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Squat depth

Bump again.

Does anyone have any suggestions to help me out... I most likely have an inbalance in my hammies/ glutes given I have strained my hammies multiple times playing sport. I am trying but struggling to get below parallel and then to get out. There is obvious weakness.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to tackle this...? One suggestion someone gave me was to come down below then back up just past and then back down before completing the squat. Another suggestion was wide stance deadlift, glute/ ham raises and ham curls.

Thanks...
 

If you've got an imbalance between your left and right glutes/hammies, one of the best things to even them out is to do a lot of single leg work, starting with the weaker side and letting that determine how hard you go.

My LHS was always weaker and I've had the same problem with squats (I could feel the right side carrying the load, so to speak as I tried to get back out of the squat).

Weighted step ups, single leg DLs, weighted single legs squats ... works a charm. Stick with them consistently and you'll notice a huge improvement.
Took me a couple of months to feel that I'm pretty much there for parity and it's helped my squat as well as a whole heap of other stuff.
 
Thanks. I think the inbalance is caused by weakness in both hammies... It is not a left or right thing.
 
Pause squats
Rdl/sldl
Glue ham / Nordic drops

Pretty much do everything that will smash your hams. Ensure you maintain for ROM. Swap high bar / oly squats for low bar and box squats.

I've had the same problem - massive strength imbalance between quads / hams and it's taken quite some time to get some semblance of parity.
 

If you understand gravity you'll understand why it's difficult to get out of the hole in the squat.
From that point to where hip is level with the thigh is most difficult, so it makes sense how at the top of the squat you could stand there for a day because the bones are supporting the weight entirerly, the muscle's doing no work.

You might like to try something like a 5x5 with weight you can just tolerate to go as low as possible, just parralel.

Then lower the weight to enable a FULL squat for ten rep's and do twenty rep's.

Followed by a set of heavy SLDL's.

Hammer strength also produce a leg press that is more like a "hip-press" that really directs resistance to the glutes, if you have one use it, 20reps to fatigue.
 
Last edited:
Thanks...

When you say hammer strength, is that similar to a DL lever machine? Because yes, there is one.
 

Cheers Adam... Will do.
 
Bloke said:
Thanks...

When you say hammer strength, is that similar to a DL lever machine? Because yes, there is one.
Click to expand...

The lunge is a very productive exercise to strengthen the hip and muscles connected to it, which is a lot of muscleture, the lunge is risky with heavy weight but because of the legs moving unilaterally you get a lot of movement.

The hammer machine is the only thing I'd do that in, you'll notice a huge increase in strength using this for a good three months.

Use it?
Most def.
 


Are you sure?
 
Ok, I havnt got much time but I will try to explain myself.

In relation to effectively working the muscles that are responsible for moving.

Work is relative
In the chin-up your body is moving approximately 600mm the muscle around the shoulder are doing work, the forearm is and hand there is no movement.

In relation to standing with a bar on ones back 95% of the weight is being supported by the skeleton compared to the position bloke is in.
 
The position bloke is in is irrelevant.
I know what you meant, but what you wrote could be taken very wrong.

The weight may be supported my the skeleton, but its going to take just about every muscle in your body to support the skeleton from buckling.
 

Most of the skeleton is doing work, certain muscles or supportive.

Once again you try to speak for everyone, if you don't understand just say.

No matter what anyone writes, people will always use their own interpretation.
 
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