I suck at squats

hesn92
hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
edited November 25 in Fitness and Exercise
I recently started lifting weights again, like 3-4 weeks ago. I have lifted weights in the past when I was in college but fell off the wagon when I got my first “real” FT job. I have found that I am horrible at squats now. I am doing 3x5 and I just can’t seem to progress much. Im only at 80lbs :( I tried to go up 5lbs yesterday but my form just wasn’t great so I went back down. I have a hard time keeping my knees out, like as I come back up from my squat my knees naturally want to go In (towards each other). I never had this problem before and was always able to go up in weight but I’m assuming sitting on my butt all day for the last 5 or 6 years at my desk job didn’t help anything. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Reduce the weight if you can't keep good form
  • briscogun
    briscogun Posts: 1,138 Member
    Yep. Form over weight. Focus on your form with the lighter weight until you are comfortable and then increase the weight.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    I thought i was alright at bodyweight squats until the personal trainer in my free session told me i have a hip tilt or whatever and now i cant do them it just annoys me trying to hard to focus its no longer fun and pisses me off XD So i just do like 20-30 mchine squats i can do around 180-200lbs its weird lol. Only real advice i can give is yes increase weight slowly but focus on form if you cant keep it your going to do more harm thn good and risk hurting yourself. I also notice with myself if i dont allow myself to squat enough my knees can get wobbly, it seems backwards but for me its true i need to follow through on the while motion or my knees also point in.

    And for what its worth, 80 pounds is alot everytime i get on the mchine i see around 40-60 lbs as the weight the last person used. Your slaying cut yourself some slack
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    Well I did go down in weight because of form I guess I just didn’t know if it was normal to suck so badly. I wonder if having a desk job for the last 6 years has ruined me. Before when I lifted weights I was always able to go up in weight consistently without any issues so it’s just a little depressing not being able to do that this time.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    hesn92 wrote: »
    .I have found that I am horrible at squats now. I am doing 3x5 and I just can’t seem to progress much. Im only at 80lbs

    That's probably more weight than you'll ever need to lift in your daily life. Not sure how that's "horrible". Anyway, for the caving knees, try widening your stance and post an update.

    If you need more help, upload a video of you squatting, with the camera at 45 degrees. Or hire a good trainer. :+1:
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    Play with your stance/foot placement a bit. Narrow/widen your stance... angle your feet a bit more/less... see what works.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    hesn92 wrote: »
    Well I did go down in weight because of form I guess I just didn’t know if it was normal to suck so badly. I wonder if having a desk job for the last 6 years has ruined me. Before when I lifted weights I was always able to go up in weight consistently without any issues so it’s just a little depressing not being able to do that this time.

    its counter productive to compare yourself to others/ past you. Do you now. Nothing wrong with a different pace

    Thanks. That is true I need to stop worrying so much about it. My activity level is so much lower than it was back then, and I am a little bit older so I just need to cut myself some slack. It’s hard to not compare myself to everyone else at the gym.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    for me, my knees caving in is lack of glute tightness,. i struggle with this too. i have to focus on screwing or torquing my feet into the ground, spreading the floor, staying tight, etc
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited March 2018
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    hesn92 wrote: »
    .I have found that I am horrible at squats now. I am doing 3x5 and I just can’t seem to progress much. Im only at 80lbs

    Anyway, for the caving knees, try widening your stance and post an update.

    If you need more help, upload a video of you squatting, with the camera at 45 degrees. Or hire a good trainer. :+1:
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    Play with your stance/foot placement a bit. Narrow/widen your stance... angle your feet a bit more/less... see what works.
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    for me, my knees caving in is lack of glute tightness,. i struggle with this too. i have to focus on screwing or torquing my feet into the ground, spreading the floor, staying tight, etc

    All of this.
  • kdbulger
    kdbulger Posts: 396 Member
    hesn92 wrote: »
    Well I did go down in weight because of form I guess I just didn’t know if it was normal to suck so badly. I wonder if having a desk job for the last 6 years has ruined me. Before when I lifted weights I was always able to go up in weight consistently without any issues so it’s just a little depressing not being able to do that this time.

    It sounds like you know what good form should look like, and you are not squatting more weight without the form to back it up, so that's great. Mentioning your desk job made me think that perhaps working on your hip, and maybe even your ankle mobility regularly might eventually make a difference in your ability to keep form while you squat higher weights.

    Girls Gone Strong has some great free posts on their site about playing with squat form, as well as mobility to support squats etc.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    Have you played with your stance/bar position?

    If I have my toes too narrow it'll instantly force my knees in, but if I let my toes point to what feels natural. My knees will follow.

    Many people are under the impression that if your toes don't point forward you're doing it wrong.

    Don't ever give yourself a set technique, you'll be surprised how much playing with it might help. Along with reducing the weight till you develop muscle memory.

    Don't go hard on yourself about struggling. Many of us squat hundreds of pounds, but I guarantee not many of them will say that they've perfected their technique.
  • julie_broadhead
    julie_broadhead Posts: 347 Member
    I'll go on further and post a pretty good GGS article on squats for ya.
    https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/blog/strength-training/myths-wrecking-squat-technique/

    I find that warming up with glute activation drills helps my squats.
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ARohP6TvKTY

    I'd also like to suggest shifting your mind set from "I suck at squats" to "I need to work on squats". View training squats as an opportunity to get better. That way when your session is tough you can walk away saying "That was good. I needed that." Embrace the struggle. If everything was easy, it wouldn't be much of a work out.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    hesn92 wrote: »
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    hesn92 wrote: »
    Well I did go down in weight because of form I guess I just didn’t know if it was normal to suck so badly. I wonder if having a desk job for the last 6 years has ruined me. Before when I lifted weights I was always able to go up in weight consistently without any issues so it’s just a little depressing not being able to do that this time.

    its counter productive to compare yourself to others/ past you. Do you now. Nothing wrong with a different pace

    Thanks. That is true I need to stop worrying so much about it. My activity level is so much lower than it was back then, and I am a little bit older so I just need to cut myself some slack. It’s hard to not compare myself to everyone else at the gym.

    "Comparison is the thief of joy."
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    I can't do barbell squats anymore because of a shoulder issue, but to be honest, I hated them anyway. Now I do all kinds of different squats: plie, goblet squat (try going down for a count of five, and up for a count of five. Holy, flaming quads!), wall sits, etc.

  • cbrealtor55
    cbrealtor55 Posts: 37 Member
    Check out Squat University on IG. Has tons of great information.
  • lilac_bunny
    lilac_bunny Posts: 137 Member
    When I couldn't squat anymore I was diagnosed with tight piriformus so I worked on stretches for that and did squats with my heels elevated. Then I developed pain in the side of my hips which was bursitis from weak glute meads (which the tight piriformus had been masking) so then I had more stretches plus a physio program of exercises such as glute bridges, step ups, hip abduction, banded walking, clam shells.
    I kept squatting the whole way through gradually improved from about 45 degree to 90 degree and weight from 10k to now 65k over the last 18 months. I didn't need the plates under my heels after about 4 months.

    Be patient. Try and unpick what the problem is an isolate that to work on it along side the squats. I found a PT very helpful as well as some physio sessions.
  • mdcoug
    mdcoug Posts: 397 Member
    You've already gotten a lot of great advice. FWIW, I also have a desk job and probably a few years on you. I started on this lifting program I'm on now (a class with knowledgeable coaches) about 2 years ago. I never thought I'd be able to do much, but still stuck with it. I had hip pain, my form was terrible, couldn't go past parallel... But the work has paid off. Just keep at it, maybe get a trainer if you can every now and then, and you'll get there!
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Think about pushing the floor apart using the outside edge of your foot as you come up. And yeah, try to point your toes out a little more. I squat pretty pigeon toed compared to others. I don't see how people can do it with their toes pointed forward.
  • Fitwithsci
    Fitwithsci Posts: 69 Member
    Foot placement is important and it seems like you have received some good advice on this. I would add: When you hit the bottom of your, squat contract your glute (butt) muscles. This will cause your pelvis to tilt back slightly and your femurs (thighs) to externally rotate forcing your knees out. Maintain this contraction until you reach the top of your squat or at least until you know longer feel your knees wanting to collapse inward. Also try to keep your knees pointed in the same direction as your toes throughout the movement.
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