squatting ability (or lack thereof)

[mattciupak]

i've been obsessing over this quite a bit lately.
upon waking up first thing in the morning, I can't squat. i'll get to about parallel, but my back is nearly horizontal. it looks a lot like this: http://youtu.be/dRmT1mja4uk?t=57s, and a lot of the things he describes apply to me as well.
I would do the mob in that video but I don't have a band, and even if I did I don't know where i'd set it up at home. i usually do some of the stuff in this video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...81301858251744 and i'm able to squat all the way down without having my back parallel to the ground and arms out. at this point i'm actually able to do the squat stretch from SS without falling backwards.
i'm also not able to squat with a narrow stance.

my main concern is not being able to squat with an empty bar, or even a broomstick for that matter. if I get into the low bar position, and try to squat with a broomstick on my back, I fall backwards well before I even hit parallel. with an empty bar it's not as bad, although i'm still not able to hit parallel. with some weight on the bar (at least 95lbs), I don't have a problem. here's my third work set with 190lbs I believe from the other day:

my back is fairly upright here, which I think is also kind of odd considering my back is nearly horizontal when I deadlift.

I just wanted to know if this was OK. I feel like not being able to squat with something as light as a broomstick is affecting my squats when I use heavy weight (relatively speaking).

[MattJ.D.]

If you can squat fine with weight on the bar what does it matter

[mattciupak]

If you can squat fine with weight on the bar what does it matter

I don't know, I thought it might considering most people can squat without any problems.
i've also been doing mobility work for quite a while now. it doesn't help at all.

[ambivalens]

Personally my form is absolute shit until I get atleast 115 lbs on the bar. Only a broomstick or the bar makes me look like a duck desperately trying to stay afloat in a stormy sea. At about 200 lbs my form becomes quite good.

I think your own words are very descriptive: "i've been obsessing over this quite a bit lately." - anything the mind obsesses about quickly grows out of proportion. Perhaps it's just a matter of having better balance when there's an actual weight on your shoulders instead of fluff. In my own case it feels like it's alot easier to actually keep the back rigid and the center of gravity over my middle foot when the weight is heavy enough to "feel" it.

[mattciupak]

Personally my form is absolute shit until I get atleast 115 lbs on the bar. Only a broomstick or the bar makes me look like a duck desperately trying to stay afloat in a stormy sea. At about 200 lbs my form becomes quite good.

I think your own words are very descriptive: "i've been obsessing over this quite a bit lately." - anything the mind obsesses about quickly grows out of proportion. Perhaps it's just a matter of having better balance when there's an actual weight on your shoulders instead of fluff. In my own case it feels like it's alot easier to actually keep the back rigid and the center of gravity over my middle foot when the weight is heavy enough to "feel" it.

the thing is, I feel like the weight is forcing me into a position I otherwise wouldn't be able to be in. the same goes for goblet squats with a dumbbell. I can stay a lot more upright. I can't even begin to imagine how awful my high-bar squats would look.
i'm not sure if it's a mobility issue or if it's just due to limb length/proportions.

[MEbigUsmall]

Maybe with time you will become more flexible. At one time I couldn't bend in the dead lift position but after having weight pull me down I now am fine.

[mattciupak]

Maybe with time you will become more flexible. At one time I couldn't bend in the dead lift position but after having weight pull me down I now am fine.

I hope so. i've only been squatting to depth for about a month or two now.
when I do the squat stretch, it looks a lot like this: http://youtu.be/yha2XAc2qu8?t=37s

[MEbigUsmall]

I think you are over thinking it. I am guilty of the same thing most of the time do you wear lifting shoes.?

[mattciupak]

I think you are over thinking it. I am guilty of the same thing most of the time do you wear lifting shoes.?

no, I don't have weightlifting shoes. I still need to buy clothes and whatnot for the upcoming school year since I outgrew almost everything but i'll start saving for a pair after that.

[MattJ.D.]

shoes are more important go into school with tight cloths on show off dem muscles