Please teach an idiot how to squat...

[sunetdanne]

It may have been the worst advice I ever gave. How is one's head below one's bellybutton? What is the optimum "angle"? Do you understand our squat method and why it works?

Oops I did it again

About Bellybutton: Sorry for direct the direct translation from Swedish to English do not take it literary

I have SS 2nd edition. I know what hip drive is, I know that high bar squats moves the tension away from PC to the quads and that a low bar squat engages the PC much better.

I also know that the squats I posted for a couple a months ago sucked(knees going forward taking tensions of pc) and that I have been working with page 47 in SS for several weeks without success trying to improve this.

The squat setup that my pl coach had me use is looking a lot like the squat the guys at EliteFTS.com teaches in the series "So You Think You Can Squat"

Now I am moving more kg and feel that I am actually using my PC(I did not feel that before)

I will have to come back to you about the "angles". Seems It just made a lot of confusion by writing those to words.

I will take your magic book to the pl gym the next time I go there and show it to much coach and let him explain the "angles" vs low bar squat.


Best regards
Daniel

[Mark Rippetoe]

Daniel, why are you posting about how Elite teaches suit-and-wraps powerlifters how to squat in the APF on this board?

[sunetdanne]

Daniel, why are you posting about how Elite teaches suit-and-wraps powerlifters how to squat in the APF on this board?

Sorry - because the setup looked similar to the one that I am writing about.

About the "angles and lines"

I took you book to the power lifting gym today and showed my coach page 31. Figure 2-31 . I asked him what kind of setup/form that I should use. He pointed out the one to the left. So basically he thinks that my back angle during a back squat should be close to the angle of a front squat if I refer to the angles on the pictures.

I asked him about low-bar setup/form to the right in the picture. He told me that that setup creates too much tension on the back and that it is not recommended to use for me. Why well here comes the "angle and lines", he told me that I have long thighs and for that reason I will benefit from squatting more like an "olympic squat". Made it clear that you need to adapt the bar position and back angle for each person with the reference to that persons body type (torso, legs....).

I also showed my coach and page 28. Fig2.29. He thought that the setup/form places to much stress on the spine. Told me that such a squat does not build so much leg power.

About deadlifts. He told me that due to my long thighs I am better suited to do sumos and that my legs are "in the way" when I do conventional deadlifts.

Now I don’t have anything against your low bar squat, the conclusions in the book seems solid, however have you never thought about a case when a person is better suited for a non low bar squat? Perhaps I never learned the correct technique for low bar myself. All I know is when I do the squats like my coach tells me to do them I feel that I am engaging my PC really hard.

Best Regards
Daniel

[Mark Rippetoe]

however have you never thought about a case when a person is better suited for a non low bar squat? Perhaps I never learned the correct technique for low bar myself. All I know is when I do the squats like my coach tells me to do them I feel that I am engaging my PC really hard.

Man, I've never really thought about any of this shit before. Looks pretty complicated. Just do what your coach tells you to do. Good luck.

[svenskefan]

Hi!
I have been/am in pretty much the same situation. For some reason or the other, a lot of coaches prefer the high bar squat, especially those coming from an olympic lifting background.

When I started trying to learn to squat I found this coach that taught me the high bar squat. Felt pretty good about it. After a while when i felt more confident and had moved some kgm, I started experimenting and basically moved the bar down on my back. My coach protested and gave me all sorts of arguments why this was a bad thing. Bad for the back, bullshit about angles and anthropomorfy etc.

I listened politely and kept doing what I thought was the right thing.

Nowadays we have a silent agreement that I squat the way I want to, and the coach coaches the OL.

You have to decide for yourself, but my advice would be to stay with the coach and listen to his advice until you feel confident enough to go your own route.

After all, you will still learn to squat, albeit not the Rippetoe certified way.

[sunetdanne]

Man, I've never really thought about any of this shit before. Looks pretty complicated. Just do what your coach tells you to do. Good luck.

LOL. Yes you have.

I just also wanted to point out that that way you teach conventional deadlifts, OHP, bench press and Power Cleans absolutely the same way as my coaches teaches them.

Thank you for your time