Squat Advice?

[TheDaperDon]

My training partner has real trouble getting down into full parallel or lower when squating. One of the guys at the gym suggested puting something under his heels to raise them, this made it alot easier.

Is this cheating? Is it gonna make it harder to eventually do them properly? Will it do him any harm?

Just wondering, Cheers

[nate225]

My training partner has real trouble getting down into full parallel or lower when squating. One of the guys at the gym suggested puting something under his heels to raise them, this made it alot easier.

Is this cheating? Is it gonna make it harder to eventually do them properly? Will it do him any harm?

Just wondering, Cheers

Good question DD,

I say don't mask the problem, fix it.

Lots of static stretching after training & outside the gym should help. The PMan should have some solutions here?!

Nate

[TheDaperDon]

Cheers Nate,

I will get him stretching. He was getting quite disillusioned by it and was trying to do everything but when we trained legs (which meant I suffered also)

The PMan should have some solutions here?!

Looking foward to some input

[Mrbig]

whats his height??

[tinytraps]

He has tight ankles and possibly hips+hammys. Get a cheap pair of olmpic lifting shoes which have a built in heel or use a pir of dress shoes that have a decent heel on them.

[TheDaperDon]

whats his height??

He's 6'1''

Thanks TT Ill get him to look into it

[weener lad]

Personally I say say he's to tight through his hammys and or hip flexors. More stretching is required and even dare I say it do some Yoga or something.

[Specter]

Personally I say say he's to tight through his hammys and or hip flexors. More stretching is required and even dare I say it do some Yoga or something.

Yogalates bro, (dont scoff) but weener lad is right.

[Riccardo]

TBH it's most likely a technique thing, try some stretching but make sure he's squatting through the heels and not through the balls of his feet. Also get him to sit back into the squat to prevent the knees travelling too far foward over the toes. He may also need to take a wider stance.

All these things helped me fix my apparent inability to break parallel when I first started training. I think squatting doesn't come as naturally to us taller guys.

[TheDaperDon]

I think squatting doesn't come as naturally to us taller guys.

I agree, Ive struggled for quite a while with my technique, many a long hour with next to no weight, just trying to get deep as possible, hence my weak squat numbers I guess

I think Ive got him thinking bout all the correct thing (Keep knees behind toes, push thru heels, head up, Core strong). Might lower his weight and just keep working on it, as well as the stretching

What type of stretching do you suggest?

[Jigga]

I think squatting doesn't come as naturally to us taller guys.

I agree, Ive struggled for quite a while with my technique, many a long hour with next to no weight, just trying to get deep as possible, hence my weak squat numbers I guess

I think Ive got him thinking bout all the correct thing (Keep knees behind toes, push thru heels, head up, Core strong). Might lower his weight and just keep working on it, as well as the stretching

What type of stretching do you suggest?

Head shouldn't be up - keep eyes fixed straight ahead. I'm 6ft and find squatting atg the most natural feeling of the variations. It feels really uncomfortable to slow down your momentum, stop at parallel and go back up again.

In terms of stretching. I reckon a good deal of flexibility comes from just doing it. I started front squating and my wrist flexibility was shocking. Within a few sessions I could bend them right back quite comfortably. Same with my ankles. Hamstrings are last on my agenda which I plan on loosening up by stretching out SLDL. Only reason I mention this instead of a range of stretching exercises you could do is because I honestly can't be bothered devoting time to stretching. I prefer to get in and out and enjoy the rest of the day. You are more consistent if you make things easy and straightforward for yourself. If your program is really fiddly and complex you won't feel motivated to do it on a regular basis. Anyway just my opinion.

[TheDaperDon]

Head shouldn't be up - keep eyes fixed straight ahead.

Sorry I do know this, but he has a tendency to look down at his feet and it tends to round his back. Straight ahead = up, my bad

[groovy]

I a newbie, but from what i have been reading on here and what really helped me with my flexibility is lots of "foam rolling".

Quads, hams, calfs and back.

[TheDaperDon]

Interesting.....

[funkyfly]

Squating is a fantastic exercise, but some people arent well suited to it, their limb and body ratios make it awkard and put a lot of stress on the wrong areas. Becareful going A2G, if you cant keep strict form then dont.

If you reaserch in the mags, and on the net you will find some top body builders who dont squat, they use other exercises.

[Dr Squat]

Patience and perseverance. I think you have to squat as a beginner or an intermediate. The only way to get good at something is to practice. Time under the bar as Dave Tait would say.

I suggest that he picks a light weight and does sets of 10 every workout. It will take time. To quote someone else, Ed Coan talks about the perfect rep. This only comes after lots of practice. Get used to the feeling of going up and right down. Even sit in the hole at the bottom. 5 sets of 10 without worrying about the weight.

[steak]

agree Doc...maybe even slip a low box under him for a few weeks to give him a target if ATG is not a happening thing

[ThePman]

I recently picked up a guy who's tight all over as a result of office work -- sitting down all day -- and getting him squatting has been a matter of improving mobility in the ankles and hips while stretching the hip flexors, piriformis (outside of the glutes), and hamstrings, along with lots of BW squats and goblet squats.

Loosen up what's tight, strengthen what's weak, and practice the movement. That'll fix you up.

[cruxis]

I was in a similar situtaion about 18 months ago so ill post what symptoms / problems i faced and how I and my PT fixed it. Starting Stats was 112Kg BF 33%+ 178cm

The problem for me was tight hammies and calfs, abductors. Due to my job i sit all day for over 10 years.

When I tried to squat I found that my knees tend to buckle inwards coming up and I was pushing from the inside of my feet. Cuase the only way I could get down was with a really wide stance.

My PT got me to put the 2.5kg plates under my heels Which allowed me to go all the way down with a narrowish stance. Started with Empty bar and slowly got upto 30Kg on it. I was able to come out of the bottom with good power then I would slow and struggle pushing through the parralel area then as I got through that area power came in and I came up faster again. I was always trying come up at a fast pace too. After that we would hit the hack squat sled or leg press to failure with my knees about my fist width apart, feet in the middle of the platform, kind of a quad dominant position. Then next would be Leg extension to failure then followed by Barbell walking lunges some days steping out to the side. Then we would finish with the two abductors machines. By then I would be too exhuasted to do hammies and calfs so they were hit the next day with Leg Curl, Seated Leg Curl, Romanian Dead Lifts. Seated Calf, Standing Calf, Calf Press(High Reps for brutal pump).

After about 4 months I removed the plates under my heels and whoa I could squat without them, of course I had to drop the weight down. But I could finaly squat without my knees bending inwards or having to go into really wide stance.

I cant put a finger on any one thing. But looking back I what which exercises where I felt a real stretch it was the Romanian Deadlift and abductor/adductor machines. So in about 18 months I went not being able to squat anything a big fat Zero to 90Kg. Although losing 25kg of fat kinda helps \:D/

My General outline I followed.

Warmup: Leg extension 3 sets, + Bodyweight Squats

Working:

Squat 4 sets 6-12 reps spotted last rep

Hack Squat or Leg Press 4 sets 4-8 reps, Heavy and spotted last 2 reps last 2 sets

Leg Extension 4 sets 8-12 Reps,Heavy and spotted last 2 reps last 2 sets

BB Walking Lunges, about 30 steps x3 sets, some days step out to the side.

Hip abductor machine 3 sets 6-10 reps

Hip adductor machine 3 sets 6-10 reps

Next Day:

Warmup: Just some Light Lying Leg Curl

Seated Leg Curl 4 sets 4-6 reps, Heavy

Lying Leg Curl 4 Sets 6-8 reps

Romanian Deadlift 3 Sets 8-12 reps. Feeling for a massive stretch in hams and glutes

Seated Calf Raise 3 sets 8-12 reps

Standing Calf Raise 3 Sets 6-8 reps

Calf Press 3 Sets 15-20+ reps for Brutal pump

[cantygirl]

IMO he wouldn't even be able to squat atg without weight. His hip flexors and extensors could be the problem because after all squating requires alot of action in the hips. Core stability so yoga as has been said will take care of the weakness abs and lower back wise. He needs to be assessed to find out whether it is tightness or weakness.