The bounce in squat

[norsy]

How do you bounce out of the bottom of a squat? Im not talking about divebombing into the hole and rebounding back but the bounce you are supposed to get when the hamstrings are fully stretched at the bottom.
Is it something you can really feel or it's something that just happens as long as you dont pause?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

How do you bounce out of the bottom of a squat? Im not talking about divebombing into the hole and rebounding back but the bounce you are supposed to get when the hamstrings are fully stretched at the bottom.
Is it something you can really feel or it's something that just happens as long as you dont pause?

You can definitely feel it, but for most people, they have to go deeper than they typically squat to hit it right. It takes a fair amount of practice as well. For me, I bounce out of the bottom of the squat pretty far below parallel. Most people just want to squat to parallel, which doesn't give them sufficient tension to actually utilize the bounce.

 

[surfsatwerk]

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online...raining_performance/dispelling_the_glute_myth

This isn't specifically talking about squats but the information and exercises it contains radically improved my squat and deadlift. Barbell hip thrusts will get weird looks from people at the gym, but they rock.

 

[norsy]

Thanks for the replies.

You can definitely feel it, but for most people, they have to go deeper than they typically squat to hit it right. It takes a fair amount of practice as well. For me, I bounce out of the bottom of the squat pretty far below parallel. Most people just want to squat to parallel, which doesn't give them sufficient tension to actually utilize the bounce.

Would getting the bounce far below parallel be better in terms of being able to lift more weight than just going to parallel and coming back up without any bounce?

I tried going deeper today but still could not feel any bounce (I think my back was rounding a bit going so deep and maybe that interfered with the bounce). Any other cues I should keep in mind while doing it?

Thanks

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Thanks for the replies.



Would getting the bounce far below parallel be better in terms of being able to lift more weight than just going to parallel and coming back up without any bounce?

I tried going deeper today but still could not feel any bounce (I think my back was rounding a bit going so deep and maybe that interfered with the bounce). Any other cues I should keep in mind while doing it?

Thanks

Well, it allows you to lose more weight through a greater/similar range of motion. That increase in load induces increased adaptations via muscle hypertrophy and neural coordination gains. It's also good for things like powerlifting or Olympic lifting competitions - bigger numbers = better performance.

Yeah, you definitely have to keep a rather upright position and a very tight core. Some slight rounding may occur, but significant rounding will displace some of the load to the passive structures of your spine and sacrum. In that case, it's better to 1) work on your squat without the bounce (you'll still get stronger) and 2) stretch more to work on your flexibility. I've noticed recently that really loosening up my hips (hip flexors, glutes, external rotators, internal rotators, quads, and hamstrings) helped my squat form. That improvement in form put me more upright with a good lumbar arch and allowed me to squat deep enough to hit the bounce comfortable every rep.

I'm sorry, I don't really have any other cues. It's a hard thing to describe, let alone elicit in another individual. If you work on the things I'm talking about (keep you core tight, maintain lumbar arch, hit proper depth), it will come in time. Hope that helps.

 

[brikis98]

The bounce is the result of a stretch/contract reflex in your hamstrings/glutes. To get the "bounce", you need to:

1. Go below parallel. Hip joint below the knee as seen from the side.

2. Maintain an enormous amount of tension in your glutes/hamstrings, which requires you to use the proper mental cues, keep a tight arch in the back and proper knee position. To get a feel for this tension, work on unweighted box squats: in particular, take your normal squat stance and sit back down onto a box that is just below parallel. Do not let your knees move forward AT ALL. Then, stand back up from the box, again without letting your knees come forward AT ALL. Your shin should stay perfectly vertical the entire time. If you do this, you'll find yourself using your glutes and hamstrings a ton. This is not how you should actually squat, but the exaggerated motion and focus on the posterior chain should help teach you the proper "feel" of engaging your hip extensors (glutes, hamstrings, adductors).

3. Timing. If you pause too long at the bottom or try to get back up too quickly, you'll lose a lot of the bounce. One way to try to get the timing down is to do "one and a quarter squats" unweighted or with light weight: drop into a full squat, come back up a quarter of the way, quickly drop back down into a full squat again and then recover fully. The "quarter" squat in the middle lets you practice with the "bounce" feeling and is sometimes used by olympic weightlifters when they miss-time the bounce on the first recovery (such as in this video).

 

[norsy]

Thanks again for the replies.

Tried out the vertical shinned box squats and I can say I have never felt that kind of tension in my hamstrings during my normal squat. I guess that's one of the things I would have to work on to get the bounce.

On the "one and the quarter" squats, I can find a few of the reps to feel a bit different. Like there's a like poled magnet under my butt trying to repel me away 😛

Will keep working on the above and hopefully will soon get a hang of the bounce.

 

[brikis98]

Tried out the vertical shinned box squats and I can say I have never felt that kind of tension in my hamstrings during my normal squat. I guess that's one of the things I would have to work on to get the bounce.

As I said, the actual mechanics of the box squat aren't what you are going for (assuming you are using squatting for general strength/athletics as opposed to powerlifting), but it is important to know what "tensed" hamstrings and glutes feel like. To translate this into the back squat, watch the video of Mark Rippetoe teaching hip drive.

On the "one and the quarter" squats, I can find a few of the reps to feel a bit different. Like there's a like poled magnet under my butt trying to repel me away 😛

I know I'm getting a good bounce in my squat when the very bottom portion feels nearly effortless. One second I'm lowering down and the next, I'm suddenly a quarter of the way back up. Granted, you have to keep everything ultra tight to complete the rest of the squat, but a proper bounce can provide some serious drive out of the hole.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Don't do full squats, they're terrible for your knees and hips man. There are plenty of other quality lifts that can closely simulate the squat without putting yourself at risk. It's a pointless lift, very dangerous...especially for a younger man.

 

[zebano]

Don't do full squats, they're terrible for your knees and hips man. There are plenty of other quality lifts that can closely simulate the squat without putting yourself at risk. It's a pointless lift, very dangerous...especially for a younger man.

hmmm well I'd like to see a link but since we're just throwing opinions out there, I used to have knee pain when playing tennis, basket, racketball (sports which require cutting, pivots & stop & go movements) and since I started squatting below parallel I haven't had any problems at all. I don't even wear a knee wrap anymore.

I'll raise you a link
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/squats-how-safe-is-it-to-perform-a-squat-exercise-319

 

[surfsatwerk]

Don't do full squats, they're terrible for your knees and hips man. There are plenty of other quality lifts that can closely simulate the squat without putting yourself at risk. It's a pointless lift, very dangerous...especially for a younger man.

Really dude? :thumbsdown:

 

[Deeko]

Perhaps its because I descend too slow, of which I've been scolded, but I've never really felt the bounce at the bottom of a squat myself.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Don't do full squats, they're terrible for your knees and hips man. There are plenty of other quality lifts that can closely simulate the squat without putting yourself at risk. It's a pointless lift, very dangerous...especially for a younger man.

Speaking as an exercise biologist, you're completely out of line here. Let's go ahead and use some examples. Firstly, there has been research that a parallel squat maintains very little chance of injury if done correctly. ATG squats may increase risk of injury, but not by all that much. Secondly, leg strength is correlated with all sorts of fun stuff like walking speed (especially in older individuals), hip, knee, and ankle stability (and thereby decreased risk of ligamentous injury at all structures), increased muscle mass and bone density, and many, many more. As a physical therapy student, we use squats to REHABILITATE the knee. Why would a rehab profession use something dangerous? We wouldn't because we would get sued. There's research out there. Please read some. (Will look for publicly available research today and post what I get).

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Perhaps its because I descend too slow, of which I've been scolded, but I've never really felt the bounce at the bottom of a squat myself.

Yeah, you also don't maintain a very upright position, thereby reducing tension on the hamstrings and glutes. I used to squat that way before I really started working on my hip flexibility. Now, I squat upright and deep and the bounce almost comes effortlessly.

 

[brikis98]

Don't do full squats, they're terrible for your knees and hips man. There are plenty of other quality lifts that can closely simulate the squat without putting yourself at risk. It's a pointless lift, very dangerous...especially for a younger man.

Please go spread your bro-science elsewhere.

"Squats, when performed correctly and with appropriate supervision, are not only safe, but may be a significant deterrent to knee injuries."

 

[brikis98]

Perhaps its because I descend too slow, of which I've been scolded, but I've never really felt the bounce at the bottom of a squat myself.

Proper speed and timing are definitely necessary to feel a bounce.

 

[spamsk8r]

Don't do full squats, they're terrible for your knees and hips man. There are plenty of other quality lifts that can closely simulate the squat without putting yourself at risk. It's a pointless lift, very dangerous...especially for a younger man.

LOL fail.