The Fundamentals of the Back Squat

[VoxExMachina]

any one have an idea on how to replace a squat if you lift at home and don't have a power rack. I am old as hell and I want to lift some heavy weight and not get pinned under it.

Get some stands and then perform front squats.

[proti3n]

any one have an idea on how to replace a squat if you lift at home and don't have a power rack. I am old as hell and I want to lift some heavy weight and not get pinned under it.

squat holding a plates to your sides or dbs

[ucla_matta]

thanks for posting!

[dianelopez06]

Another great post! Love reading informational posts from this forum. I just downloaded the videos hoping to make my body fit and firm. Thanks for sharing guys!

[f1ghter33]

nice share !

[Nickd305]

ive recently started to squat low bar style. Im having issues with my lower back, when im done squatting i seem to have a "tight/sore" feeling 30 mins - 2 hours after. Is this typically normal?

If you watch the third video on the first page of this thread, he explains how this can easily happen with the low bar style. It's extremely important that you keep your chest pushed out even before you take the bar off the rack. If you keep you chest pushed out and try to keep your spine as straight as possible the entire time it will take a serious load off of your lower back. However, if your form is correct you can expect a small amount of soreness down there!

[Nickd305]

does anyone get stuck at the bottom of the squat?

I go below parallel but not ATG and my sticking point is horrible down there

Anyone know how to make the bottom of a squat easier?

I do high bar since low bar really starting straining my lower back

I've found that the bottom of the squat becomes much easier if you follow this method: Slow, tight, and steady on the way down but as soon as you get to that bottom point you should explode up not too fast but certainly much faster than on the way down. This way you get into a nice rhythm.

[Nickd305]

Can anyone explain what the bottom of the squat should FEEL like? I feel a LOT of tension in my groin and hammies. Is this correct? I know these muscles are used during a squat but nobody ever seems to mention a stretching feeling.

It is worthwhile to note that my groin and hammies are extremely tight. Like if I try to do a split, the angle between my legs can get to about 90-100 degrees before the stretch becomes painful.

Are you using the low-bar or high-bar method? This makes a world of a difference as to which muscles are being relied on most. It says at the beginning of this thread, but I believe that using the low-bar method is the one which uses more hams and glutes. Whereas, the high-bar method uses mainly quads so perhaps you should try the opposite bar method of the one you are currently using and tweak it from there.

[Garrett6]

This is a fabulous thread for learning how to squat the right way with good form.

[chibidaisuke]

When I do ATG high bar should I just try and drive straight up as vertically as possible? Will it help any if I incorporate a little hip drive?

[tidnab]

When I do ATG high bar should I just try and drive straight up as vertically as possible? Will it help any if I incorporate a little hip drive?

Yes... you want to keep your hips back when you are squatting down. That will force you to "drive" your hips up. But it is not like a low bar squat where you are sitting back and then driving your hips forward. It is more of an up-and-down movement.

[-Lucifer]

Will it help any if I incorporate a little hip drive?

Yes.

[Jayo82]

I didn't read anything about the stretch reflex.

check out here:

The stretch reflex produces a
much harder contraction than would
be possible without it, one that recruits
many more motor units than would
be available without the loaded prestretch
provided by the lowering phase
of the lift.

(Rippetoe)

[Farley1324]

I didn't read anything about the stretch reflex.

Probably because you didn't need to

[hottydiva87]

my back gets really stiff when i try to execute squats, i dont know why lol..

[trainerprorun]

the gotta know

[MaseratiJimmy]

Great Thread

[Jeffrey85]

Squatting is my favorite exercise to do in the gym. This is a very informative post and great to teach the key fundamentals of back squatting. A lot of people forget that its all about form not weight. Great post.

[Dilkington]

Awesome thread, thanks OP

[mauro2]

hate squating

[atwses]

Nice thread. Lot's of info. Thanks for the help!

[JamieArnold]

This is a fabulous thread for learning how to squat the right way with good form.

I definitely second that! Most people do squats not even realizing how doing it wrong can seriously lead to back problems :/

[schnauzers]

[b]


1. Step up to the bar, duck under, bring your chest up and your hands inward until the bar is positioned properly on your traps (make sure you're centered). Pull the bar into your body with your hands (elbows back) and tighten your upper body. Your wrists should be straight, and a thumbless grip is okay here if you prefer. Your lower back should be arched inward to maintain a natural curvature. This lower back position must be maintained throughout the squat! Allowing the back to curve outward, or "round", transfers the force of the lift from your muscles to your spine and could cause a disc injury.

This is the part that always gets me....proper back angle. I know that rounded is bad and straight or 'arched' is good. But do what degree is an arch good? I'm always afraid that if I squat down with an arch (which I tend to have unless I purposely remove it by making my back neutral) and I can't get back up or struggle to push back up, there will be too much pressure put into the arched area of my back, the arch will exaggerate more and I'll throw out my back. Any truth to this?

[BMS13]

Quick question: Roughly how sore should my lower back be after I squat? I usually don't like doing deadlift the day after I squat because my lower back is fairly sore, wondering if that means my form is off.

[VoxExMachina]

Quick question: Roughly how sore should my lower back be after I squat? I usually don't like doing deadlift the day after I squat because my lower back is fairly sore, wondering if that means my form is off.

It could just mean that your lower back isn't conditioned properly yet.

FWIW, I personally don't deadlift the day after I squat. Or vice versa.

[tidnab]

This is the part that always gets me....proper back angle. I know that rounded is bad and straight or 'arched' is good. But do what degree is an arch good? I'm always afraid that if I squat down with an arch (which I tend to have unless I purposely remove it by making my back neutral) and I can't get back up or struggle to push back up, there will be too much pressure put into the arched area of my back, the arch will exaggerate more and I'll throw out my back. Any truth to this?

This will only happen if you allow the hips to rise before the bar does.. drive your hips through the bar to raise the weight and your body will not overextend. As for the degree of arch, I don't think you need to be thinking "hard arch" to yourself so long as you are flexible enough to get to depth without letting your hips tuck forward.

[-Lucifer]

...I'm always afraid that if I squat down with an arch (which I tend to have unless I purposely remove it by making my back neutral) and I can't get back up or struggle to push back up, there will be too much pressure put into the arched area of my back, the arch will exaggerate more and I'll throw out my back. Any truth to this?

An exaggerated arch means you have APT (anterior pelvic tilt). Correct that first before attempting to squat.

[jaydot511]

This is the part that always gets me....proper back angle. I know that rounded is bad and straight or 'arched' is good. But do what degree is an arch good? I'm always afraid that if I squat down with an arch (which I tend to have unless I purposely remove it by making my back neutral) and I can't get back up or struggle to push back up, there will be too much pressure put into the arched area of my back, the arch will exaggerate more and I'll throw out my back. Any truth to this?

sounds like you suffer from lordosis (as did I at one point). Usually caused by a) bad form that gradually advanced over time b) tight hip flexors c) sitting down too much

You can start with working on fixing and regaining the flexibility there and you'll help your cause. Try investing in a foam roller and releasing deep tissue tightness (initial pain in the beginning but helps with deep deep tightness).

[pyaarawala]

Earlier today I was squatting 240 lbs. And whenever I dropped down with decent speed, once I start driving up I feel the weight on the balls of my feet and I drive thru the balls of my feet for like 1 second, and then the weight shifts back to my heels and drive the rest of the way up thru my heels. When I drive thru my heels it's real easy, but thru the balls of the foot and the weight feels like it's 2x as heavy.

How do I prevent this? I know the answer is to just sit back and don't let my knees go too far forward, or let my chest fall. But my chest always seems to fall whenever I focus on hip drive and when the weight gets heavy.

[AwesomeStranger]

I really need to focus on my squats more than I have been. This might just be what I need to get that back into action. Thanks!