Tall Girl Problems--Squats

I'm no expert but maybe it's your form as opposed to your height that is the problem. Are you keeping an open chest and sitting back as opposed to bending forward? And pushing up through your heels while squeezing your bum?

I'm not sure it has anything due to height. I'm short, and I don't really feel it in my butt either (although I will get DOMS in my glutes). I'm pretty new to weighted squatting, but I feel it mostly in my hamstrings. I assumed that was because my hams were not up to par with the other muscles in my legs and butt.

I'm 5'9" and have never felt it in my booty, just legs and thighs. I have been doing weighted squats lately and I still don't feel it. I never considered it to be due to height, though.

If you are feeling it on the front of your legs instead of your butt you are likely compensating from weak glutes.

It's also likely that you have tightness in the hamstrings, calves, or lack mobility in the ankle to perform a squat properly.

My suggestion to you would be to target your glutes specifically with something like hip thrusts and glute bridges.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-o98EVDLjE

It makes sense to feel them in your quads (front of legs.) I agree with doing some glute-centric work though. @rainbowbow gave you two good videos for that.

How many trainers do you have? Are they helping you with form?

FWIW, I don't feel any sort of burn with squatting, as long as I squat regularly. I do work to engage my muscles but that's not burn.

rainbowbow wrote: »

Makingachangeforlife wrote: »

You need to go deeper into your squat. Legs need to be parallel with the floor. Use a mirror to gage and ensure your knees are not pushing past your toes. Push up through your heels.

knees going over toes is perfectly fine. They should, however, not be internally or externally rotating.

As stated above it's also very likely that because certain muscles are tight and/or imbalanced, it's likely she'll compensate by squatting quad heavy anyway.

Not trying to single you out, just saying.

I second this toes going over knees is natural!! I too am tall with long legs and never feel the burn in my butt.....but that doesn't mean it isn't working!! I find adding some plyometrics to the end of my leg day helps to get soreness in those glutes the following day!

Squats are primarily a quad exercise, so no shock there you feel it in your quads. You may feel it in your glutes, but the amount of glute muscle activation compared to quad activation is much lower. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it unless your trainer thinks your form is way off. I honestly didn't feel it in my glutes until I hit much higher weights than what I started with.

Otherwise, if you want to target your glutes, I'd suggest doing a more glute centric exercise, like the hip thrust.

For some, just turning the toes out makes it's simpler to squeeze glutes.

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"Feeling the burn," or muscle soreness is not an indicator of a good workout. You can get a good workout, and still not feel it in your glutes/booty (in this case). Your knees shouldn't feel it too much during squatting though, so if that's where you are feeling it, you may need to have your form checked.