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2004/04/10, 09:58 PM
I knw that squats have to be done in perfect form, because if not the back or knee joints can be stressed too much, especially when lifting heavy. I don't think I have a knee prbblem yet, but my kness crack when I extend'em. Maybe, all the poor form I used squatting has helped me develop this condition. Anyways, they don't hurt at all, so my question is-keep doing the squats with abetter form? How bout the knees, is there anything to do to make hi pop the less?
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2004/04/10, 10:52 PM
This is from an article from Animalpak website by the lad
Movement
The biggest and most common mistake occurs when a lifter starts the movement. Usually, I see a lot of guys begin by bending their knees. The first bending motion should be in the hips. You should dip your hips back, like your going to sit into a chair, trying to keep your shins as upright as possible. If you watch someone from the side do a squat correctly, the motion of the bar goes almost straight down and straight up. This method keeps the bar over the central most part of your body, enabling you to use your entire body and not just your legs. Believe me, this makes a world of difference.
Bar Placement:
Bar placement could be a major factor in the weights you handle depending on the style of squat you’re doing. If the bar is placed to high on the traps, it could cause you to bend too much at the waist. This will throw your hips up at the bottom of the squat, dumping a heavier weight over your head. Placing the bar too low on your back would cause a similar problem. In this case, the bar could roll down your back, placing a great deal of stress on your rotator cuffs. The ideal placement of the bar would be between the lower traps and upper rear delts. Over time, you will create a comfort zone we powerlifters call the “shelf”. You may have to hold your elbows up during the squat to create this shelf.
Grip :
Another factor dealing with bar placement is your grip on the bar. You want to stay as tight as you possibly can during the squat, so it helps to squeeze the bar in order to maintain a firm grip. This will also help to keep the bar from rolling up and down during the lift. If your wrist or shoulders start to hurt while squatting, you may want to widen your hand placement. Just remember, the wider your hands, the greater the chance that the bar will roll on you.
Foot Placement:
Foot placement is probably the biggest issue when it comes to squatting. Again, it all depends on the individual lifter. A good rule of thumb to remember is that a lifter with larger hips will tend to squat better with a wider stance and a lifter with larger quads will tend to squat better with a closer stance. When squatting, I personally like to look down at the ground until I’m set with the weight on my back. This way you can actually see your stance, instead of just feeling it.
Walkout:
Up until a few years ago, the walkout played a big part in the squat. But due to safety reasons, the mono-lift style squat rack was developed. In this style of rack, you have your feet already in place, knees bent, and back straight. As you straighten your legs to stand erect, your spotter lifts a lever that moves the rack out from under you. Now all of your strength can be used to squat. If you do not have access to a mono-lift style squat rack, you can use this same form in a power rack. Just have your spotters pull the safety pins as you stand up with the weight.
Breathing:
Believe it or not, the way you breathe can play a factor in your squat or for that matter any lift where you strain. You never want to exhale during the decent of a lift, especially the squat. Take a deep breath and hold it as you squat. Some lifters yell, scream or exhale as they come up from the bottom.
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I am that
which must be feared, worshipped and adored. The world is mine
now and forever.No one holds command over me. No man. No god. I am a beast and that is enough.
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2004/04/11, 10:03 AM
It is hard to "fix" squat form once you get heavier in weight and have been using poor form. The best thing to do is to use good form, drop back on your weights to do this. In the end, you will get much more out of a bit lighter weight with perfect form. You will hit all the "tie ins" much better, thus have much better developement. Do not let your ego get in the way of your developement(and knee and back health).:dumbbell::dumbbell:
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If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....
bb1fit@freetrainers.com
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2004/04/12, 10:34 AM
That is an awsome article about the squat, I started useing the squat box at the gym. (the one where the bar is on a guid and all you have to do is roll the bar back a bit and the locks will engage) I noticed my lower back hurting a bit, and I know that is bad, is that a typical bad form problem? I am new to it so would not suprise me. Also, I am on a military base, and there is no trainers at the gym, so unless I can find someone that really knows what they are doing I am kind-a stuck. I am not doing much weight at all on it bar, I just throw 2 25lb weights on after a few to get a touch of resistance.
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Sean "TBAR" Johnson -USAF-
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2004/04/14, 04:25 PM
i too felt my lower back hurting afer the first or second set. I tried my best to lift with my heels but my front of my feet kept trying to push up. Today i have a sore (thoracic vertebrae) bone. I used one of those black things on the bar but looks like that didn't help much. Any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong? Also, This is my 2nd wk after taking a 2 wk rest period and my 1st wk in a program. So i tried going light but maybe didn't really and tried jumping back to what i was lifting before. I got dizzy every set and every rep felt like it was my last one. Why is that?
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2004/04/14, 04:33 PM
I don't know what other's will say, but in order to keep my spine in line I pick a spot on the cieling or high on the wall and keep my head aimed up towards that point. This will keep the curves in your back proper and reduce lower back stress. It is also important to not only lead with your hips when you start but to also push through your hips when going up. As for the headrush, what a great feeling. I Often get it towards the end of a heavy squat. My theory is two fold. First you have a lot of endorphins released with a squat due to the amount of muschle that you are using, and second you have a large amount of blood being pumped back from your legs due to the heavy contraction of your large muscle.
Daniel
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2004/04/14, 05:47 PM
I don't know what other's will say, but in order to keep my spine in line I pick a spot on the cieling or high on the wall and keep my head aimed up towards that point. This will keep the curves in your back proper and reduce lower back stress. It is also important to not only lead with your hips when you start but to also push through your hips when going up. As for the headrush, what a great feeling. I Often get it towards the end of a heavy squat. My theory is two fold. First you have a lot of endorphins released with a squat due to the amount of muschle that you are using, and second you have a large amount of blood being pumped back from your legs due to the heavy contraction of your large muscle.
Daniel
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