How do you brace your core when you squat?

[teambeast]

Do you push your core out like you are trying to expand your stomach or do you suck it in?

[SlipshodDread]

You should be breathing in as much as you can whilst keeping your back and abs tight at the top of the movement, and descend keeping that tightness. The air pressure in your lungs helps maintain extra tightness in the core. On the ascent of the lift, some people prefer to hold the air in whilst tensing as hard as possible, others prefer to breath out. If you think you can make the lift fairly easily, breathing out on the upwards motion shouldn't be a problem, however it does reduce the tightness of the core by a fair amount, so it is not advisable if you are going for heavy lifts.

[k9pit]

take a deep breath into your stomach that pushes your abs out. hold your ab muscles as if you were ready to take a punch to the gut.


the difference between taking a deep breath into your stomach and taking a deep breath into your chest (don't do this) is that you can talk in the same vocal pitch after taking a deep breath to your stomach (without letting any of the air out).

[tidnab]

Do you push your core out like you are trying to expand your stomach or do you suck it in?

Make like someone is going to punch you in the stomach. Then arch your back as you sit back into the squat. As others have said, holding a deep belly breath will also help.

[teambeast]

Make like someone is going to punch you in the stomach. Then arch your back as you sit back into the squat. As others have said, holding a deep belly breath will also help.

Ok so say I was wearing a belt my core should push out against the belt when I'm squatting right?

[Hundley52]

Yes, that's exactly what you should do. Its called intra-abdominal pressure. Take a huge breath with your stomach, push outward on your belt, and let 'er rip.

[bobbydigitaloa]

You breathe in huge and tighten your entire body like someone 50 lbs heavier than you is about to punch your midsection and squat.

[DeathBySquats]

With a belt it's easier cue for most since you just try to fill the belt, push out by bringing air into the stomach. A good way to check to make sure your breathing into your stomach and not your chest is to stand in front of a mirror breath in deeply if your chest doesn't move up then your breathing into your belly. This is good for any of the main exercises to learn Deadlift, Squat, ETC.

[mtownballer20]

You breathe in huge and tighten your entire body like someone 50 lbs heavier than you is about to punch your midsection and squat.

Boom. Practiced doing it before lifting, with that deep breath almost make a baby gut - but your supporting your core. You'll know when your doing it right.

[Kiennor]

Boom. Practiced doing it before lifting, with that deep breath almost make a baby gut - but your supporting your core. You'll know when your doing it right.

Was just explaining what I call a food baby gut to my wife today in reference to squatting.

[IDrinkBloodLOL]

I feel like I kinda stomach vacuum a bit. Never paid a huge amount of attention.

[Reise91]

You breathe in huge and tighten your entire body like someone 50 lbs heavier than you is about to punch your midsection and squat.

good way to put it lol

i always like using a belt on any big lifts, for obvious reason but also when you use a belt you can really breath into the belt which feels good when squatting and deadlifting. dont listen to all these old school hippies that say belts of for pussies, do what feels best.

[teambeast]

So I squatting again yesterday and tried to push my stomach out but I am still feeling it in my lower back and not my core. I'm not leaning forward and I'm hitting depth on all my reps. I had a trainer look at my form 3 times and he said it's fine. Would a belt help me activate my core? I also have a bit of anterior pelvic tilt which might be playing a role.

[Garage Rat]

I agree with the above.
Breath into your belly push it out like a beach ball and hold it.
Its called the valsalva maneuver ,do a search.
Being tight is the key to handling heavier weights safely.
As mentioned a belt would even help more because you can push your belly against it and get real tight.
Doing this will protect your back quite a bit.
Do an experiment squatting,suck in your stomach /vacuum one set, then next set breath into your stomach and push out and see which feels best for you.

[teambeast]

I agree with the above.
Breath into your belly push it out like a beach ball and hold it.
Its called the valsalva maneuver ,do a search.
Being tight is the key to handling heavier weights safely.
As mentioned a belt would even help more because you can push your belly against it and get real tight.
Doing this will protect your back quite a bit.
Do an experiment squatting,suck in your stomach /vacuum one set, then next set breath into your stomach and push out and see which feels best for you.

Ok I just bought a weight belt. I will do the squats again tomorrow and see if the belt helps activate the core and take pressure off the lower back. Is your core supposed to be sore after squats?

[godsamurai]

Ok I just bought a weight belt. I will do the squats again tomorrow and see if the belt helps activate the core and take pressure off the lower back. Is your core supposed to be sore after squats?

I hardly ever feel my abs feel sore except lower back. But nothing hits lower back more than deadlift, so the pain is almost nothing compared to that. Just doing ab crunch will give me x5 more soreness to my abs than doing heavy ass squat.