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[Article] Getting to know the squat - All you need to know about squatting.

toasted said:
NPR

My only question is with my breathing, I take a deep breath before i squat but im finding that i exhale on the way up, is this bad? should i wait untill i am standing upright before i exhale?
Click to expand...
This is how I breathe with all my lifts mate, I find it helps out of the hole.
 
Excellent thread. Thanks guys. I'm trying to learn squats and finding that I possibly have a mobility / flexibility issue. Ill have to read this through a few times and see if I can work out what I'm doing wrong or how I can achieve / improve to reach proper form.
 
I just got started a day earlier on my first squat. Excellent to both review the technique I used, and get more insightful info. Thanks for the post
 
Paullie said:
Post up a video so experienced lifted can critique, its the best way online.
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Dear god that will be embarrassing (I know, ill have to get over that). My saving grace is that I don't have a video camera Currently I'm struggling with the technique even without any weights I think its a flexibility issue / mobility issue. I'm one of those unfortunates that can not get anywhere near touching my toes.
 
I have a question regarding the flaw mentioned about knees caving in. You said that it's a sign of weak glutes leading to overpowering of the adductors. But for anyone who has read Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe, he discusses the cause of knees caving in as a sign of weak adductors and not abductors as most commonly believe. I'll have to dig out my book and search for that part, but i'm pretty sure that's what was explained in Starting Strength.
 
I have a pain, that I think is coming from squatting;

If you crouch into a squat, the crease created between your stomach and thigh. If you follow that plane to the bone. Pretty much the front of the hip.

I can feel it when I go deep and then just generally the day after walking etc. (since I am squatting heavy 3 times per week I feel most of the time)

I started lifting properly again about 3-4 weeks ago.
 
I had a similar pain for a few weeks. I just kept squating all gone now.
I had thought it might of been an old injury. Though all depends how serious the pain is.
 

You probably should have eased your way back towards a high intensity / heavy squatting routine, if you spent a fair time away from lifting.

How's your flexibility? . As it's sore/painful when you reach a "deep" squat - (how deep?) - it may simply be tightness causing the pain. In fact, most issues relevant to squatting tend to be a flexibility issue at the hip, knee or ankle joints.

Otherwise, are you adequately warming up prior to your squats?
 

Yes spent a fair time away from training, I can't ease myself in, I generally push myself hard.

Deep, below parallel. I was speaking to a friend, who does sports S&C, and he said the hip flexors are right across the front of the hip (I just thought they were on the inside of the hip above the groin as this is where I damaged it a few years back).

I will continue to stretch, I am normally quite flexible, normally have no problem touching my toes, my most flexible measurement is 21cm past my toes.

Prob could warm up a bit more, now that I am confident that it is nothing serious, I will just continue exercising.

I dropped squats last monday, as my quads were sore from touch the day before, they got real tired just walking up the stairs. On Friday, was feeling tired so dropped weight to 100kg and did 20 reps.
 
Re-adjusted my form based on this article.

Finally found full depth. Felt awesome. Made it heaps harder, but its a great challenge.

Drop the weight RIGHT back just to get the form right.
 
Saw some show on community tv last night about body building. They said a few things different to this thread.

They said proper form is as wide a grip as possible, feet straight forward and no wider than shoulder width.
 
Hey guys,

After reading this I tried adjusting my squatting style, mainly moving my grip inwards. However I get pain in my inner left elbow whenever I squat. I've done it 3 times now (doing PTCs beginner workout) and every time I get the same pain, in only the left elbow. The pain is usually gone within an hour or so, but it seems strange.

Any idea what this might be?

Cheers.
 
apiewithhoboliftingaroma said:
Saw some show on community tv last night about body building. They said a few things different to this thread.

They said proper form is as wide a grip as possible, feet straight forward and no wider than shoulder width.
Click to expand...

Feel free to take your training advice from community TV.


Probably some nerve impingement.

Try some elbow/shoulder mobility work.
 
Hey guys,

Dunno if its related or not, but lately I've been getting sore knees when at work. Its only happened since I've started the PTC routine and squatting 3x per week. They don't hurt during or after my lifts, only when I'm at work and forced to be on my feet for hours on end.

Could there be any relation? The pain is not severe or sharp, more of a dull ache.

If it helps I can try get a video of my form next Wednesday.

Cheers.
 
where in the knee is the dull ache? Inside? Under the kneecap? One of the tendons above or below the kneecap?

Generally speaking, the more knees forward position you adopt in the squat, the greater the sheer on your knees. Sitting back and driving with your hips, as opposed to just your knees, will reduce the strain on your knees. The other thing that will kill knees is letting the knees suddenly slide forward at the bottom of the squat. this is basically you relaxing your hamstrings so you can hit depth. Not only can it destabilise the knee, but by making the hamstrings slack you kill hip drive and reduce the amount of weight you can lift.

If you have these form issues, I would recommend getting some neoprene knee sleeves, which can often help with achy knees. Tommy Konos are excellent and cheap. You can get them from Spritcha on this forum.
 
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