Member
Mark would really really appreciate your advice, on an a glute issue!
Before you guys start reading, the thread is quite long but needs to be read fully to understand my quirery, I know i posted a thread that mentioned my glute issue (was advised to post back here about this issue), but after getting a proper assessment from a top professional who is actually going to America to work with Top NFL players he also concluded that my glutes especially my left glute is not activating which is causing all kinds of problems, hope you can help me out!
Anyway as i knew before my glutes are not firing properly, specifically my left glute. This in turn is causing my knee pain and other issues, peeps who understand the complexities of bio-mechanics should know that everything is related and if you have one problem one one side of your body it is going to affect the other side in some way sooner or later...
As a result of my glute imbalances i have been squatting outside of shoulder width with toes pointing out 30 degrees or so with my trainers on in order to get just below parallel. However, it turns out my glute activates better when i squat with my trainers off but at the same time bringing my feet when squatting shoulder width or hip width to force my glute and especially my left glute to actually work.
And as a result of not squatting with trainers and a much closer stance the weight i was currently on was far to heavy for me. The other negative factor is because my stance in closer I am struggling to get parallel and the only way to correct that is to keep on practicing that way until i can get parallel.This is going to take time and if i keep on squatting the way is was before then i am going to end up with back/ knee/ tear/shoulder etc issues as the weight get heavier, essentially I am an injury weighting to happen, the my other glute and IT band and so on and so on are having to compensate for my weak left glute....
so my issue is whats the fucking point of carrying on with the program if I am not making any strength gains on my squat. Sure i can make strength gains on other lifts but I am already in between 22% and 25% body-fat range so whats the point of getting overly fatter and stronger on all my other lifts when my squat will not fucking budge...
The way i see it is my main option is to start loosing weight get down to 17-18% body-fat, learn how to squat parallel shoulder width toes pointed out only slightly to really force my glutes to work and start the whole fucking program again? the sad part is i have only been on the program for 6 and a half weeks...
i know its a long arse thread, but to anyone that read through all of it, its appreciated
TMPHBITEU
You are apparently better at typing than reading. This has been dealt with AT GREAT LENGTH on this board for many years, most recently yesterday:
http://startingstrength.com/resource...652#post437652
And you have not read the book, where glute involvement in the squat is discussed and illustrated.
Member
Stand up. Push your hips forward.
You're activating your glutes.
Glute activation didn't become apparent to me until my squats got heavier.
Starting Strength Coach
It isn't your glute max that isn't working. You have adaptive befuckery in your glute medius.Originally Posted by deadliftman
Gluteal Amnesia has nothing to do with neurological pathways getting
mixed up or fail to function properly.....what is called gluteal
amnesia is an adaptation (by weakness or poor postural control) in which
the lumbar spine and spinal erectors are used to maintain an upright
posture rather than using natural tension of the gluteals. Treatment
for this usually is accomplished through the use of standing from a
chair without the use of their arms for support and keeping their head
oriented downward to keep from using the spinal erectors.
Sounds an awful lot like a squat, doesn't it?
Member
Interesting read from the link... but if i can't physically get below parallel with a shoulder width stance without the aid of gravity, ie heavier weights, I guess I just need to to keep on cracking on with it until it stretches out, but in the meantime I feel it's almost a waste of time if i can't progress on squats, I would rather reduce my bodyfat, learn how to squat properly again and go gun ho with food, get muscular and of course fatter at the same time and get strong across all my lifts... I remember reading somewhere that you stated it is not good to have disproportionate lifts in terms of weights due to having to program exercises in different fashions; I would rather progress at the same time with linear progression. For instance, i would not want to have a 180kg deadlift but then have a 100 kg squat and have the same amount for Bench or whatever.
Is it worth stopping the program, learn how to squat correctly come back stronger and better and progress accordingly across all exercises. That's the question i basically need help answering?
Member
Same here. I found the same thing to be true for the Bench Press and pec "activation".
I had one friend I trained with who remarked that he couldn't feel anything being worked when he benched during his first couple of weeks (weight < 135lbs) even though his sets were hard.
To OP
How long have you been at this?
What kind of weights are we talking about?
Do your squats get stronger in spite of these problems?
How are your deadlifts?
Make a form check video.
TMPHBITEU
Please explain why you can't progress on squats if you can't get below parallel unweighted.
Member
My squats look terrible and feel awkward until I get some weight on the bar, about 200 lbs.. My ugliest and most uncomfortable ones are with the bar only. Put the weight on your back and let gravity "aid" you into the hole. "It" will stretch out.
Starting Strength Coach
This is not entirely uncommon for people to have a more useful ROM loaded than they do unloaded. Perhaps he is confused that this particular phenomenon is seen in the natural world.
Member
I haven't got a hope of doing a decent squat unloaded, I need at least 60 kilos to feel comfortable.
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