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OsoBlanco
01-17-07, 10:43 pm
I am having trouble with my form on squats. I am fairly tall, 6ft 3in, and my form when I do squats always seems kind of funky to me. It's not painful, but it feels like I lean way to far forward and that my back comes into play alot. Does anyone here have any tips or is this normal for someone my height. I love squats and I want to get the most out of them, but I don't want to screw up my back in the process. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Oso

HAWK
01-17-07, 10:48 pm
2 of the guys on my team are 6'6" and 6'8". Both of them have perfect form on squats and are ridiculously strong. To keep from leaning forward, I like to focus on pushing my heels through the floor. you can practice your form anytime: before bed, when you wake up, with just the bar to warm up, etc. Just work on becoming comfortable with that bar on your traps, and keeping your back straight...its also helpful to watch someone that does squats well, and try to model the form.

YOUNG_BB
01-18-07, 1:27 am
i might be having problems with my power clean form, i dunno how to use the legs, and it does really take away on the poundage i use cuz i can only go so heavy

king1
01-18-07, 1:28 am
Try box squats (merely squating with a bench behind you and decending until you feel the bench), front squats, squats on the smith machine. If you try various squat exercises that kinda guide you along your form, youll get better at the regulars. Read every squat article possible, and your form will get better

rev8ball
01-18-07, 1:46 am
I'm 6'1", and I've heard all the crap about being too tall to squat with anything worthwhile.... bull shit. Here are some tips:

1. Get the bar as low as you can on your shoulders without pushing you foward; this will lower your center of gravity.

2. Find a fixed point on the wall in front of you, and never take your eyes off it. This will help keep your head level, which, in turn, will keep your back straight.

3. Get a nice wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide stance. This serves several purposes: keeps your knees from drifting over your toes (keeping the weight on your posterior chain); pushes your ass back (bringing the entire hip cradle into play); lowers your center of gravity so the distance traveled by your thighs remains longer than the distance your torso travels (keeping your back straight).

Think about it: little baby toddlers when first learning to walk NEVER bend over to pick anything up - they SQUAT. And they squat the same way you need to: just picture yourself sitting straight down into a chair. In fact, practice that same motion without a bar, and you'll see what I mean, as well as you'll start condititioning your neurological system for the correct form.

Q
01-18-07, 2:32 am
While I'm not very tall, I also had problems with leaning forward when I first started doing squats. One thing that really helped me was to sit down on a low standing object and then trying to replicate the motion with nothing under me. I would then practice my form throughout the day preferably in front of a mirror. Like HAWK said make sure to focus on pressing your heels through the floor, you should almost be able to lift up your toes.

determined
01-18-07, 9:35 am
I have found by warming up my calves with a couple sets of 25-50 reps helps my form in my squats.

Maccabee
01-18-07, 12:02 pm
Get a wide stance, and simply keep your head up when your going down. Because i see beginners squating down sometimes they look down and they end up leaning forward. If it wasnt for the safties alot of them would go crashing down.

Powerfreak
01-18-07, 12:18 pm
Definitely get yourself set into a wide stance, it will adjust your center of gravity and make life a whole lot easier. Also try sitting back instead of straight down, kinda like you are sitting back on the shitter. If you actually give a shit, this will also greatly inhance your outter quad sweep.

Big Wides
01-18-07, 12:28 pm
get a wide stance and when coming up push the knees outward, also make sure to keep a tight banana back with your head up cause ur body goes where the head does. for depth try a box that is 1" below parellel during your warm up sets for form

OsoBlanco
01-19-07, 9:34 pm
Thanks guys. I really appreciate all your tips. I tried squats with a wide stance today, and I really liked it. I didn't feel like I was using my back much at all. I also moved some decent weight too. Thanks again.

Oso

Germanicus
06-11-08, 6:05 pm
Most sources I have seen regarding squats seem to agree that the knees should not extend forward of the toes during the downward phase of the movement. The problem I have always had is that I cannot seem to keep them from doing that without falling backward. It just seems like that is the natural motion of my body. I am tall (6'3") with long legs, and typically do not go very wide on stance (anything much more than shoulder width is uncomfortable in the hips), so I am curoius if this is why my knees protrude when squatting. The only times I have ever felt knee pain after squatting in this way is after going heavy (for me that's around 300 lbs). My main concern is ruining my knees. If that's not a danger then I will continue to squat this way. Thoughts/suggestions?

Matt Dickerson
06-11-08, 6:20 pm
Most sources I have seen regarding squats seem to agree that the knees should not extend forward of the toes during the downward phase of the movement. The problem I have always had is that I cannot seem to keep them from doing that without falling backward. It just seems like that is the natural motion of my body. I am tall (6'3") with long legs, and typically do not go very wide on stance (anything much more than shoulder width is uncomfortable in the hips), so I am curoius if this is why my knees protrude when squatting. The only times I have ever felt knee pain after squatting in this way is after going heavy (for me that's around 300 lbs). My main concern is ruining my knees. If that's not a danger then I will continue to squat this way. Thoughts/suggestions?

Everyone's knees are going to come forward to a minor extent when free squatting. Your knees should not be passing your toes though unless you have really small feet. What is important is that you are adhering to a few basic concepts. ( Shoulder Blades squeezing together, head straight, Flat back an emphasis on keeping the lower back arched or tight, knees out or crotch opened, glutes pushed backwards)

All of that stuff can be pretty daunting if you are learning how to squat and squat big. The best and safest way to learn how to squat (In many people's opinion and including my own) is the box squat. The box teaches you to sit back and open up the knees. With the box you will always hit proper depth as well.

I have had reconstructive knee surgery and am very cautious about my knee. Box squatting regularly has been a knee saver and takes much of the stress of the knees for me. You might consider learning to do box squats instead.

shizz702
06-11-08, 6:47 pm
Everyone's knees are going to come forward to a minor extent when free squatting. Your knees should not be passing your toes though unless you have really small feet. What is important is that you are adhering to a few basic concepts. ( Shoulder Blades squeezing together, head straight, Flat back an emphasis on keeping the lower back arched or tight, knees out or crotch opened, glutes pushed backwards)

All of that stuff can be pretty daunting if you are learning how to squat and squat big. The best and safest way to learn how to squat (In many people's opinion and including my own) is the box squat. The box teaches you to sit back and open up the knees. With the box you will always hit proper depth as well.

I have had reconstructive knee surgery and am very cautious about my knee. Box squatting regularly has been a knee saver and takes much of the stress of the knees for me. You might consider learning to do box squats instead.


I fully agree. Box squats are the way to go. Box squats are what I use to teach friends how to properly squat and I do them from time to time myself.

Giant Killer
06-11-08, 7:03 pm
Just a suggestion, start by squatting facing a wall (no weight). Put your toes, knees, and face flat up against a wall and squat. The first time you may just fall on your ass but with practice you may get used to the correct movement and range of motion.

Try doing a set or two of these before your squats to feel the form, or just work on them until your squat form improves in general.

Disclaimer: Some peoples anatomy may just not be set up right for this.

h 3 L L b 0 y
06-11-08, 7:40 pm
Used to happen to me a lot. You just have to imagine that theres a chair behind you and you have to sit on it.. practice makes perfect. Unload the bar and perfect your form, and as said above box squats although iv never tried them.

prowrestler
06-11-08, 8:24 pm
Just a suggestion, start by squatting facing a wall (no weight). Put your toes, knees, and face flat up against a wall and squat. The first time you may just fall on your ass but with practice you may get used to the correct movement and range of motion.

Try doing a set or two of these before your squats to feel the form, or just work on them until your squat form improves in general.

Disclaimer: Some peoples anatomy may just not be set up right for this.

BIG PUSHER FOR THIS!!!!!!!!!!!! wall squats help so much. my friend who squats bads, i made him do these and he's like " ohhh, im loosing balance...the floor is...." ahhhhh fuck the floor its your shitty technique thats the problem!!!

do 20 reps every day for a week and tell me next leg day your squats dont look better.

also, a wider foot stance will allow your knees to stay back easier.

Germanicus
06-12-08, 5:30 pm
Thanks for the suggestions. Hadn't heard of the wall squats before, so I'm glad for the fresh idea. I will also try the box squats. I was steered away from them early in my lifting journey and encouraged to do the traditional "ass to heal" squats. Maybe that change is what I need. I appreciate the replies and will post again after trying these out.

wrecker
06-15-08, 9:22 pm
I'm a big pusher for box squats for someone who has bad form. Just the thing you gotta make sure is you still get proper depth. I've seen guys box squat and only go down not even a foot. In my mind that accomplishes nothing. Also love box squats because it takes some of the abuse out of the knees and back.

DreamZero
06-16-08, 6:58 am
I've read an article about this some monthes ago.. to sum it up, they said that if you're from that school (no knees ahead of toes), yes it will diminish a bit stress on knees, but will greatly increase stress on hip flexors and lower back..

"When talking about knees going forward, one study jumps out. Fry, Smith, and Schilling (2003) examined joint kinetics during back squats under two conditions.

The first condition placed a board in front of the participants' shins, which restricted forward displacement of the knee. In the second condition, movement wasn't restricted at all. They squatted normally and the knees were allowed to pass the toes.

The researchers found that restricting the forward excursion of the knees during the squat increased anterior lean of the trunk and promoted an increased "internal angle at the knees and ankles."

The results showed a 22% decrease in knee torque and a 1070% increase in hip torque! That stress has to go somewhere. Keeping the knees behind the toes definitely reduces the forces on the knee, but those forces were transferred more than tenfold to the hips and lower back."

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1767210

The Hulk2011
06-17-08, 1:54 am
Your knees should not go past your toes when your squating. I would recomend just going with light weight and squat and focus on keeping you knees from passing your toes. once you can do multiple reps with your knees not pasing then it should feel pretty normal. then you can go back to lifting real heavy. Always pinch your shoulder plades together, keep your head straight tilted up slightly, keep you back straight, and bring you butt down untill it passes your knees.

Bigun
06-19-10, 12:03 am
Im checking my ego at the door here. I dont work with a partner so I have to review form sometimes. Going over videos of different sites Muscular Development, Muscle and Fitness. Ive notices the big power lifters keep there shins straight up with knees never going past the balls of your feet to prevent knee injury. Some other bodybiulders squat straight down with knees past the balls of the feet and shins not striaght.

What is right, what do yall do. Videos would be great.

FITGYM
06-19-10, 12:38 am
A textbook squat should be with

"upper torso to quads angle" matching "quads to calf angle"

and to develop that tear drop you should either

go to the bucket or do a lot of straight leg quad flexing after each set of squats or both

Bigun
06-19-10, 1:22 am
So are you sayin that the 2 angles are more important than the shins being striaght up and down.

BigChrisF
06-19-10, 3:39 am
Some of it depends on your height and limb length. If you are taller with longer limbs, you won't be able to keep your shins as upright as someone with shorter legs. You should be sitting back into the lift and this will keep your knees from drifting too far forward. Start the squat by breaking the hips and sitting back. Don't lead off the squat by bending your knees.

Bigun
06-19-10, 4:32 am
You pretty much hit my form on the head. Im 6'3" long legs and arms so very hard to keep legs completely straight but very close. Sounds like im heading in the right direction.

naturalguy
06-19-10, 8:53 am
Keep in mind that powerlifting form can be very different from a bodybuilding squat. Neither is right or wrong.

Your height and build have a lot to do with it. My form at 5'7" would look very different than yours at 6'3"

FITGYM
06-19-10, 12:05 pm
So are you sayin that the 2 angles are more important than the shins being striaght up and down.

I'm saying the angles are more of a guide to a solid and balanced squat. If the angles are different than the weight load will be more dynamic on one's lower back or knees instead of the quads.

Bigun
06-21-10, 6:03 am
Thanks for all the feedback guys.

Loomis
06-22-10, 4:38 pm
Not to highjack your post but I Gota question of my own.

Is it better to go as deep as possible when squating or to just go parallel?

Also is there a good stretch I should do to help limber up for the squat?

mritter3
06-22-10, 4:42 pm
Not to highjack your post but I Gota question of my own.

Is it better to go as deep as possible when squating or to just go parallel?

Also is there a good stretch I should do to help limber up for the squat?

i always at least go to parallel...but below 95% of the time...that is true squatting...before i squat I do some good mornings...walk on treadmill, and squat with the bar to get my legs warmed up...it is crucial to properly warm up...especially with the squat.

Loomis
06-22-10, 8:46 pm
Alright, cool. I was going as deep as possbile but I didn't bother warming up... Needless to say I was fucked up for a few after that.

BigChrisF
06-23-10, 6:13 pm
You should always at least squat to depth. Although it doesn't always work out that way, in powerlifting it is defined as the crease at the top of the hip being at the level with the top of the knee. If you want to go deeper than that, go nuts. Squatting higher than that loses a lot of benefits from doing squats.

holdmyown
06-27-10, 4:03 pm
Just a suggestion, start by squatting facing a wall (no weight). Put your toes, knees, and face flat up against a wall and squat. The first time you may just fall on your ass but with practice you may get used to the correct movement and range of motion.

Try doing a set or two of these before your squats to feel the form, or just work on them until your squat form improves in general.

Disclaimer: Some peoples anatomy may just not be set up right for this.

I definitely tried this out, you disclaimer should say "May fall on ass and/or hit head on object directly behind you" because thats damn near what happened. I'm a taller guy (6'4) so I been trying this out and applying it to my squats. Yes I have had to drop some weight, but my form is getting a hell of a lot better and my knees don't ache after squatting heavy. Good stuff Giant Killer...good stuff.

styles
07-02-10, 10:09 am
I've always had problems with my form/balance and I gave-in and use a block. It helps.