The Fundamentals of the Back Squat

[StephanieIngram]

The Back Squat has often been referred to as "the King of Exercises"

[johndenny]

You covered every variable possible lol. Shoes, or lack of, are something that i think plays a big role in both safety and also strength while squating that most people dont realize.

Great info on every aspect of the lift.

Back Squats are an awfully effective exercise whether your goal is for strength, size, or general fitness. It helps you to be fit and healthy.

[ivxenz]

how much stress should be on your wrists during a squat? I have read most of the weight should be on your traps so that you can squat even with a thumbless grip? I can't seem to manage that. My (left esp) wrists seems to be in immense stress even with just a 135lb squat. The pain goes away within 10-20 seconds of racking the bar. Am I not squeezing my traps enough?

[Lithy]

Wow I didn't know you could squat lower down to isolate hamstrings/glutes more, always thought there was a fixed position you had to stay on. Will definitely try switching them up a bit

[joevis2]

I was wondering if anybody has gotten a pain on their back right next to their shoulder blade from the bar squatting. i unracked the weight then did 1 rep and a pain hit me right next to my left shoulder blade. istill have this pain and this happened a week ago.
any ideas what it is or what i should do

i think i had my grip on the bar to close (i was doing low bar position) and it cramped up thats how it feels to me.

[bdiddyasu]

how much stress should be on your wrists during a squat? I have read most of the weight should be on your traps so that you can squat even with a thumbless grip? I can't seem to manage that. My (left esp) wrists seems to be in immense stress even with just a 135lb squat. The pain goes away within 10-20 seconds of racking the bar. Am I not squeezing my traps enough?

I have a similar issue. I broke my wrist a couple of years ago and it never really set correctly. I low bar squat and when I squat at a decent weight it really hurts my right wrist. I've extended my hands as far as I can on the bar to help reduce some of the tension. Is there anything else I can do to help this?

[otaconc]

There are advantages to squat below parallel?

[Heisenberg2]

Question about balancing while squatting. I can do a body weight squat quite deep with the correct back position and everything but only when i hold my arms straight out in front of me for balance. When I hold my hands back as if im holding a barbell behind my back I almost always lose my balance and fall backwards. What can I do to try and correct this? If its a flexibility issue then what specific muscle/muscle group? I have had problems with weak glutes which have cause some ITB friction syndrome in the past. Could this be related?

[ALANHB]

thanx for that tips I always have the back problem when I lift something heavy or I fell my back bone is tired what should I do to make my back strong

[danielsefer]

nice back squat videos.......

[Singularity7]

Question about balancing while squatting. I can do a body weight squat quite deep with the correct back position and everything but only when i hold my arms straight out in front of me for balance. When I hold my hands back as if im holding a barbell behind my back I almost always lose my balance and fall backwards. What can I do to try and correct this? If its a flexibility issue then what specific muscle/muscle group? I have had problems with weak glutes which have cause some ITB friction syndrome in the past. Could this be related?

There could be a numerous amounts of factors that contribute to this. I highly suggest getting a form video up and post it. It will be worth your time i

[Alfredo12]

Thread wonderful and benefited from some tips thank you.

[reid95]

I strained my tail bone, what other exercises should i stay away from besides the squat?

[vballguy]

Is it crucial for my knees not to cross over my toes when I'm squatting? It was told to maintain my knees behind my toes throughout but during my ATG squats, I noticed that my knees are slightly over my toes in order to keep the balance. Is my form still correct? I feel most strains on my hamstrings, none at the knees though.

[VoxExMachina]

Is it crucial for my knees not to cross over my toes when I'm squatting? It was told to maintain my knees behind my toes throughout but during my ATG squats, I noticed that my knees are slightly over my toes in order to keep the balance. Is my form still correct? I feel most strains on my hamstrings, none at the knees though.

It's okay if your knees travel over your toes when you squat, provided you're using proper form otherwise - make sure you're "sitting back" into the squat and your weight is over your midfoot, not on your toes.

[angelicajohn]

Squats can be extremely dangerous when done incorrectly. Never, EVER bend your back awkwardly or let your knees fall forwards.

[adleylab]

The Back Squat has often been referred to as "the King of Exercises" because it uses a great deal of the body's musculature and is therefore very efficient in making you bigger and stronger. Really, squats are a full body exercise, though most people will view them as a leg exercise due to the demands placed on the quads, hamstrings & flutes.

[TooManyOreos]

I just started All Pro's workout yesterday, and I struggled to get down to parallel while squatting. I don't think it's a weight issue, because I can't get that low even without a bar. What are some good stretches to help me get deeper?

[PaulRivers]

I just started All Pro's workout yesterday, and I struggled to get down to parallel while squatting. I don't think it's a weight issue, because I can't get that low even without a bar. What are some good stretches to help me get deeper?

This is what I do after I injured my leg because I wasn't warming up -

1. 5 minutes of cardio - usually running on the treadmill

2. Warm up with DeFranco Agile 8 -
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/we...-a-631289.html

3. Do bodyweight squats

4. Do squat warmups -
http://corw.in/warmup/

(#4 works up to and include the full weight)

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That being said, doing bodyweight squats at home is the best exercise that improved things for me. I did them 1-2 times a day for a week and a half, and suddenly I didn't have such a problem getting down lower on my squat. The other thing I suggest is doing them barefoot or in socks (if you're at home) - it turned out part of my problem in getting lower was actually instability from my shoes.

[badger92]

Hi there.

I began Kethnaab's modified SS routine just under 3 weeks ago, squatting 3x/weekly. My starting weight was at 50kg and I was doing fine, adding 5kg every time I squatted with no aches or pains (except DOMs for the first week, I now have 0 DOMs at all, perhaps my legs just feel tired quicker if I do things such as jog though). However, this changed yesterday though.

I have been squatting with the bar in what I believe feels like the low-bar position, and with a stance that feels like my heels are at about shoulder-width with toes pointing perhaps 30deg out, however even though I am doing SS, I dont think I was really using the Rippetoe hip-drive method of driving up, I haven't really thought about it before - I've just drove up really? (quad drive?) I thought about this before I went to the gym yesterday and watched Rip's vids on youtube to try see the technique.

So anyways, I went to the gym, started squatting with my warm-up sets trying to use hip-drive as I thought I should and it felt ok, until I was going to do my work sets at 80kg. I got under the bar as normal, unracked, deep breath and tighten up etc, and then things went bad. Straight away on the 1st rep of set 1 I felt like the hip drive was throwing me off and almost ended up doing a good morning. I tried a 2nd rep and made extra effort to prevent this but instead it was worse and really strained onto my lower back so I racked the bar and rested. Dropped weight down and done work sets at a lower weight.

So really, my question is, if I squat with the same form as I was doing (bar and feet positioning for low bar), but don't try to use the exaggerated hip drive type thing, will this still be an alright squat technique? Will this be a more quad or PC dominant squat? I've previously strained my lower back many times over my life due to 17 years of martial arts and other sports and I feel that trying this hip drive technique is too un-natural to me and I really dont want to risk injuring myself if what I have been doing up until yesterday will still be an effective leg exercise?

[tidnab]

http://gawker.com/5921465/how-to-squat

[matjusm]

Regardless of whether you agree with it or not, this is just hilarious:

[tidnab]

Regardless of whether you agree with it or not, this is just hilarious:

Fantastic.

[themasterx7]

Very good

[whey2lean]

Back squats ftw

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

When doing squats with a heavy weight should you feel a lot of stress on the abs? I feel like my point of failure one of these days is gonna be because of my abs.

[beardb]

The Fundamentals of the Back Squat

5. To return upright, drive your hips and shoulders upward in a smooth, controlled motion. Either continue to hold your breath or allow air to escape slowly through clenched teeth (this keeps your core tight). Think about pushing your feet outward and "spreading the floor" to keep your knees from buckling and engage your musculature. While the weight should always remain mid-foot, you should feel like you're driving the weight through your heels, and not tipping forward on your toes.

Took me a long time to figure out that you should focus on pushing your knees outward, not trying to press the bar upward. I feel I have a much stronger squat as a result.

I am sure it has been addressed somewhere in this thread, but it is important to note that squatting for bodybuilding and squatting for powerlifting are totally different animals. Generally speaking, if you're looking for quad development, your stance should be more narrow. If you're looking to train for powerlifting, a much wider stance will be better.

As much as you hear to sit back with your hips when squatting or break backwards with your hips to initiate the squat, I've also read that breaking with the knees first will work more of the anterior of your leg. This is going to cause your knees to be more forward in relationship with your toes. I would not suggest doing this method if you have knee issues, but it may be an option for some people looking for more quad development.

[beardb]

When doing squats with a heavy weight should you feel a lot of stress on the abs? I feel like my point of failure one of these days is gonna be because of my abs.

I wouldn't say that there should be stress in the abs. Your full core musculature should be tight though. Focus on keeping your lower back tight, slighty arched (ass back, inward curve of the lumbar spine, and shoulders back and tight). Do both ab work and lower back work to strengthen your core if needed. Glute exercises will also help with squats. I suggest barbell glute bridges. Check them out under the exercises section of the BodyBuilding website (since I can't post links until I have at least 50 posts).

How much of a big deal is it to keep you knees at or behind your toes? I go forward a little, but not by much. I feel like I use more of my whole foot if I don't pay attention to it.

having a bear of a time fixing my squat form. I've tried doing wall squats right against the wall, and can do a couple, with practice I can probably do more. The past couple of leg days I've been working on squat form and dropped the weight down to the bar so I can work on basic form first, then gradually add in the weight.

Before, I was pretty much folding myself up, my torso was going too far forward. I'm 6'3" and I wonder if it's something with us tall guys that feel like we're going to fall backwards. I wonder if my quads are just a hair bit weak.

Knees coming forward a little isn't necessarily a big deal if your heels are staying on the ground. You need to press through your heels. Knees should NOT come over the tip of the toes, however. I would focus on sitting back which means you will break at the hips first meaning do not bend at the knees first. The knees will start to bend after your hips. I suggest doing box squats. Find a box and set it behind you. When you squat, focus on sitting toward the back of the box. As soon as your butt touches the box, initiate the upward movement. The box should be low enough that your upper leg goes to at least parallel with the floor.

[alphasilk]

Question for you guys.

I did some squats yesterday and I got to my highest set (170lbs). Usually I'd do 3x5s but yesterday on the first set, third rep, after finishing the rep I felt some low back pain, the same pain I felt months ago when I hoisted 140lbs on the deadlift the first time. This day I had difficulty keeping an upright posture.

I'm looking at some possible faults here:
1. Incomplete warmup?
2. Form? (this I'm a bit skeptical. I already got into 190lbs but went back down because I wasn't able to go to the gym for a few weeks.)

What are the other possible reasons?

[jsobey]

Excellent post! I find that a lot of guys don't fully understand about pushing off of their heels.

It's deadly to see the squat done incorrectly!

Thanks for trying to educate the masses!