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Thread: Squatting With Eyes Closed

  1. #1
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    Default Squatting With Eyes Closed

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    Any thoughts on this? I'm sure everyone will think it's dangerous and shit, but then again, isn't it popular belief that squatting itself is dangerous?

  2. #2
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    I would be reluctant to try it with heavy weights for two reasons:
    1. Why?
    2. When straining hard there may be minor temporary disruption in the function of the inner ear. A fixed visual reference point helps to prevent a minor inner ear disturbance from becoming a major gym disturbance.

  3. #3
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    Try standing on one leg for 30 seconds. Now try it with your eyes closed: Balancing should become a fuck of a lot harder.

    I just don't see a point. It'd change the point to form muscle building (be it hypertrophy or strength or both) to balance building. Which, sure, can be useful, but is it worth taking time to do for the squat? You'd have to drop the weights significantly to pull this off.

  4. #4
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    You use your eyesight as much as your inner ear to balance yourself. No reason to take either one out, specially with a heavy bar on your back. Do tape it if you're gonna do this, at least we can have some fun.

  5. #5
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    I recommendations for trying it in Pavel's books. Not as a standard training method of course, just to help hone focus.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by PressesPeople View Post
    Any thoughts on this? I'm sure everyone will think it's dangerous and shit, but then again, isn't it popular belief that squatting itself is dangerous?
    It's a popular belief that squatting is dangerous WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION. The justification for keeping your eyes open is the same justification for looking down instead of up: it helps with balance.

  7. #7
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    Yeah, i wouldn't do it. You rely on your kinesthetic sense when lifting, it sucks when you lose it. It is like flying IFR (instrument) with no training. You will swear you are in a turn and you aren't, etc. When you lose your sight, shit can hit the fan.

    On a personal note, when I first started lifting I closed my eyes for the start of a rep. Not sure why I did it, I think I was trying to focus. Well, I almost fell over at the start of the rep. :-) I was able to recover and do it normally... but I would recommend to just skip it altogether.

  8. #8
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    I've never squatted with my eyes closed completely. However I've found when I use heavy weights I tend to squint really hard when I reach the sticking point. Sometimes my eyeballs feel like popping out and it seems like the squinting keeps them in the sockets.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Carlos Daniel View Post
    You use your eyesight as much as your inner ear to balance yourself. No reason to take either one out, specially with a heavy bar on your back. Do tape it if you're gonna do this, at least we can have some fun.
    When I did physical therapy on my knee they had me balancing on a bosu ball with one leg. Once I got good at it the progression was doing it with my eyes closed. The first few times I'd fall the instant my eyes closed.

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    Sounds like a different way to do what bosu ball squats achieve. Though it might be safer since there's no threat of a ball breaking.

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