body proportions and hitting squat depth

[Sticky]

The reversal do you think?

Do you catch the stretch reflex?

I find the same if I do paused squats with big weights, but a "quick" squat (bouncing hip bones off quads) they feel mint.

Aren't your knees fucked anyway?


You could be an exception due to injury.

 

[Bazza20]

The reversal do you think?

Do you catch the stretch reflex?

I find the same if I do paused squats with big weights, but a "quick" squat (bouncing hip bones off quads) they feel mint.

Yeah seems like the reversal at parallel kills my knees but a deep oly squat doesn't get that same type of harsh reversal.

 

[Sticky]

I think any "forced" reversal (think 1/4 squats) could be worse for the knees than a deep squat.

Obviously "deep" differs between high and low bar, but if you go as low as you can with both, the effect is thill the same. Difference is, the knee joint wont open as much low bar.

 

[Zoot]

What's up Zoot.

Yes the depth is good. Stance is perfect.

If I might offer some additional advice?

Avoid stopping at the bottom. Be confident that your depth is good, and use the momentum of the descent to "bounce" out of the hole.

Try to establish a more pronounced back angle, less vertical. Look at your position at the very bottom of the movement. Your back angle is closer to a front squat. Think of the squat as if you are getting underneath a really heavy table, leaning forward and pushing the table up in the air with your hips & ass. Don't be afraid to sit down & lean forward. This will allow your knees to be more stable, allow better hip drive out of the bottom, and eventually allow you to squat far more weight.

Thanks, mate. The pause was really for my own benefit when watching the vid, to see where I got to. I can't pause like that when I put any sort of weight on.

And you're right about the back angle. Later, with some more weight on, it did feel more natural to lean over a bit - these vids were very early attempts. And it seems to help override my natural tendency to push with the quads - I have a lot of brain retraining & glute/hammy work to do I think.

Only thing is, that my lack of flexibility manifests in a pronounced rounding over of the lower back when I lean over more. But I'm doing lots of goblet squats for stretching, during the day.

 

[Zoot]

Looks good now mate.

Don't pause though, you want a quick and definite reversal.

You seem to shift laterally a little though.... Keep an eye on that. You may want to add in extra glute work in the future.

Thanks Sticky. Well spotted with the lateral movement - I bet that's the last echoes of a glute injury I've been dealing with for the last 8-9 months.

 

[0ni]

What do deadlifts feel like on the knees bazza?

 

[Bazza20]

I think any "forced" reversal (think 1/4 squats) could be worse for the knees than a deep squat.

Obviously "deep" differs between high and low bar, but if you go as low as you can with both, the effect is thill the same. Difference is, the knee joint wont open as much low bar.

That's pretty much why I just squat deep raw and if i squat parallel use wraps to take the stress of the knee at the reversal.

 

[Sticky]

Thanks Sticky. Well spotted with the lateral movement - I bet that's the last echoes of a glute injury I've been dealing with for the last 8-9 months.

That would be it.

Look at barbell hip thrusts.

Do clam shells and fire hydrants before each session.
3x20 each leg, each exercise.

 

[Bazza20]

What do deadlifts feel like on the knees bazza?

Now I just stiff leg the fuckers up. No problems for the knees there.

 

[Sticky]

I don't "stop" with low bar, I still sink it as low as possible. It's just higher than high bar.

The reversal (and stress on the knee) is the same.

 

[bams_101]

It will cost me 20-30 kilos that I'll need to claw back over time, so most importantly: Would this squat get passed in competition?

Looks a heap better mate! Yeah it might cost you now but once it's engrained it'll be time for PR's.

In the side on vid it looks like you're losing nuetral position in your lower back just a little. Could be due to the new form or possibly tight hammies.

 

[chocchillimango]

That would be it.

Look at barbell hip thrusts.

Do clam shells and fire hydrants before each session.
3x20 each leg, each exercise.

yes, these will fix up your glutes like nothing else will

also, Zoot, here are some squat drills that are really good to do as well.

If nothing else, they help open up the hips as part of a warm up and I've found they also help get you synced with your knee and foot positioning as well as helping posture.

But your vid now looks rather good!

Squat Therapy: 4 Drills That Will Improve Your Squat | Breaking Muscle

 

[0ni]

Whenever I squat heavy for extended periods of time I get like a glitchy quad. It feels like a pinched nerve in my glute and get like a shooting electrical pain in the quad when I use the clutch in my car sometimes. Any ideas?

 

[Zoot]

Looks a heap better mate! Yeah it might cost you now but once it's engrained it'll be time for PR's.

In the side on vid it looks like you're losing nuetral position in your lower back just a little. Could be due to the new form or possibly tight hammies.

Yeah, it's evidently a lack of flexibility (or possibly core strength) somewhere. I can tough my toes easily (can press my second knuckles to the floor, can't get palms to the floor), so initially I thought it was unlikely to be hammies, more likely adductors. But it seems there is more to hamstring flexibility that just touching ones toes.

Some googling turned up a pair of articles by Tony Gentilcore - I'm going to take what I can from there, and see if there is an improvement over time

 

[Zoot]

yes, these will fix up your glutes like nothing else will

also, Zoot, here are some squat drills that are really good to do as well.

If nothing else, they help open up the hips as part of a warm up and I've found they also help get you synced with your knee and foot positioning as well as helping posture.

But your vid now looks rather good!

Squat Therapy: 4 Drills That Will Improve Your Squat | Breaking Muscle

Thanks CCM, these look good.

 

[Chum]

i didnt read past the first page, but even the guy with long femurs and short torso could hit depth with a wide enough stance and toes pointed out.

 

[Zoot]

i didnt read past the first page, but even the guy with long femurs and short torso could hit depth with a wide enough stance and toes pointed out.

Cheers Chum, yeah that message come through pretty clearly, from yourself and other knowledgeable people through this thread. So that's exactly what I have finished up doing. It's exposed a few new weaknesses and flexibility issues, but my altered squat is already feeling more natural and it looks a lot better in the vids.

 

[Chum]

Awesome. Good luck man. I figured somewhere in 12 pages someone must have said it, but on Ausbb, you never know haha.

 

[bams_101]

Yeah, it's evidently a lack of flexibility (or possibly core strength) somewhere. I can tough my toes easily (can press my second knuckles to the floor, can't get palms to the floor), so initially I thought it was unlikely to be hammies, more likely adductors. But it seems there is more to hamstring flexibility that just touching ones toes.

Some googling turned up a pair of articles by Tony Gentilcore - I'm going to take what I can from there, and see if there is an improvement over time

Yeah Tony G is a boss, he always writes great stuff.

The thing is I have tight hamstrings (problem I'm working on) but can get full knuckles to floor through lumbar flexion. Best way to test them by yourself is an active straight leg raise.

*Lie on your back on the floor, with your legs together and laid straight out like piece of timber. The lower back in contact with the floor at all times. Now raise one leg off the ground, keeping the other one still, as high as you can. You stop at the point where either A) you cant get any higher or B) you lower back loses contact with the ground. Video it or get someone to look from the side to check roughly where you got to and let me know.

The problem with the adductors and hamstrings is they're usually the first ones to compensate when there is lack of glute or lower back strength. The adductor magnus acts as a fourth hamstring in this instance due to its ability to extend the hip. This is what happens to a lot of strongman guys, when they can't get the hips through at the top they hitch it and take the lower back/glutes completely out of the equation.

 

[strong enough?]

Zoot, well done. Big improvement.

IMO - his back position is nothing to worry about and he should forgot about flexibility. Changing his squat so dramatically is enough to focus on for now - you can only change so much at a time. Too much paralysis by analysis.

That said, maintaining proper lumbar position is IMO rarely about flexibliity and more about control. Zoot, if you punch the reversal at the bottom of the squat rather than pause, as has been recommended, you will find it even easier to hit depth and maintain better positioning.