please help...advice on squatting form

[musclestack]

I had posted in another thread about struggling with the proper form/technique when squatting. I always seem to push my a$$ out and bend forward really bad, making it look like I'm coming up with my back parallel to the ground (exaggerating here, but trying to give you a good idea). It doesn't matter whether it's light weight or heavy. I just can't seem to stand erect when squatting.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should focus on, given the above info, in order to correct this? What should I try?

Thanks,
MS

[redz]

Practice in front of a mirror with no weight. Go up and down very slowly.

[Trevtrev]

Squatting is my favorite exercise. When I first started I had the same problem (20 years ago). An old timer at the gym told me to try to look at the ceiling above my head as I went (slowly) down using just the bar. As I practiced that, I could feel my body becoming more upright as I got better over a period of a few months.

Shortly thereafter I stopped looking up because I could feel what squatting upright was supposed to feel like, but it helped me discover the posture needed to squat correctly.

These days I still enjoy squatting and even with heavy weight can almost touch the floor with my rear end at the bottom of the motion. Butt goes between the feet, not over them.

It takes practice with light weights to get the motion correct, but once you get it right, you never forget it.

Being limber also helps. If you have no range of motion you'll fight yourself. Luckily I was a soccer player and that was not an issue for me. If you can't just squat down to the floor and sit there upright and relaxed, feet flat, with just your body, you are probably too tight. That's my opinion.

I see so many people with terrible squatting form, it's scary. Take the time to get it right and you'll be a happy squatter for many years with no injury.

Hope that helps.

[Brett N]

Agree with both above. Start very light weight and practice form. I would personally just start with an empty bar and video myself with my phone or watch a mirror.

Stretching is a very good warmup for squats. I do stretch similar to the one in this video and it has really helped me. Nothing worse than going down and feeling your hips are very tight and don't allow you to go low without discomfort.

[Docd187123]

You've got to work on sitting back not just down. Also make sure your weight is on mid foot and doesn't god to your toes. Work on strengthening your spinal electors and abdominal muscles as these are the muscles which will determine back angle along with some others. Maybe post up a form check vid for critique?

[noitangidni]

Oh I love this topic! Let me help you out..

Different approaches on how to take this route. First and foremost you have to understand that there are different kinds of squats and bar placements for them; I will try my best to explain both. I don't want to describe too much, but I recommend you researching hip breaks and knee breaks because they're very important for the style of squat you're attempting. Many amateurs and even seasoned lifters still don't perform this properly.

High bar/Olympic - the bar is placed higher on your traps and it's designed for more of an "ATG" (ass to grass, ground) style squat. Note that your trunk should not lean forward and should be at the same position as the top portion of the lift. (Use a knee break)

Low bar/Powerlifting - the bar is placed a little lower than the high bar and this is the widely known "parrallel" style squat. Your trunk leans slightly forward more than the top position, but shouldn't be to the point where you are doing a "good morning". (Use a hip break)

Powerlifters believe that most of the power comes from the lower back and the glutes assisting the quads, this is why the trunk tends to lean more forward and you're "hip breaking" first followed by a knee break. Almost as if you're trying to reach your ass to a chair. The ATG squat was designed for front squating, power cleans, etc. It was made because it is impossible (or dangerous) to do a full snatch in a powerlifting style squat because of obvious trunk inclination reasons. The ATG knee breaks first while hip breaking second, the important thing to note here is that the hips play a major role in the Oly style squat. Imagine your knees spreading outward is much as you can as you descend into your squat, this allows you to activate your hips and it saves your knees. (This is where the myth comes from that ATG ruins your knees, in fact they do if you don't activate your hip!!) You really need to properly stretch your hips in order for you to do a proper Oly style squat. I also recommend investing in some Oly style shoes if you choose to go down this route. (Oly shoes have a raised heel to help with ankle flexibility issues.)

Hope this helps!

[noitangidni]

I also wanted to add that thoracic mobility is normally the issue when it comes to a "good morning" style squat. I recommend you switching to a front squat using the olympic style squat I mentioned above.

This is my major and only reason for it: If you squat and the weight is too heavy, you will probably end up leaning forward and that further increases the problem of your forward inclination of the trunk. If you front squat (the trunk is upright the whole time) and the weight is too heavy, well shit, its just gonna fall forward and you'll drop the weight. Front squatting with proper form will not only increase your thoracic mobility/stability, it will fix your normal squat when you master your front squat.

[Docd187123]

The high bar and low bar back squats also have different lever arms among the torque place on. The back different for each. This is one reason why high bar squats with a longer lever arm require a more vertical back position while low bar squats have a shorter lever arm and can use a slightly more horizontal back position.

[musclestack]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I've found a way to rectify my form during squats! BOX SQUATS!! Wow, I can't believe the difference it makes! Since I'm basically concentrating on sitting down, then standing back up, I've found that I'm forced to keep a tighter back and better overall form because, if not, I would just fall forward once I sat down. Also, I can really feel my legs working MUCH harder rather than my lower back getting a crazy back pump; the next day as well! And my legs seem to finally be growing!

We don't have a traditional "box" that power lifters use at my gym, so I use the lowest flat bench as a replacement instead; it's low enough to allow me to get to 90 degrees, maybe even slightly more. I'm sure most of you know what box squats are; I just thought I'd mention it in case anyone else is having the same troubles with their form as I was.

Excited for legs on Friday!!