Possible to squat too low?

coryrood
coryrood Posts: 100 Member
edited November 22 in Fitness and Exercise
When doing squats in an effort to make sure I'm going low enough I go really low. I have noticed lately though that I get a pain in my right hip. It goes away within a day and comes on as soon as I do my first warm up squat with an empty bar.

Am I squatting to low? Any tips for knowing you've broken parallel?

Replies

  • mfpaul67
    mfpaul67 Posts: 2 Member
    Indeed you are going to low. Avoid squat until you get better and do Leg press instead. With this exercice remember "don't go to low"
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    Running and squats both tend to give me hip pain and tightness if I'm not careful. Especially if I'm sedentary outside of exercise. Lifting + sitting is a bad combo.

    Make sure you warm up. I also find doing varying types of squats helps a lot. Foam rolling, stretching, yoga-these all help. This is all assuming your form is on point. Try recording yourself and try to "feel" how low you are. When you are at parallel you should almost feel like you're sitting back on a chair.
  • Drewlssix
    Drewlssix Posts: 272 Member
    Slaite and Amy are both spot on. Get someone to spot your movement in case your posture is faltering. You may have the butt wink at the very bottom and that well could cause pain.

    Try de loading a bit and lastly be sure you control the motion the entire time. It may be tempting to let the weight take over and drop into your low point but that's not great for your strength or progress.
  • coryrood
    coryrood Posts: 100 Member
    Form itself is good. Just really deep. I've delayed and it still come with the first warm up set with an empty bar. My work weight is 155lbs. Pain is the right hip on the side and rear.
  • coryrood
    coryrood Posts: 100 Member
    Deloaded not delayed
  • Drewlssix
    Drewlssix Posts: 272 Member
    coryrood wrote: »
    Deloaded not delayed

    Funny, I was going to recommend "delays" anyway lol. Or just holding the squat for a few counts early in your set. Combine that with shallow squats progressively going deeper after each rest day.

    Lastly you may want to have that hip checked out. It could be an injury that's not healing between workouts, connective tissue heals and strengthens slower than muscle and even bone so it's possible to outpace tendons and the like with progressive training. Or it could be a bone spur irritating soft tissue at that particular position.
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    coryrood wrote: »
    Form itself is good. Just really deep. I've delayed and it still come with the first warm up set with an empty bar. My work weight is 155lbs. Pain is the right hip on the side and rear.

    Have you tried not squatting as low if you think it's an issue?

    I would really think it's something else already mentioned. Squatting low, in and of itself is not really an issue. Most people just start to let the form go.
  • Drewlssix
    Drewlssix Posts: 272 Member
    slaite1 wrote: »
    coryrood wrote: »
    Form itself is good. Just really deep. I've delayed and it still come with the first warm up set with an empty bar. My work weight is 155lbs. Pain is the right hip on the side and rear.

    Have you tried not squatting as low if you think it's an issue?

    I would really think it's something else already mentioned. Squatting low, in and of itself is not really an issue. Most people just start to let the form go.

    I really think it's a form issue. Most people have them at the bottom from what I see, that's probably where the "squat just past parallel" wisdom came from. Perceiving a potential risk and telling people to avoid it rather than correcting for it seems to be a common method on forums and among trainers.
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    Drewlssix wrote: »
    slaite1 wrote: »
    coryrood wrote: »
    Form itself is good. Just really deep. I've delayed and it still come with the first warm up set with an empty bar. My work weight is 155lbs. Pain is the right hip on the side and rear.

    Have you tried not squatting as low if you think it's an issue?

    I would really think it's something else already mentioned. Squatting low, in and of itself is not really an issue. Most people just start to let the form go.

    I really think it's a form issue. Most people have them at the bottom from what I see, that's probably where the "squat just past parallel" wisdom came from. Perceiving a potential risk and telling people to avoid it rather than correcting for it seems to be a common method on forums and among trainers.

    Agreed
  • michaelbowerscore1st
    michaelbowerscore1st Posts: 12 Member
    Why would someone suggest to stop doing a natural body movement until you're stronger through an unatutural body movement?
  • Ironmaiden4life
    Ironmaiden4life Posts: 422 Member
    It does sound like a form problem. Have you videoed your squat from the front, back and side? You could be internally or externally rotating your hip and/or you may have some muscle imbalances going on.

  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    mfpaul67 wrote: »
    Indeed you are going to low. Avoid squat until you get better and do Leg press instead. With this exercice remember "don't go to low"

    Yikes.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    coryrood wrote: »
    When doing squats in an effort to make sure I'm going low enough I go really low. I have noticed lately though that I get a pain in my right hip. It goes away within a day and comes on as soon as I do my first warm up squat with an empty bar.

    Am I squatting to low? Any tips for knowing you've broken parallel?

    Take a video (and post it). That's how you know how low you're getting.
  • XavierNusum
    XavierNusum Posts: 720 Member
    mfpaul67 wrote: »
    Indeed you are going to low. Avoid squat until you get better and do Leg press instead. With this exercice remember "don't go to low"

    Ignore this advice! ^^

    What kind of warmup are you doing? Are you adding mobility work in as well? As part of your warmup, get in the bottom of a squat, just bodyweight no bar, and hang out. Move the knees in a circle motion and also shift weight from side to side to warm up the ankles as well.
  • coryrood
    coryrood Posts: 100 Member
    Maybe I'm not flaring my knees out enough? If I make it a point to flare out just a hare I font get that pain. My warmup is what is suggested by stronglifts
  • Drewlssix
    Drewlssix Posts: 272 Member
    coryrood wrote: »
    Maybe I'm not flaring my knees out enough? If I make it a point to flare out just a hare I font get that pain. My warmup is what is suggested by stronglifts

    First of all, lots of great advice from others on this post. It wouldn't hurt to consider any of these as you diagnose your issue.

    Now... Yes I think that ^ may be atleast part of your problem. Again it would be helpful if you post pics or a video of your form so we know what it looks like.

    It could be that opening your knees is a solution or you could be going to far and just incidentally avoiding inflaming the area you are complaining about. Improper form can cause pain but changing form to avoid pain can lead to improper form also.
  • coryrood
    coryrood Posts: 100 Member
    Maybe the term flaring out is wrong. It's more so keeping my knees from coming in, or closing my hips. I've posted videos before and the consensus was my form was good. I'll see if I can get a video of what I did this morning.
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