Your back should stay straight.

    Also second on getting a video of your squat and posting it in the Eat/Train/Progress group here.
  • Building_Bulk
    Building_Bulk Posts: 20,596 Member
    edited April 2015
    victorprocure wrote: »
    If you record yourself doing them, there are some groups here we will critique your form and give suggestions. They've been quite helpful

    ^^This. I periodically record myself just to see how my form is. I also generally start every squat session doing a set with just the bar where I focus on form, not saying you have to do that just what helps me.
  • angellll12
    angellll12 Posts: 296 Member
    CarlydogsMom wrote: »
    angellll12 wrote: »
    when I do squats, the next day the muscles on my knees are killed, so much that I walk without bending my knees because they are so stiff and aching. Why aren't my glutes aching tho ? My butt feels like I did nothing.
    Try to get your form down without the bar, or maybe just use a broom stick. Form is key; right now, to heck with the weights.

    Wear flat shoes; socks; or bare feet. Do NOT wear normal tennies with the padded heel. Feet about shoulder or hip width apart, toes SLIGHTLY angled outwards. Knees stay in the same alignment of your toes as you squat down.

    Back straight, head in neutral position, not facing down and not straining or bent backwards to face up.

    Lower your body down, keeping knees over toes, using your heels as your basis for support. Back straight, not leaning forward. I cannot stress how important it is to keep those knees over your toes. They can (depending on the length of your legs) go OVER the toes slightly, but must be in the same alignment. Be consciously pushing your knees outwards if you have to--you really physically can't push your knees to the outside of your toe line even if you tried. Knees OUT and over those toes.

    Go to depth--hip joint should be parallel, if not lower, than your knee joint. You should really feel that your heels are holding you in place, but also keep your entire foot flat on the ground. Back should be straight (no curling of the lower back at the bottom).

    Open your hips, meaning let those hips expand.

    Now, push the earth away from your body using your heels as you rise up. Keep your back in the same alignment as you did going down (a friend of mine consistently raises her hips first, and her back almost goes horizontal, it drives me nuts). Essentially, you're firing your quads going down, and your quads, hams, and glutes to power back up. Your back should stay straight.

    Also second on getting a video of your squat and posting it in the Eat/Train/Progress group here.

    You are amazing thank you so much.
    You know it's working when your glutes ache correct?
  • CarlydogsMom
    CarlydogsMom Posts: 645 Member
    I wouldn't count "aching glutes" as the sole factor in doing a successful squat. Knees and back shouldn't hurt; you may not "ache" but you should at least feel muscle stress in your glutes, hams, and quads (the degree of achi-ness depends on fitness level). At whatever program or amount of reps per set you are aiming for, those last one or two should almost bring you to failure, the last one for sure. If you are aiming for, say, 5 reps in a set, and your 5th rep is no big deal, you don't have enough weight on the bar (exception being your warm-up set).

    And don't forget the importance of rest between sets. Your muscles need to re-build up your ATP/energy for the next set.

    Hate to sound "squishy," but whatever aches and stress your muscles or joints have, it should feel "right," you know what I mean? If your back hurts, knees hurt, or what have you, you'll know when it feels "wrong." And in that case, re-check form or determine if there are other underlying problems that may require re-evaluating whether or not you should be doing squats.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I have the same problem. I studied correct squat form for a long time, and got hubby to video me, and all looks good. My knees dont pass my toes, I look straight ahead and go down as low as is possible, push up through my heels and bum etc etc And I still don't feel the butt burn. However my quads burn like fire!
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    You might want to consider goblet squats as a way to learn the squat (or just as your regular squat routine) Nice video by Brett Contreras:

    https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KLqIEMEi9VOCcAAOwsnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTBza2VqYWU4BHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQDBGdwb3MDMTQ-?p=goblet+squat&vid=8fe63a4c9043dc2d6ef24936e1815e64&l=2:26&turl=http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=WN.6r69s2zKM5mIrse%2bGehrvg&pid=15.1&rurl=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xwGFn-J_Q4&tit=The+Goblet+Squat&c=11&sigr=11bnoqhnd&sigt=10g9c24i9&sigi=1217g07bm&age=1377796952&fr2=p:s,v:v&fr=yhs-mozilla-004&hsimp=yhs-004&hspart=mozilla&tt=b
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Just video it. Muscle soreness doesn't tell you anything, I've never had sore glutes from squats, ever.
  • neaneacc
    neaneacc Posts: 224 Member
    Squats are good exercises (mostly legs and some butt work) when done correctly. However, if you are strictly trying to target your butt try weighted hip thrusts. These will have your butt sore after just a few reps if you use enough weight.
This discussion has been closed.

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