Squatting for dummies! :)

[ginarochelle]

Please help me not feel like an idiot when I'm squatting in the gym.

I am now very intimidated by squats! I watched some videos posted on the site but i still have questions. My boyfriend was trying to help me in the gym with them and it just turned into an argument.

Is there different ways/techniques that are still correct or only one way? Is it different for guys and girls? I'm only looking to squat about 50lbs, I like to do high reps (4 x 25 ) at lower weight. The main confusion is wih the hand and bar placement. My bf was trying to have me place the bar on a spot on my back that felt like the bar was digging in , i like to have the bar a little bit higher but below the base of my neck.And also what about squatting to 90 degrees? I have read it both ways. I read that this is more of a myth and that you can actually get a better workout if you squat past the 90 degrees. In the past I just focus on keeping my head up, sitting back like I'm squatting into a chair and making sure my knees stay in line and dont bend forward as in going over the toes. Now I'm just confused and don't feel like doing them for fear of doing it incorrectly! Thanks for suggestions

[AaronT]

bar placement varies..
i place it high also, just bring your hands closer to your head and this will squeeze together your muscles on your back to provide a cushion. oh, also, go lower if you want... i'll find that thread.....

it looks like you know how to squat... in a chair and all that... drive with the heels, etc... tell your BF to hush and watch your form.

[ginarochelle]

lol.Thanks, he actually isn't talking to me anymore over it. Oh well! I just wanted a little credit but then the whole thing made me second guess myself! That helps though, i will keep the hands closer to create "the shelf"!

[eddied27]

Originally Posted by ginarochelle

i like to have the bar a little bit higher but below the base of my neck.

.......that you can actually get a better workout if you squat past the 90 degrees.

In the past I just focus on keeping my head up, sitting back like I'm squatting into a chair and making sure my knees stay in line and dont bend forward as in going over the toes.

All of the above in your post is right on! In terms of bar placement, the bar should be resting on "the shelf" formed at your upper back which it sounds like you are doing. In terms of hand placement, do what feels comfortable and feels like your trying to bend the bar across your back.

Going past parallel is recommended in some circles but going to parallel is just fine and your form sounds spot on.

Don't mean to inundate you with more videos but check my signature for some excellent squat videos.

Lastly, if you want to build muscle you need to lift heavier and no.......if you lift heavier you won't get huge......big myth! Myth #2 is there is no workout for males and workout for females.......focus your workouts around compound movements like squats, chest presses, shoulder presses, deadlifts and rows.

Hope that helps!

Ed

[dungeonlifter]

I have my wife put her pinkies on the marks and rest the bar right below base of neck(right about where you described it). I tell her to go down to parallel, and to keep her eyes focus on a spot on the wall about 2 ft above her head. It sounds like you have the basics down, I personally think your form is correct. Good luck.

[V5RED]

http://www.intens************/26969-a...ighlight=squat

the video is perfect squat from and post#15 is by a highly respected guy teaching perfect squat form

i go down till i feel my hamsstrings touch my calves which is a bit below parallel to the floor

this has resulted in me having bigger legs and stronger knees and less knee pain(my knees used to get sore often from high school sports, since changing my squat form to going so low, its much diminished)

[ginarochelle]

Thanks so much! I will check out all the suggestions, and then if anyone tries to tell me off in the gym I will feel confident enough to tell them to buzz off.

Oh ,and I'm not worried about getting big, I just think I need a workout buddy in order to squat heavier. I've never used the squat rack, or whatever you call it. Maybe, I will work towards that. I know how beneficial squats are so I really want to do better! I carry most of my fat in my lower body so yes, I just talked myself into it. lol.

[eddied27]

You don't need a partner to squat heavier. Does your gym have a power rack or a "cage" as they call it? You can set the side pins at a certain height so that if you fail to come up with the weight, you can drop the bar on the safety pins. I do box squats like that.

[Gmoney23]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Rq8CWv8UPAI

These Squat RX Videos have helped me a ton!

[timberwolf]

Originally Posted by ginarochelle

Please help me not feel like an idiot when I'm squatting in the gym.

I am now very intimidated by squats! I watched some videos posted on the site but i still have questions. My boyfriend was trying to help me in the gym with them and it just turned into an argument.

Is there different ways/techniques that are still correct or only one way? Is it different for guys and girls? I'm only looking to squat about 50lbs, I like to do high reps (4 x 25 ) at lower weight. The main confusion is wih the hand and bar placement. My bf was trying to have me place the bar on a spot on my back that felt like the bar was digging in , i like to have the bar a little bit higher but below the base of my neck.And also what about squatting to 90 degrees? I have read it both ways. I read that this is more of a myth and that you can actually get a better workout if you squat past the 90 degrees. In the past I just focus on keeping my head up, sitting back like I'm squatting into a chair and making sure my knees stay in line and dont bend forward as in going over the toes. Now I'm just confused and don't feel like doing them for fear of doing it incorrectly! Thanks for suggestions

Only point I would have to disagree with is the knees going past your toes. It really depends on the width of your stance as well as bar placement. Knees going slightly past your toes is fine...

[EPMD]

Everyone will look slightly different from each other when squatting. Good form is variable. Provided you keep your weight on your heels and your back relatively straight, you should be just fine.

Squatting deeper brings the butt and hamstrings into the movement, so there is a benefit to greater squat depth. If you are feeling your butt and hamstrings working in addition to your quads, then your depth is excellent.

I also agree with the person who suggested you increase weight every so often. If you don't add weight or reps, you won't see improvement. I guess you could just keep increasing reps forever, but eventually those extremely high rep sets will become more like cardio than strength training.

[Retardo-pex]

Bar placement will vary person to person, goal to goal. I recently read some research (I believe its posted in the olympic lifting section at fortified iron forums) of the differences in depth and bar placement during the squat and its affect on the body's center of gravity and stress to muscles.

Its pretty much understood the higher bar placement tends to keep you a bit more erect and will utilize your quads a bit more, with the front squat keeping you the most erect (so you don't fall forward) and placing the most stress on the quads. The lower bar position (generally used by powerlifters) puts you are a mechanical advantage, shifting the stress more to your hips/hammies and allowing a significant more amount of weight.

There is no wrong style of squat, go to at least parallel, hopefully lower, and maintain natural spine curvature the whole time. Listen to your own body, not your boyfriend.

[ginarochelle]

Thanks again! All of these are great responses! Very useful and they also make me smile a bit too.