How fast/good are your squats?
threnjen
Posts: 687 Member
I tend to stay at a weight until I can keep form. I notice it takes me a long time to move up in my weights because I struggle with form so much.
My squats seem slow. I watch other people squatting at the gym and they have very smooth, controlled up-down squats. They rarely seem to struggle on the ascent. I am always smooth and controlled on the descent, but my ascent is pretty much always slower and labored, even when I am on my 3rd repeat of a weight and thinking about holding my form. And my last reps of last sets are always a struggle to keep my knees from turning inward, even if I've done the weight many times. I don't have any videos, but I feel like if I saw myself squatting, I would be thinking that my form suffers, even on my "best" form day before I opt to go up in weight.
What are your squats like? Does my question even make sense??
My squats seem slow. I watch other people squatting at the gym and they have very smooth, controlled up-down squats. They rarely seem to struggle on the ascent. I am always smooth and controlled on the descent, but my ascent is pretty much always slower and labored, even when I am on my 3rd repeat of a weight and thinking about holding my form. And my last reps of last sets are always a struggle to keep my knees from turning inward, even if I've done the weight many times. I don't have any videos, but I feel like if I saw myself squatting, I would be thinking that my form suffers, even on my "best" form day before I opt to go up in weight.
What are your squats like? Does my question even make sense??
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Take a video on your cell and upload it. Very hard to diagnose without seeing it and often times what you feel and what is actually happening are two different things.0
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Take a video on your cell and upload it. Very hard to diagnose without seeing it and often times what you feel and what is actually happening are two different things.
So much this. I video most of my working sets, and so many times something feels incredibly grindy and slow but looks amazing when I review it.
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Well, I've never video taped my squats so I can't say for sure how good. The trainer only had a couple points when I did that one session but we focused more on front squat so he didn't see me do much on the back squat and didn't really answer my question on high bar versus low bar.
I am a bit slow, especially when the weights got heavy. It's hard to compare to how others do though. Like I saw some guy squatting and it seemed he went lower because there was more to his descent. But he was like 6' tall or so and I'm umm no where near that. There is only so much I can go before I would just well sit down. lol And last time in the grit strength class, the teacher had to tell me not to squat so low cause it was so easy with just 30 lbs. I'm hoping to work up courage to video deadlift and maybe squat some day though.0 -
I wish my gym didn't have a strict "no image capturing devices" rule.
And most if the people I see squatting are doing half squats, so no one to ask for critique. I am going to the women's only gym, so smiths machine is a lot more popular than the power rack 
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Does my question even make sense??
i think it's a great question. i'm really having to think about it
i know my descent is faster than my return, and i think the hardest habit i'm trying to learn is the 'bounce' at the bottom, i.e. i have this ingrained protestant-work-ethic habit of breaking the lift into two distinct parts. down, stop, up. when apparently it should be down-up. my brain just can't be convinced that that isn't cheating
if i bounce then there's this little referee in the back of my skull doing the hands-thing and yelling 'NO REP!!!'
aside from that, i actually feel as if my ascent has got slower since i began to fight my form shortcuts (the ones that i know about anyway). slower but a whole lot smoother, so it's never worried me. there are a couple of points where if i let myself, little parts of my body would cheat just to keep me moving. the knee-cave point is the classic, for me. it comes right at around the halfway point on the way up, probably technically the moment where hamstrings start to hand off to your quads. i don't let that happen anymore, and so yeah, it does mean in some reps that there's a point where i almost stop moving for a moment just because all my energy's going towards crossing that line without crumpling up like an empty beer can.
idk if i'm meant to worry about it. gonna watch this space to find out.0 -
DawnEmbers wrote: »Well, I've never video taped my squats so I can't say for sure how good. The trainer only had a couple points when I did that one session but we focused more on front squat so he didn't see me do much on the back squat and didn't really answer my question on high bar versus low bar.
We should try videoing each other some time. I was thinking @SideSteel "I have no one to tape me!" but then I realized that you and I could record each other sometime. It would probably be helpful to both of us.
I did go to that form workshop and he really praised my form, but I only had 30lbs on the bar, so it was a big whoopity do. It's much different at working weight.
We're not supposed to record, but I really doubt anyone gives a crap. We're also not supposed to have gym bags out on the floor (and seriously, who doesn't)
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True, we could do that if I remember to bring my phone and not leave it in my locker. I've seen the show off guys take pictures (the one who takes off his shirt needs evidence after all). Plus the guys balancing on dumbbells while doing seated rows had a friend filming. Guessing it's not one of the policed activities.
The form guy praised my deadlift but we were using the light weights from the fitness class, so not even close to a regular one. Though I'm still working on the shoulder rounding he mentioned. Filming would probably do good. I need to film my coworker too at her gym some time cause I finally mentioned she does more of a good morning when she squats. It's not easy to tell someone they might have questionable form but videos are definitely helpful.
Getting on the same day is a different story. Plus, I'm not fond of pictures of myself so can't imagine how video will go but it's one of my goals, to be able to post a lift for others to see.0 -
I know scheduling seems like an issue, but I can conform to your schedule easily. My nights after 9:00PM are always available.
I'm not trying to pressure you though to have a video taken, but I might arrange sometime to have you take one of me! :P
No one says you have to post it though, you can use it for your own reference!0 -
True. My schedule is pretty consistent. I'm still doing tues-thurs-sat after 10:30 pm. Though my day off is changing to tuesday/friday so I might be able to go earlier on tuesdays. Haven't decided yet on that. I don't even squat right now (NROLFW stage 2) except front squat/push press but it would be interesting to see if I even get to parallel or below. I'd definitely be able to film you if we are there at the same time.0
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This is a very good question @threnjen so thank you for asking it Because I love squats and I think they're my favourite strength exercise. My descent is fast, especially now that I am squatting 100lb (as of yesterday and I am excited) and my ascent is slower. I since I started squatting 80lbs I really noticed how much I was engaging my core. I work out at home and as the weight gets heavier I look at what I am doing in the mirror. Are you brave enough to as one of the people around you to just watch you squat a set? I find getting feedback from others really helpful. I do this when sparring in Taekwondo and it has really helped to improve. So if you can't film in your gym, ask someone to watch and give feedback or squat with no weights in front of a mirror.
All the best with it.
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DawnEmbers wrote: »Well, I've never video taped my squats so I can't say for sure how good. The trainer only had a couple points when I did that one session but we focused more on front squat so he didn't see me do much on the back squat and didn't really answer my question on high bar versus low bar.
We should try videoing each other some time. I was thinking @SideSteel "I have no one to tape me!" but then I realized that you and I could record each other sometime. It would probably be helpful to both of us.
I did go to that form workshop and he really praised my form, but I only had 30lbs on the bar, so it was a big whoopity do. It's much different at working weight.
We're not supposed to record, but I really doubt anyone gives a crap. We're also not supposed to have gym bags out on the floor (and seriously, who doesn't)
I'm also not supposed to video at my gym. My guess is that it's to prevent you from taking pictures of other people (ala gym fails or creeper photos). I have recorded myself several times and have never had a problem with it. I just make sure the video focuses on me.0 -
As a bit of a hijack -- the speed at which I squat seems "normal" but I do take a bit of a breather in between each squat rep. Usually 4-5 good breaths. OK?0
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I don't think there is a dictated number of breaths one should take between reps, but if there is, I don't follow it. lol I do whatever I need and sometimes between two reps I need a longer pause and other times, I don't.0
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just updating on this: my squats definitely get easier (and maybe even better form-wise) when i pick up the pace. i've been experimenting with the subject the last week or so.0
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DawnEmbers wrote: »I don't think there is a dictated number of breaths one should take between reps, but if there is, I don't follow it. lol I do whatever I need and sometimes between two reps I need a longer pause and other times, I don't.
on breathing . . . i do the same thing. i always had the impression it's much more important to make sure you're keeping a consistent level of core pressure going on throughout any one rep, because the pressure helps to maintain rigidity supporting your spine. so i don't worry about how many breaths that might take. i concentrate more on just whether or not i'll be able to hold any breath that i take all the way through a rep. and i'll definitely stop and pant for a while if i get unsure about that.0 -
I also tend to stay at the same weight for a week or fortnight until I master the form, then up the plates. I have seen people squat up-down-up-down with lightning speed. I find not able to do that...could it be because I have wider hips, and shorter torso? I do not know. But my tempo is almost like the 5 x 5 shows on his videos. But I do try to go down low. The last rep last set is always shaky...sometimes I find myself coming back up with my bottom...and not pushing out from the legs...ugh
I have mastered to consciously brace the core first, after I unrack the bar, do a rep, as I come up I squeeze my gluteus, after I stand up, brace the core, do a rep and etc...I use the mirrors to check for form, as the rack is in a three-mirrored corner...but looking at the mirror, especially from the side can mess up form 0 -
I don't think my gym has any rules about videos. Any tips on how to video yourself? I have a camera on my phone but I have no idea where I would put it so that it would actually see me. I don't even know how to make it stand up.0
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I also tend to stay at the same weight for a week or fortnight until I master the form, then up the plates. I have seen people squat up-down-up-down with lightning speed. I find not able to do that...
My thought would be that if you can do that, then the weight isn't heavy enough. Just my opinion. I'd rather go slow and have good form, push myself and really feel it then just knock a bunch out.0 -
Yeah, if it's heavy, you're not going to be able to whip up and down, mannnnn, I'm doing squats now with 245 on the bar (I tend to hang out until I make sure I am getting my form right before going up too, like you guys) and it's not a fast movement. It's controlled down, controlled up, and if I hit any point of struggle, I have no shame in dumping the bar. If I was doing them fast, I'd either be intentionally trying to do speed squats or I'd be warming up to add another good 100 pounds on.
If I can do them fast, I know perfectly well I won't be feeling it, and that'd be a shame!0 -
my tempo is almost like the 5 x 5 shows on his videos.
huh. i'm intrigued now, because i recently watched the 'mehdi does entire sl workout' video and tbh he looked to me like 'lightning speed' compared with my pace for this past quite-a-while. yet when i set myself to try and get closer to the same tempo, the reps didn't feel like they got harder a la 'if you can move it fast then it ain't heavy enough'. the same weight felt easier to stand back up at a faster tempo. and that was true even though i haven't been remembering to speed it up until my last two or three sets. when theoretically, i ought to be tired and finding it harder by then.
so ease-under-speed isn't just about weight, because there's a canny-mechanics aspect as well. if i'm reading people like rippetoe right, timing your return properly allows you catch and use the 'bounce' or stretch reflex from your hamstrings/posterior chain that the bottom gives you. idk if that's laziness or efficiency but i don't personally feel like my hamstrings get as much of a workout if i pause for too long. they tend to kind of walk off like their work here is done, and then my quads have to fill in for them. which has been bad for my knees in the past.0 -
Fast in descent, but much slower in ascent and always struggling with my knees to keep them outward, no matter the weight.0
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