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help on squat form

legalattorney

legalattorney

New member
1. i do not have a video but will explain

2. Last week, i squatted 170kg 5 x 5 (last set actually got to 6 reps)

Now, I haven't been able to bust through the 200kg mark yet

3. My weakness showed through this set of squats. When approx. in the 3rd set onwards, lower back fatigue/weakness whatever you want to call it, led to the situation of me struggling to keep my lower back tight.

4. I do not do any ukranian deadlifts at the moment, nor do i do a lot of romanian.

5. Should i keep squatting, trying to progress, and get stronger. Should i attempt a 1 rep max on this form? Or do i, start doing a lot of good mornings and similar to fix the weakness..

only reason i ask is that i have heard some lifters squat to fix squat problems... train your weaknesss and all the rest of it.. they dont sit there doing good mornings, romanian deads etc.

is that smart, or stupid?
 
when i squat 190 + i lose it coming out of the hole... i go atg. speed is also a lot slower on the descent... maybe its a mental thing?

and i dont wear a belt.
 
Good mornings and a belt will do wonder for keeping your lower back tight and stable.
 
personally I perform the movement to fix the problem...

If your lower back is failing I'd target the abs...before you jump into a million sets of abs, it may be a case of you not breathing correctly when squatting.

How do you breathe when you squat?
 
I understand what you mean but that only works if he ends up doing them properly though, doesn't it Nathan?

Like you said it could be a problem with his breathing or even a technical problem, if he keeps doing them the way he does, he may just ingrain the bad habits.
 
jonnie_sfw said:
personally I perform the movement to fix the problem...

If your lower back is failing I'd target the abs...before you jump into a million sets of abs, it may be a case of you not breathing correctly when squatting.

How do you breathe when you squat?
Click to expand...
please explain the correct way to breath...
 
dicko10 said:
please explain the correct way to breath...
Click to expand...

Valsalva maneuver -- Deep breath into the stomach, hold, activate deep abdominals and erectors, perform rep holding glotis closed against breath pressure and creating intra-abdominal pressure to increase torso stability. Exhale at end of rep.

Basically holding your breath, but in a really scientific way.

I am also a bif fan of using the movement to fix the movement, assuming you can perform it correctly at some reasonably high percentage of your 1RM.

Find the highest load you can perform a 'perfect' (read acceptable) rep at. Then make the bulk of your next month's workouts revolve around that weight for reps. It might be 5 x 5 or 5 x 10 depending on the percentage of 1RM your form breaks down at.

Add in 'core' exercises like plank variations (anything that resists flexion / extension).

I reckon in a month you could see a real improvement.
 
KeLLyKiNeZ said:
I understand what you mean but that only works if he ends up doing them properly though, doesn't it Nathan?

Like you said it could be a problem with his breathing or even a technical problem, if he keeps doing them the way he does, he may just ingrain the bad habits.
Click to expand...

Exactly right Kelly...Repetition develops instinct....that's why we need to break down his technique and build it up again using small corrections ASAP, instinct/habit is very hard to break and its easy to slip in to old habits.....

Elaborating on the repetiton develops instinct thing, you should always aim to perform a rep exactly the same regardless of the weight on the bar (this goes for all movements). I ALWAYS aim to set up and perform the movement for a squat/press/pull exactly the same from warmups to working sets...yes it does look kinda funny when the bar is empty but when I've got 300kg+ on my back I am confident in knowing that I've done the same movement 0000's of times and everything will move into place without thinking about it. Once the movement becomes instinctive, the weight (within reason) becomes irrelevant.
 
And the Ugly said:
Valsalva maneuver -- Deep breath into the stomach, hold, activate deep abdominals and erectors, perform rep holding glotis closed against breath pressure and creating intra-abdominal pressure to increase torso stability. Exhale at end of rep.

Basically holding your breath, but in a really scientific way.
Click to expand...

yes that's it....I think...
 
jonnie_sfw said:
personally I perform the movement to fix the problem...

If your lower back is failing I'd target the abs...before you jump into a million sets of abs, it may be a case of you not breathing correctly when squatting.

How do you breathe when you squat?
Click to expand...

breathing is done through the nose, a massive inhale so the chest rises, and is held for the rest of the lift.. this is done before i start going down..

im not sure if that is valsveuv approved...

am i correct in saying you should be pressing your guts out, and this helps if u have a belt as you can feel your abs against the belt, when you inhale.. so not just an inhale through the chest, but an inhale through the stomach?
 
^ you need to use diaphragmatic breathing and push OUT into your abs, a belt may assist if you learn how to use it properly if you have a tapered belt put it on backwards so that the thick bit is at the front.
 
And the Ugly said:
Haha, thanks! I think it helps to understand the reasoning behind something for trainees though. But you're right.
Click to expand...

I liked the explanation, but a lot of people have a habit of complicating things. Imagine them running that through their heads while trying squat.

"...The what maneuver? -- Deep breath into the stomach - check, hold - check, activate something, something about breathing against a guy called glotis increasing some kind of pressure! Wait what do I do at the end of a rep? I can't remember. I'll keep holding!"

*pass out*
 
Iron Alliance said:
*pass out*
Click to expand...

I did just that at the top of a deadlift not long ago.. apparently very funny to watch.

Best way I've found to correct breathing is watch yourself breathe in a mirror. If you're shoulders rise when you inhale you''re doing it wrong. Your stomach should go out and your shoulders stay still.
 
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