PDA

View Full Version : squat trouble



irishmuscle
03-14-2009, 12:55 PM
hey people,ive started workin in a gym and its amazing how many people cant squat propery,even on a smith machine,a lot of the people seem to either bend over too much or when i say to them to keep the back as straight as possible on the way down their hips are flaring out and going up on the balls of feet,without exaggeration 50% of them cant seem to get it right,we ended up getting a leg press to help them,anyone else come across this problem

orhochris
03-14-2009, 01:01 PM
the best thing to do to teach the squat is start with a progression of over heard bb squat, then front squat, then move to the back squat.

going up on the balls of their feet is usually due to tightness in the calves and hip flexors/gluytes/back. stretching work and flexibility increase with working with the above progression. and starting light is the key to learning proper form on the back squat.

irishmuscle
03-14-2009, 01:04 PM
will try the front squat,thats a good idea,as for weight i always use just the bar to get them proper form so i wont add weight untill they get it right,thanks for the advice

Jack of All
03-14-2009, 02:05 PM
I have great form with front squats. I agree they can help get form down. I still have trouble with regular squats. I always lean too far forward and end up using too much back. I stick to smith squats so I can get my feet out in front some and dont have to worry about balance. Maybe one of these days someone will teach me how to do them right.

jjjohns_10
03-14-2009, 02:30 PM
Kind different, but with my clients that have issues performing proper squats i first have them do ball squats against the wall (w/dumbells if they need more resistance)!! Then I transition them over to a hack squat, then a machine squat, and then finally THE SQUAT. All the mean while, making sure their back is getting sufficient workouts to eventally support the weight of the barbell, and that their calves are stretched and flexible so their heels don't lift the bottom of the movement.

Give it a shot, my clients have given me very positive feed back with this progression!

Skeptic
03-14-2009, 04:01 PM
THE SQUAT. Myth. There are various types of back squats.

What a powerlifter calls a back squat and what a BBer calls a back squat are two very different animals.

KeepGoing
03-14-2009, 05:28 PM
I stretch out the hamstrings and do stiff legged dead lifts before any squatting.

It helps squat correctly with full ROM as it requires more flexibility than most people realize.

Strikerrjones
03-14-2009, 05:33 PM
Maybe I'm confused, but it seems to me so long as your back is arched and you're going down far enough the squat is correct. I lean forward when I'm going down because if I put all my weight on my heels I fall over backward. Seriously, it's happened.

Hardly Krishna
03-15-2009, 02:55 AM
THE SQUAT. Myth. There are various types of back squats.

What a powerlifter calls a back squat and what a BBer calls a back squat are two very different animals.
squatting like a powerlifter ruined my shoulders, and now squatting w/ the bar higher is putting pressure on my wrists and elbows....I guess i'm fucked either way.....

BK
03-15-2009, 09:31 PM
Just have them do box squats. This is the number one movement in improving squat form.