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Stavman
02-13-2009, 04:39 PM
I don't know what it is, but squatting just seems completely awkward for me. Even when I just use the bar my hips get pushed out all weird and I fucking HATE it.

Leg press, hack squats and even lunges feel ok. All forms of BB and smith machine squats though just piss me off because they feel so strange.

Should I give up on them or just continue to be frustrated?

bigtimektz
02-13-2009, 04:44 PM
I had the same issues when I first started squatting. It took me forever to get comfortable with the movement. I had to try different foot placements and even the direction of the toes makes a difference. Don't quit on it.

Nic Brunicardi
02-13-2009, 04:44 PM
I've never been a strong squatter myself, but I found out that close stance squats don't feel nearly as awkward to me as when I have my legs spread at shoulder width or further apart.

Stavman
02-13-2009, 04:48 PM
I had the same issues when I first started squatting. It took me forever to get comfortable with the movement. I had to try different foot placements and even the direction of the toes makes a difference. Don't quit on it.


I've never been a strong squatter myself, but I found out that close stance squats don't feel nearly as awkward to me as when I have my legs spread at shoulder width or further apart.

I should have said that I have tried every variation 100 fucking times. My body just won't let me do it:confused:

bigtimektz
02-13-2009, 04:53 PM
I should have said that I have tried every variation 100 fucking times. My body just won't let me do it:confused:

That would have helped. Shit I don't then man, maybe it is just not meant to be.

Thad
02-13-2009, 04:56 PM
Box squats really helped me.

Stavman
02-13-2009, 04:56 PM
That would have helped. Shit I don't then man, maybe it is just not meant to be.

I know, it pisses me off. I have always wanted to be a bomb ass squatter too.

bigtimektz
02-13-2009, 04:57 PM
Were you Thantos?

Shadow
02-13-2009, 04:59 PM
Have you had someone who knows how to squat properly watch you and critique your form? That could help.


But some people just aren't made for squatting. You damn sure can build a kick ass set of wheels without them though, that's for sure.

red barraca
02-13-2009, 05:00 PM
I should have said that I have tried every variation 100 fucking times. My body just won't let me do it:confused:

i friend of mine has the same problem,his is ex O.U football player,he does'nt do squat's.lunge's legg presses sissy squats all he does.6'2 but still he make great gain's,how tall are stav?

Stavman
02-13-2009, 05:02 PM
Were you Thantos?

Yes I was.


Have you had someone who knows how to squat properly watch you and critique your form? That could help.


But some people just aren't made for squatting. You damn sure can build a kick ass set of wheels without them though, that's for sure.

Yeah, Dennis James actually trains me sometimes. He doesn't know what the fuck is wrong with me lol.


i friend of mine has the same problem,his is ex O.U football player,he does'nt do squat's.lunge's legg presses sissy squats all he does.6'2 but still he make great gain's,how tall are stav?

I'm 5'10''. I have long legs in comparison to my torso though.

Shadow
02-13-2009, 05:06 PM
Dennis James? You son of a bitch. :)

Youngguns
02-13-2009, 05:10 PM
Use light weight.

APOSTLE
02-13-2009, 05:12 PM
I am not a great squatter Stav, but one thing that helped me was this. Think of sitting down on a low stool, let the ass go back and down instead of just bending the knees and going down. Use no weight at first and then progress very slowly with the weights.

MichaelWayne
02-13-2009, 05:13 PM
I gave up on them for almost a year. I was in the same boat, no matter what I did, they didn't feel right. Busted my ass just doing other leg movements and didn't go as crazy with deadlifts. Went back to them this week and have a new found love for them.

My advice: Stay away from them for a couple months. Then go back at them like a noob (without the shitty form) and rediscover the exercise. If it still doesn't work, hell, Dorian never did them either!!!

greuceanu
02-13-2009, 05:16 PM
I don't know what it is, but squatting just seems completely awkward for me. Even when I just use the bar my hips get pushed out all weird and I fucking HATE it.

Leg press, hack squats and even lunges feel ok. All forms of BB and smith machine squats though just piss me off because they feel so strange.

Should I give up on them or just continue to be frustrated?

Not sure what you mean by hips being pushed out, but you most likely have imbalances.

Depending on problem,you might have to stretch calves,quads,hams,hip flexors,piriformis,lower back,lats, shoulders.

There's always a solution,you just have to find it. Start with light weights and keep practicing form in conjuction with stretching until you get the correct groove.

Remember, as long as you can sit and stand up from a chair, you can squat. I hear people saying they were not born to squat because of structure,but that's incorrect, everyone can squat. It would be more correct to say not everyone was born to squat high bar olympic style.

You have to find the way to squat that will work with your biomechanics. Experiment with stances, bar positions, hand, head position etc and see what works for you.

Bubba Bronko
02-13-2009, 05:34 PM
Dont quit it! Im 6'2" squats never came easy but a lot of hard work im doing ass 2 ankles u can find a way. Biomechanics and if you just cant do it there are other exercises to help stimulate those pistons but ur missing out with squats

Por2gue
02-13-2009, 05:37 PM
Search Mark Ripptoe on You tube. He has some killer vids on squatting . He will most likely show you something you are overlooking. Hip Thrust baby!! Check it out, it totally changed the way I squat.

BigJD69
02-13-2009, 05:52 PM
You gotta squat it's a total body workout!

Yolo
02-13-2009, 06:00 PM
Not sure what you mean by hips being pushed out, but you most likely have imbalances.

Depending on problem,you might have to stretch calves,quads,hams,hip flexors,piriformis,lower back,lats, shoulders.

There's always a solution,you just have to find it. Start with light weights and keep practicing form in conjuction with stretching until you get the correct groove.

Remember, as long as you can sit and stand up from a chair, you can squat. I hear people saying they were not born to squat because of structure,but that's incorrect, everyone can squat. It would be more correct to say not everyone was born to squat high bar olympic style.

You have to find the way to squat that will work with your biomechanics. Experiment with stances, bar positions, hand, head position etc and see what works for you.

Agreed



You gotta squat it's a total body workout!

No you don't.

Stavman
02-13-2009, 06:11 PM
Way to many things to respond too, but thank you for all the help and insight guys.

I will keep on experimenting and look at some of those things.

Shadow
02-13-2009, 06:32 PM
There there. the person below can't squat either.

949

ROFL.


e

bigtimektz
02-13-2009, 07:11 PM
I don't know you, so how about you stay the fuck out of my threads if you aren't gonna offer any help.



Cunt.

Stav layin it down.

robert da strongman
02-13-2009, 07:12 PM
I don't know what it is, but squatting just seems completely awkward for me. Even when I just use the bar my hips get pushed out all weird and I fucking HATE it.

Leg press, hack squats and even lunges feel ok. All forms of BB and smith machine squats though just piss me off because they feel so strange.

Should I give up on them or just continue to be frustrated?

i know someone else posted it but try sitting on a bench then stand straight up. are your hips pushing back or forward?

Stavman
02-13-2009, 07:14 PM
i know someone else posted it but try sitting on a bench then stand straight up. are your hips pushing back or forward?

To the right. It is weird.

Stavman
02-13-2009, 07:34 PM
Oh, I was quite helpful. If you haven't the shame to shut the fuck up and squat like every other bodybuilder, then you're just a pissant using drugs and hanging around bb boards. not a bodybuilder.;)

Okay. So I will keep doing an exercise that fucks up my hips and doesn't seem to work for me just so I can be hardcore?

Your logic makes no sense. I would love nothing more than to squat comfortably, I just need some pointers just so I don't hurt myself in the pursuit of being a "real bodybuilder" like you mentioned.

robert da strongman
02-13-2009, 07:35 PM
To the right. It is weird.

ok that is weird...

any prior leg, hip or back injuries?

Stavman
02-13-2009, 07:39 PM
ok that is weird...

any prior leg, hip or back injuries?

Yes, I completely dislocated my left femur from my hip socket 8 years ago. They just popped it right back in though.

robert da strongman
02-13-2009, 07:44 PM
ok....could cause problems, imbalance

do you squat wide or narrow?

Stavman
02-13-2009, 07:46 PM
ok....could cause problems, imbalance

do you squat wide or narrow?

I have tried both. Wider ones feel worse.

robert da strongman
02-13-2009, 07:48 PM
ok...have you ever done front squats?

Stavman
02-13-2009, 07:53 PM
ok...have you ever done front squats?

Yeah, those are actually so-so for me. I can maintain a better form, but when I go above 225 my hips start being pricks again.

robert da strongman
02-13-2009, 07:59 PM
hips...try front squats but dont go heavy. work on the form.
other help...box squats. will help strengthen the hips.

Stavman
02-13-2009, 08:03 PM
hips...try front squats but dont go heavy. work on the form.
other help...box squats. will help strengthen the hips.

Thanks for the help man. I will actually do both next week. I started this thread because I did legs today and it pissed me off that my squats are so fucked lol.

You were Da Bear right?

robert da strongman
02-13-2009, 08:04 PM
yes i was.


sounds like your hips are the weak spot.
you use more quads in front squats
and the box squats are all hip.

Stavman
02-13-2009, 08:08 PM
yes i was.


sounds like your hips are the weak spot.
you use more quads in front squats
and the box squats are all hip.

Sweet tits. Thank you again man.

Hardly Krishna
02-13-2009, 11:27 PM
Have you had someone who knows how to squat properly watch you and critique your form? That could help.


But some people just aren't made for squatting.
these statements are contradictory.

Hardly Krishna
02-13-2009, 11:29 PM
try lighter weight, and eventually your hips will build up, also make sure to work your hip flexibility...the old your get the more permanently inflexible your hips and lower back become!

If also if you want to build up hip strempf, do power/hang cleans.

Stavman
02-14-2009, 02:33 AM
Lulz. Who knew that you could have weak hips?

What can I do for hip flexibility?

Sledge
02-14-2009, 03:14 AM
Do you have the bar low enough across your traps/delts. I've seen some people try and balance the bar to high, almost on there neck and that can cause some balance problems. When the bar is in the right spot it's like it fits into a groove. Also concentrate on dropping your hips back not bending your knees and keep your eyes focused strait ahead, look yourself in the eye in the mirror all the way down and up.

Shadow
02-14-2009, 11:38 AM
these statements are contradictory.

Either someone can watch him and correct it or he's not meant for squatting. Not quite sure what you're trying to get at here.

Praetorian
02-14-2009, 11:42 AM
I don't know what it is, but squatting just seems completely awkward for me. Even when I just use the bar my hips get pushed out all weird and I fucking HATE it.

Leg press, hack squats and even lunges feel ok. All forms of BB and smith machine squats though just piss me off because they feel so strange.

Should I give up on them or just continue to be frustrated?

Before giving up...give this a shot and then try sqatting once you master it.
P

Box Squatting
By: Louie Simmons
Box squatting is the most effective method to produce a first-rate squat. This is, in my opinion, the safest way to squat because you don't use as much weight as you would with a regular squat.
Let me say first that, no, they won't hurt your spine, you don't use1000 lbs. on a 25 inch tall box, you don't rock on the box, you don't touch and go, and there is no need to do regular power squats before a meet. No knee wraps are worn nor are the straps of the suit pulled up.
By doing sets of 2 reps for at least 8 sets with short rest periods, you will get about a 200 lb. carryover to your regular squat. Two of our lifters finished their lifting cycle before a meet with 8 sets of 2 reps with 505 lbs. off a slightly below parallel box, and both squatted 700 for a meet PR One was competing in the 242s and the other as a 275. Two years before, in his first meet, our 275 pounder squatted 465 - quite an improvement!
There are many advantages to box squatting. One of the most important is recuperation. You can train more often on a box than you can doing regular squats. The original Westside boys (Culver City, CA) did them three times a week, which I feel is a bit extreme, but they paved the way for this type of training. We do them for the squat part of our workout on Fridays and occasionally on Mondays to build hip and low back power for deadlifting. The NBA's Utah Jazz do box squats for the same reason - recuperation. Greg Shepherd, their strength coach, is a former member of the Culver City gym.
The second reason is equally important. It is generally accepted that you should keep your shins perpendicular to the floor when squatting. With box squatting, you can go past this point (that is, an imaginary line drawn from your ankle to your knee will point toward your body), which places all the stress on the major squatting muscles- hips, glutes, lower back, and hamstrings. This is a tremendous advantage.
Thirdly, you don't have to ask anyone if you were parallel. Once you establish a below parallel height, all of your squats will be just that -below parallel. I have seen it over and over. As the weights get heavier, the squats get higher. This can't happen with box squats.
If your hips are weak, use a below parallel box with a wide stance. If you need low back power, use a close stance, below parallel. If your quads are weak, work on a parallel box. If you have a sticking point about 2 inches above parallel, as is common, then work on a box that is 2 inches above parallel. Our advanced
Westside Barbell www.westside-barbell.com (http://www.westside-barbell.com/)
squatters use all below parallel boxes. This builds so much power out of the hole that there will be no sticking points.
As an added bonus, box squats will build the deadlift as well by overloading the hips and lower back muscles. Your ability to explode off the floor will increase greatly. One of our 275 pounders, Jerry Obradovich, put 50 lbs. on his dead lift in 3 months by doing extra box squats during that time period, going from 672 to 722 at the 1994 APF Junior Nationals. Chuck Vogelpohl deadlifts only about once in 8 weeks yet pulls 793 in the 242s. Chuck relies on wide box squats on a low, 12-inch box and does a lot of reverse hypers®5356,359 and 6,491,607b2 and chest-supported rows.
Now, how do you do a box squat? They are performed just like regular squats. Fill your abdomen with air, and push out against your belt. Push your knees out as far as possible to the sides and with a tightly arched back, squat back, not down, until you completely sit on the box. Every muscle is kept tight while on the box with the exception of the hip flexors. By releasing and then contracting the hip flexors and arching the upper back, you will jump off the box, building tremendous starting strength. Remember to sit back and down, not straight down. Your hamstrings will be strengthened to a high degree, which is essential. Many don't know this, but the hamstrings are hip extensors. Some great squatters have large quads and some do not, but they all have large hamstrings where they tie into the glutes. Remember to sit on the box completely and flex off.
Now, how do you know how much you can full squat if you box squat all the time? Well, let's say you have squatted 600 lbs. in a meet and decided to box squat. Let's say you can do 550 off a parallel box; that's a 50-lb. carry-over. Now you are doing only box squats and you take a weight 4-6 weeks into the cycle. You hit a 575 squat, a 25-lb. jump on that particular box. This will carry over to your 600 contest best. So now expect a 625 at your next meet.
I recommend that you train with 65-82% of your box record on each particular box height that you use. Change box heights every 3-4 weeks. Do not base the training weight on your full squat record! Box squats are much harder than full squats! Do 8-12 sets of 2 reps with 1 minute rest between sets. This is a tough workout! The week that you reach 82%, reduce the sets to 6. Don't train with more than 82%. You can try a max the after you train with 82%. If you are going to a meet, take a weight 2 weeks before the meet. The week before the meet use 70% for 6-8 sets.
This type of squatting is hard work, but each rep shouldn't be hard. Don't get psyched up to do your sets. We have found that 2 reps is ideal because any more may cause bicipital tendonitis and if you are doing 12 sets, you are doing 12 first reps per workout. After all, the first rep is the most important one. This will make your contest squat much better. Our most talented lifters will do best on
Westside Barbell www.westside-barbell.com (http://www.westside-barbell.com/)
their first rep and then tire quickly whereas our lower skilled people will do better after the first rep is completed because they use the first rep as a body awareness tool. As they become more skilled, their first rep will be their best.
I know box squatting is not common, mostly because no one knows how do them. After reading this or watching my squat tape you should be fully aware of the benefits. Many great squatters have done box squats including Marv Phillips, Larry Kidney, Roger Estep, Matt Dimel, and of course George Fern, who did an 853 squat in track shorts in 1970. If box squats didn't work, we wouldn't do them. We have 20 lifters who have squatted over 700 lbs. in a meet including a 198 who has done 804. 1 hope this article clears up any misconceptions and leads to great success on the lifting platform.

robert da strongman
02-14-2009, 01:42 PM
Lulz. Who knew that you could have weak hips?

What can I do for hip flexibility?

stretch....
one i used to do: lunge, back leg straight, the let forward leg go to the side and to the ground.

-BLP-
02-14-2009, 01:48 PM
will try chiropractor for hips, twice

Stavman
02-14-2009, 01:58 PM
stretch....
one i used to do: lunge, back leg straight, the let forward leg go to the side and to the ground.


will try chiropractor for hips, twice

AWESOME article Prae, thanks a lot man.

Robert, I guess I will have to strech a hell of a lot more.

Blp, I go to the chiropractor twice?

robert da strongman
02-14-2009, 01:59 PM
yeah it hurts...but helped my box squatting immensely. learned it from a yoga instructor. she was very flexible....hehehe

militantmuscle
02-14-2009, 02:02 PM
Stav T., I think the best way for us to help you is since we cannot see you, could you post a video of you attempting to squat? Have the cameraman zoom in on you from different angles, the front (particularly your shoulders, knees, and feet) the side (back, knees and feet) and the back (heels, glutes, knees and back). Maybe then we can see what the issue is and try to resolve it.

Stavman
02-14-2009, 02:07 PM
yeah it hurts...but helped my box squatting immensely. learned it from a yoga instructor. she was very flexible....hehehe

Tee hee. I love yoga class.


Stav T., I think the best way for us to help you is since we cannot see you, could you post a video of you attempting to squat? Have the cameraman zoom in on you from different angles, the front (particularly your shoulders, knees, and feet) the side (back, knees and feet) and the back (heels, glutes, knees and back). Maybe then we can see what the issue is and try to resolve it.

I know the problem now. It is my weak ass hips lol. I will do box squats and keep you all updated.

robert da strongman
02-14-2009, 02:09 PM
it was fun after...the instructor was my ex....

Womanthrower
02-17-2009, 12:27 AM
Try front squats, man. I'm 6'4" and I've been attempting squats for about a year now and I'm only just starting to get them to not feel awkward. But front squats for me, just.. heh, they're amazing. It's like I'm gliding on rails. It takes care of all the imbalances I have doing regular squats. Apparently that's already been mentioned. Disregard

Big Al
02-24-2009, 03:37 PM
I'm 6'3 and front squats are work great for me, doing around 250lbs 8-10 reps, but going all the way down, with short breaks between sets. Start with the weight you are comfortable with and try to fry you legs, usually it works!

Mr. Hyde
03-21-2009, 08:10 AM
I know this is an old thread but im gonna post in it anyway. Try putting 5lb plates under each of your heals, focus on dropping you ass to the floor. I mean straight down and point your toes outward a bit. This is going to sound ridiculous but pretend that there is something right in between your heals and your gonna pick it up with your ass.......hahaha. My friend never squated because he couldnt excute the movement and that little bit of advice helped.

HeavyDutyGuy
03-23-2009, 11:31 PM
I have to warmup a lot, light, gradual stretching, 2 sets working the ROM with just the bar to depth, then a few progressively heavier wamups. Also, I'm tall with a long torso, long calves, so I have to take a wider stance, feet pointed out, and squat 'through' my legs, pushing butt back.. Hope something here might help.