What to do about my squats?

[jeramieb]

Right on. Well I definitely don't do low bar back squats. I don't have the range of motion in my left shoulder to get the bar that low. With the high bar squat I know that keeping my head[eyes really] up allowed for me to begin my squat back instead of tending to lean a little forward.

[gymell]

I switch back and forth between low bar (for power lifting) and high bar (for Olympic lifting.) I definitely look up when doing high bar for the same reason you state. Also in cleans and front squats.

[jeramieb]

I switch back and forth between low bar (for power lifting) and high bar (for Olympic lifting.)...

*sigh* I wish I had that luxury ... maybe some day...

[gymell]

It definitely takes a while to get used to low bar, I remember when I first started doing it several years ago, the stretch in the shoulders was tough.

OP, which type of squats have you been trying? Have you read Starting Strength, or what resources were you referring to?

[Wolfwood]

I've just been doing simple body weight squats, I'm starting from the absolute beginning, so tips on squatting with barbells isn't exactly helpful.

As stated, my biggest problem is that I just can't get down in to the squat position, I know HOW to do one, I just can't do it, and it's getting to the point of frustration where I KNOW how to do this, but my body just will not listen, I keep telling myself to keep my ankles planted on the ground, but whenever I start to squat down, I pull them up, and even if I do get them to stay put, I do this half-assed crouch that isn't near a squat.

I believe it's because of the inflexibility in my hips, thighs, hamstrings and maybe ankles, I'm going to try stretching like the video that RockSupreme posted, I figured it's better than nothing.

I've also tried sticking a towel underneath my ankles, it seems to work alright, but I'm still squatting on my toes.

Unless someone comes in and tells me that toe squatting is a-okay, I'll just stick to lunges until I get this down.

[jeramieb]

Well in that case... I know for me personally I cannot (no matter how hard I try) do a "correct" squat unless I have some amount of weight on my back. I even have a tough time with just the empty bar. But when I get up around 115 lbs the weight on the bar begins to off-set my body and I can squat with more proper form.

Does that make sense?

[gymell]

Why are you limiting yourself to body weight squats? Knowing that's what you're talking about would have been helpful. It wasn't mentioned until now.

I'm guessing mobility issues are contributing to your problem. There are a number of exercises you could do for that. I'm not sure that lunges are going to fix your squat form. Improving mobility takes time. I suggest checking out mobilitywod.com and find some things there that are relevant to squatting, such as ankle and hip flexibility. And read Starting Strength, which also has a lot of information about squat form.

[engineman312]

Knowing that's what you're talking about would have been helpful. It wasn't mentioned until now.

agreed

[Wolfwood]

I could swear that I had mentioned it before, but I read through the rest of the posts, and did not, and I apologize.

At the moment, I'm just increasing my hip, leg and hamstring flexibility to kind of get me in to a squat, I'm just substituting Lunges right now, I don't like them as much as squats, but they will do for a little bit.

Although, I may just hang on to a door ledge and squat, since that way I can't fall on my ass and can push myself a bit further in to it, I'm still trying to figure out why I can't do them properly, It's either inflexibility, or I'm so off balance.

Back to it, then.

[161803398874989]

Are you shoving your knees out? I've got a buddy that has the same problems as you, but I haven't really tried anything with him yet.

[Woodsrider]

I could swear that I had mentioned it before, but I read through the rest of the posts, and did not, and I apologize.

"Try to squat, roll backwards, get up, try again, roll backwards" was mentioned in the first post. That would be disastrous with a bar on your back and kind of implies that you were doing body weight squats. Wether or not you had a bar with weight makes no difference in the steps to improve your squat.

You also said you weren't using any extra weight for squats in post #10.

No need to apologize.

[Vegemighty]

I could swear that I had mentioned it before, but I read through the rest of the posts, and did not, and I apologize.

At the moment, I'm just increasing my hip, leg and hamstring flexibility to kind of get me in to a squat, I'm just substituting Lunges right now, I don't like them as much as squats, but they will do for a little bit.

Although, I may just hang on to a door ledge and squat, since that way I can't fall on my ass and can push myself a bit further in to it, I'm still trying to figure out why I can't do them properly, It's either inflexibility, or I'm so off balance.

Back to it, then.

I am in the exact same position. Everyone is born with the natural ability to squat, and with proper form. Its something you and I lost through years of non-use. When I was in China, everyone would rest in a squat form, in America, I never see a squat like this outside of the gym. Our muscles have atrophied and can't bend that way. I've been doing stretches as part of my 6 week challenge, seems to be having an effect, but slowly. I've been doing calf stretches mostly, because I noticed that if my heels stay on the floor, as they should, my foot to shin angle stays at 90 degrees. I've also just been holding myself is a squat position for a few minutes by holding onto a door, and hoping that that increases the flexibility.

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvazv25D5n1r1c6d6o1_500.jpg

[nightlight]

+1 to KnightWatch - OP, if you could post a video of yourself squatting, we could help you!

[Wolfwood]

Well, I finally figured out what is holding me back, I decided as a last ditch effort, to hang on to a door (doorknobs more specifically) and tried to squat, low and behold, I went all the way down, ass to grass without any sort of discomfort, well, until I did about 40 of them.

So, it is, in fact, a balance issue, not a flexibility issue, when using the door to help me balance, my knees down bow out, they don't go (Very) far in front of my toes, my heels are firmly planted on the ground, all the weight is on my heels, and my legs feel great, well, they're sore, but in a good way.

I'm going to finally go back to squats while holding on to my door, then slowly ween myself off until I can preform them unassisted.

Now, the new challenge, too become a much more balanced individual...

[Pat G]

You figured it out!

Good onya mate.

[161803398874989]

That you can squat holding the door doesn't necessarily mean it's a balance issue. It could still be a flexibility issue. When you're holding the door, your centre of mass can be behind your mid-foot, rather than exactly on it, because you use the door to stay balanced. When you're not holding the door, your centre of mass has to be (approximately) over mid-foot and this requires the ankles and often hips to be more flexible.

Not that it matters much since this method will probably work fine, so good for you!