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Thread: Shitty Squat. What Do?

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Schwiggity View Post
    I can air squat parallel, but it seems like I need to hold a counterweight with outstretched arms in order to keep my chest up.
    This.

    This is what counts. So what if you have to counterbalance. Once you have 250lbs on your back, you won't need to counterbalance.

    BTW, I'd suggest, at least initially, to go high bar.

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Bono View Post
    This.


    BTW, I'd suggest, at least initially, to go high bar.
    Not hating on the suggestion, i just dont understand. What is the reasoning behind this?

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    Quote Originally Posted by John Bono View Post
    This.

    This is what counts. So what if you have to counterbalance. Once you have 250lbs on your back, you won't need to counterbalance.

    BTW, I'd suggest, at least initially, to go high bar.
    Mind giving a reason? Maybe I've just been doing high-bar wrong before, but any time I've tried it, it hurt my neck really badly. I had two herniated discs from a car accident a year ago (I want to say one is C4-C5; can't remember the other one) so that might be why.

  4. #14
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    Swig,
    I had a problem getting my hands in proper position. Shoulder dislocations helped. I eventually would put a pinky under the bar and get my hands close, but the pain caused me to see a physical therapist, who showed me that I had almost zero internal rotation flexibility on one shoulder. He gave me some rotator cuff exercises that I mostly abandoned, but some stretching exercises that fixed by problem. My point is that the right stretching exercises and time will probably help.

  5. #15
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    Squats from today. I didn't go up to 95 because at 65 my upper back rounding was giving me trouble. I can't help but think that "amble moobage" may be pulling me forward/down. Idfk. I tried a wider grip on the 2nd and 3rd set. Felt more comfortable at the very least. Also, descending more quickly felt better as well (though I know I'm still not hitting parallel).





    I just realized one of my really bad squatting habits of thrusting my hips before the squat may still be hanging on slightly. Just saw it on the last rep of the 3rd set video.

    Well guys, let me know if there's any improvements. The squats certainly felt better at the very least.

  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Zahn View Post
    Not hating on the suggestion, i just dont understand. What is the reasoning behind this?
    Three reasons.

    First, it is much easier to get depth doing a high bar squat than a low bar squat. Second, if you have flexibility issues in the shoulders/elbows, you can avoid elbow tendonitis or having a really poor arm position by going high bar. Finally, because it is much easier to get form ironed out doing high bar v. low bar, Schwig can start LPing his squats much sooner. He's spent quite a while working on this, and the sooner he can put real weight on the bar, the better.

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Schwiggity View Post
    Mind giving a reason? Maybe I've just been doing high-bar wrong before, but any time I've tried it, it hurt my neck really badly. I had two herniated discs from a car accident a year ago (I want to say one is C4-C5; can't remember the other one) so that might be why.
    It might be that you actually have the bar a bit too high, leaning on your neck instead of across your traps. It also might be that your traps aren't all that developed, so the bar doesn't have any muscle to rest on. The big reason why I think you should go high bar is that once you start putting real weight on that bar, your wrists and elbows are going to be screaming bloody murder. You need to work on your flexibility so you can low bar properly, but at this point, it is time you start putting real weight on the bar. My guess is that once you break 175lbs or so, a lot of the form issues you're currently seeing are going to go away.

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    Quote Originally Posted by John Bono View Post
    It might be that you actually have the bar a bit too high, leaning on your neck instead of across your traps. It also might be that your traps aren't all that developed, so the bar doesn't have any muscle to rest on. The big reason why I think you should go high bar is that once you start putting real weight on that bar, your wrists and elbows are going to be screaming bloody murder. You need to work on your flexibility so you can low bar properly, but at this point, it is time you start putting real weight on the bar. My guess is that once you break 175lbs or so, a lot of the form issues you're currently seeing are going to go away.
    The high-bar reasoning sounds understandable. I might try it out. However, I don't understand how more weight is going to fix all my form issues; especially my hips rising faster than my chest.

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    The biggest thing it is going to fix is your depth issue, and I think that might fix your hip issue as well. One of the problems you are having is that when you try to reach depth, you kind of park your butt down at the bottom of the squat, and the stretch reflex gets lost while you s-l-o-w-l-y settle into the hole. so you wind up grinding up the weight even though it is pretty light. With a heavier weight, it is going to push you down into the hole, and you'll settle into the bottom quicker, and you'll find you have a better rebound. I know for myself that I move the bar at the same speed at 95lbs as I do with 245, and I've dealt with a lot of the same issues you are dealing with now.

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Bono View Post
    The biggest thing it is going to fix is your depth issue, and I think that might fix your hip issue as well. One of the problems you are having is that when you try to reach depth, you kind of park your butt down at the bottom of the squat, and the stretch reflex gets lost while you s-l-o-w-l-y settle into the hole. so you wind up grinding up the weight even though it is pretty light. With a heavier weight, it is going to push you down into the hole, and you'll settle into the bottom quicker, and you'll find you have a better rebound. I know for myself that I move the bar at the same speed at 95lbs as I do with 245, and I've dealt with a lot of the same issues you are dealing with now.
    So you're saying it isn't that my chest is raising too slow, but that my hips are raising too fast because I'm not hitting depth?

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