The Squat Thread - Push to 1,000,000 pounds

[brikis98]

135x5, 225x5, 275x3, 315x2, 340x1, 365x5 = 5420

1,347,884

 

[norsy]

From Check

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYMvcL5HiB4

 

[brikis98]

From Check

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYMvcL5HiB4

Add another inch of depth and work on getting your hip extensors (glutes & hamstrings) into the squat: Mark Rippetoe on hip drive.

 

[norsy]

Add another inch of depth and work on getting your hip extensors (glutes & hamstrings) into the squat: Mark Rippetoe on hip drive.

Thanks brikis. Am I not even going to parallel?
Anyway will try to go deeper and get a new vid.

 

[brikis98]

Thanks brikis. Am I not even going to parallel?
Anyway will try to go deeper and get a new vid.

As far as I can see, you get very close but are just a little bit high compared to a proper parallel squat. It could be caused by a few things:

1. Lack of flexibility. Easily checked by doing air squats: do a squat with no weight on your back (or just the bare bar) and see if you can get to full depth while maintaining a proper lumbar arch.

2. Technique issues. Hard to tell from the angle in the video, but sometimes widening the stance and turning the feet out a little can help. Pushing the knees out - that is, away from each other - so that they track directly over the feet (as seen from above) allows for better depth.

3. Lack of proprioception. Part of training with free weights is developing a sense of your body's position in space. You need to learn to feel what a full depth squat feels like and never allow yourself to go above parallel.

 

[coreyb]

You can also practice getting your knees out more. Push them out and sit down in between them. Also, get some real lifting shoes if you don't already have them. I recommend rogue do-wins.

 

[norsy]

Thanks once again for the replies.

Got a new vid of my squat but my home laptop's conked off so will have to wait until it's repaired for me to upload.
few qs..is lack of any kind of pain or discomfort (or even soreness) in the lower back a good indicator that it did not round during the squat? I can't still fully sense my lower back especially at the very bottom.
Also, is usage of a belt advised?
And regarding shoes, I'm wearing chuck taylor's now. Isn't that good enuf?

 

[bommy261]

not sure if u guys are still doing this, but.....

10x135, 10x225, 10x315x3, 6x365, 5x405
1365149

 

[brikis98]

is lack of any kind of pain or discomfort (or even soreness) in the lower back a good indicator that it did not round during the squat?

Not really. Rounding your back during squats (and other lifts) increases the shear forces on the spine. These forces increase the odds of an injury (muscle strain, disc rupture), but these odds are nowhere near 100%. Many people have completed many lifts with rounded backs without injury, but I wouldn't use that as an endorsement to consistently train that way. Sooner or later, the odds will catch up and you'll be writhing in pain. Moreover, even if you avoid acute injuries, lifting with a rounded back may contribute to chronic pain later in life.

I can't still fully sense my lower back especially at the very bottom.

Then record your lifts or have someone (knowledgable) watch you as you squat until you develop the proprioception to keep your back safe. It may help to do exercises such as supermans and the cat stretch so you know what your back feels like when it is in extension or rounded. Also, while you don't want to use a mirror with heavy weight on your back, you can turn your head and watch your back in a mirror while doing air squats to help improve your proprioception. You should be able to maintain a rigid, neutral back the whole way down.

Also, is usage of a belt advised?

This is a slightly complicated issue.

The good:
* The primary role of a weight lifting belt is to allow you to lift more weight by increasing intra-abdominal pressure. This can be useful when going for a PR, especially if you are competing in any sort of weight lifting.
* Belts can be very effective teaching aids for learning the valsalva maneuver. The tactile feedback of having your abs push against something - and the extra rigidity you develop in the torso as a result - is a great way to quickly see how & why you should use the VM.

The bad:
* Belt do NOT increase safety: crappy technique can lead to an injury whether or not you are wearing a belt.
* Using the belt too much, in my experience, leads to total dependence on it. People that do all their lifts with the belt sometimes are unable to lift much without it and are more prone to injuries when they try. This might be because using the belt too much prevents some core muscles from developing (compared to training w/o a belt) or just a mental issue where they are not confident or can't maintain proper form without the feel of a belt.

IMO, most beginners and intermediates should reserve belt usage for the occasional PR attempt and nothing else. Advanced lifters can decide for themselves.

And regarding shoes, I'm wearing chuck taylor's now. Isn't that good enuf?

Stronglifts has a good article about shoes for weightlifting.

 

[norsy]

How and where exactly do you wear the belt for squat? No matter how tightly and where I wear it the belt always starts pressing against my thighs after half the descent making depth really difficult. I have to wear it so high that the belt just about reaches my navel area in order to rectify this.