squat question, i did them shoulder width today...

bharminder · 07-03-2001, 08:24 PM

when i was doing them it felt like a lot of weight on my back and id feel it when id go back up from the lowest position...i didnt feel it as much as i thught i would in the quads, but i went to the leg extension machine and i put it on 40 and i couldnt do 4 reps so i guess they did. I still felt it in my ass and a little in hamstrings but not as much. My question is is it ok that i feel that in my back and that i will get used to it when my back strengthens or I could be doing something wrong? thanks

**Prince** · 07-04-2001, 07:05 AM

How deep are you going? Are you leaning forward at the bottom?

------------------
Just because the majority believes it, does not make it true!

Scotty the Body · 07-04-2001, 07:08 AM

Yes, it could be your form, use a lower weight till you get use to the movement.

Are you new to doing squats? Or just doing them shoulder width apart. I know when I started, my lower back would feel alot of pressure cause my form wasn't there yet but it got better with some practice.

------------------
Just another day in the gutter

ballast · 07-04-2001, 09:52 AM

Are you making a transition from wide-stance squats to shoulder-width squats?If so, the extra pressure you feel on your back is probably due to faulty form.Try them again with a reduced poundage and really pay attention to your form.Two other causes could be weak lower back muscles or a lack of flexibility in the hips or ankles.

------------------
"I'm just here to kick a$$, sleep till noon"

bharminder · 07-04-2001, 11:51 AM

i dont think i was leaning over too much because i was still pushing off my heels and not the balls of my feet, maybe hip flexibiilty or weak lower back muscles have something to do with it, should i just keep plugging away at it??
prince i go to parallel and then back up

<FONT COLOR="#000002" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[Edited 1 time by bharminder on 07-04-2001 at 01:53 PM]</font>

Scotty the Body · 07-04-2001, 11:55 AM

Hell yeah, keep at it!!! Just keep the weight down a bit till your use to it.
I still wear a belt when I start getting close to my max, it helps my lower back a bit.

------------------
Just another day in the gutter

ballast · 07-04-2001, 12:08 PM

I would keep at it, using light weights and closely monitoring your form.If you suspect your low back is weak, here are some good exercises:back extensions on a swiss ball,reverse back extensions,standing or seated good mornings and stiff-legged deadlifts.Try stretching the hips with lunge stretches.This is basically the bottom of a lunge(no weight),keep the torso erect and push the hips forward until you feel a good stretch.

------------------
"I'm just here to kick a$$, sleep till noon"

bharminder · 07-04-2001, 01:21 PM

(edit) i just deleted the previous message ive been doing them bodyweight for like an hour now and i think i got it, but i do have a question, i felt some pressure in my ankles, im guessing there unflexible, how do i increase flexibility in my ankles?

<FONT COLOR="#000002" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[Edited 1 time by bharminder on 07-04-2001 at 04:07 PM]</font>

ballast · 07-04-2001, 02:21 PM

Stand on a step or platform that is atleast 4-6 inches high.Assume the position you use for one-legged calf raises.Using only one leg at a time, lower your heel toward the floor, when you feel a good stretch, hold it for 15-30 sec.Then alternate feet.If you keep your leg locked at the knee, you will feel most of the stretch in the calf muscle.If you bend at the knee a bit, you will feel it mostly in your ankle.

------------------
"I'm just here to kick a$$, sleep till noon"

bharminder · 07-04-2001, 03:29 PM

okay noow im not so sure i know how lol, can one of u post a pic of a bottom position squat from a side view.?

TheSupremeBeing · 07-04-2001, 08:05 PM

bharminder, keep the wide stance squats.

------------------
Complex problems have simple, easy to understand, wrong answers.

bharminder · 07-04-2001, 08:25 PM

yeah after talkin to u on aim and thinkin for a long long time i decided to stick to that...its most comfortable for me

TheSupremeBeing · 07-04-2001, 08:39 PM

Oh yeah, and your question...

Being able to "feel" a part of a muscle more than another part could be due to a lot of factors. Could be tendon related, the stretch the opposing muscle is under, stabiliation muscles, or a number of other things. The primary reason is just simple proprioception, which is the ability to sense the orientation and relative position of your body in space by interpreting neural feedback related to muscle fiber length and joint position and not tension, fatigue, or level of fiber recruitment.

------------------
Complex problems have simple, easy to understand, wrong answers.

bharminder · 07-04-2001, 09:09 PM

meaning my quads will still get worked hard...?

TheSupremeBeing · 07-04-2001, 09:27 PM

You can't extend the knee (squat) without working the quads. If you take a set of squats to exaustion (not necessarily failure), then you will stimulate the quads.

Also, going below parellel will recruit the hams and glutes more, and not offer any additional stimulation and potentially less because of unfavorable mechanics such as leverage causing you to fail before the muscles are fully fatigued. By squatting only to parellel you will avoid this problem and thus be able to fatigue the actual muscles more.

Like I told you on IM, if you're really worried about it than do a set or two og leg extensions before your squats which would fatigued the quads and cause them to fail before the other involved muscles.

Another option would be to perform a the leg ext AFTER the squats as to not rob the other involved muscles of stimulation but also maxmimally stimulate the quads.

------------------
Complex problems have simple, easy to understand, wrong answers.

Scotty the Body · 07-05-2001, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheSupremeBeing:
Another option would be to perform a the leg ext AFTER the squats as to not rob the other involved muscles of stimulation but also maxmimally stimulate the quads.

Thats what I do, works well for me.

------------------
Just another day in the gutter

07-03-2001, 08:24 PM	#1
bharminder Registered User Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA Posts: 129	squat question, i did them shoulder width today... when i was doing them it felt like a lot of weight on my back and id feel it when id go back up from the lowest position...i didnt feel it as much as i thught i would in the quads, but i went to the leg extension machine and i put it on 40 and i couldnt do 4 reps so i guess they did. I still felt it in my ass and a little in hamstrings but not as much. My question is is it ok that i feel that in my back and that i will get used to it when my back strengthens or I could be doing something wrong? thanks

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07-04-2001, 07:05 AM	#2
Prince the one & only Administrator Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Colorado Posts: 33,520 Blog Entries: 25 Photos: 313	How deep are you going? Are you leaning forward at the bottom? ------------------ Just because the majority believes it, does not make it true!

07-04-2001, 07:08 AM	#3
Scotty the Body I'm Dead Sexxxxy!! Elite Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Canada Posts: 4,970	Yes, it could be your form, use a lower weight till you get use to the movement. Are you new to doing squats? Or just doing them shoulder width apart. I know when I started, my lower back would feel alot of pressure cause my form wasn't there yet but it got better with some practice. ------------------ Just another day in the gutter

07-04-2001, 09:52 AM	#4
ballast Registered User Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Kalamazoo,MI USA Posts: 350	Are you making a transition from wide-stance squats to shoulder-width squats?If so, the extra pressure you feel on your back is probably due to faulty form.Try them again with a reduced poundage and really pay attention to your form.Two other causes could be weak lower back muscles or a lack of flexibility in the hips or ankles. ------------------ "I'm just here to kick a$$, sleep till noon"

07-04-2001, 11:51 AM	#5
bharminder Registered User Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA Posts: 129	i dont think i was leaning over too much because i was still pushing off my heels and not the balls of my feet, maybe hip flexibiilty or weak lower back muscles have something to do with it, should i just keep plugging away at it?? prince i go to parallel and then back up <FONT COLOR="#000002" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[Edited 1 time by bharminder on 07-04-2001 at 01:53 PM]</font>

07-04-2001, 11:55 AM	#6
Scotty the Body I'm Dead Sexxxxy!! Elite Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Canada Posts: 4,970	Hell yeah, keep at it!!! Just keep the weight down a bit till your use to it. I still wear a belt when I start getting close to my max, it helps my lower back a bit. ------------------ Just another day in the gutter

07-04-2001, 12:08 PM	#7
ballast Registered User Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Kalamazoo,MI USA Posts: 350	I would keep at it, using light weights and closely monitoring your form.If you suspect your low back is weak, here are some good exercises:back extensions on a swiss ball,reverse back extensions,standing or seated good mornings and stiff-legged deadlifts.Try stretching the hips with lunge stretches.This is basically the bottom of a lunge(no weight),keep the torso erect and push the hips forward until you feel a good stretch. ------------------ "I'm just here to kick a$$, sleep till noon"

07-04-2001, 01:21 PM	#8
bharminder Registered User Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA Posts: 129	(edit) i just deleted the previous message ive been doing them bodyweight for like an hour now and i think i got it, but i do have a question, i felt some pressure in my ankles, im guessing there unflexible, how do i increase flexibility in my ankles? <FONT COLOR="#000002" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[Edited 1 time by bharminder on 07-04-2001 at 04:07 PM]</font>

07-04-2001, 02:21 PM	#9
ballast Registered User Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Kalamazoo,MI USA Posts: 350	Stand on a step or platform that is atleast 4-6 inches high.Assume the position you use for one-legged calf raises.Using only one leg at a time, lower your heel toward the floor, when you feel a good stretch, hold it for 15-30 sec.Then alternate feet.If you keep your leg locked at the knee, you will feel most of the stretch in the calf muscle.If you bend at the knee a bit, you will feel it mostly in your ankle. ------------------ "I'm just here to kick a$$, sleep till noon"

07-04-2001, 03:29 PM	#10
bharminder Registered User Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA Posts: 129	okay noow im not so sure i know how lol, can one of u post a pic of a bottom position squat from a side view.?

07-04-2001, 08:05 PM	#11
TheSupremeBeing Senior Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Chillin' in mah cribb, yo. Posts: 598	bharminder, keep the wide stance squats. ------------------ Complex problems have simple, easy to understand, wrong answers.

07-04-2001, 08:25 PM	#12
bharminder Registered User Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA Posts: 129	yeah after talkin to u on aim and thinkin for a long long time i decided to stick to that...its most comfortable for me

07-04-2001, 08:39 PM	#13
TheSupremeBeing Senior Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Chillin' in mah cribb, yo. Posts: 598	Oh yeah, and your question... Being able to "feel" a part of a muscle more than another part could be due to a lot of factors. Could be tendon related, the stretch the opposing muscle is under, stabiliation muscles, or a number of other things. The primary reason is just simple proprioception, which is the ability to sense the orientation and relative position of your body in space by interpreting neural feedback related to muscle fiber length and joint position and not tension, fatigue, or level of fiber recruitment. ------------------ Complex problems have simple, easy to understand, wrong answers.

07-04-2001, 09:09 PM	#14
bharminder Registered User Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA Posts: 129	meaning my quads will still get worked hard...?

07-04-2001, 09:27 PM	#15
TheSupremeBeing Senior Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Chillin' in mah cribb, yo. Posts: 598	You can't extend the knee (squat) without working the quads. If you take a set of squats to exaustion (not necessarily failure), then you will stimulate the quads. Also, going below parellel will recruit the hams and glutes more, and not offer any additional stimulation and potentially less because of unfavorable mechanics such as leverage causing you to fail before the muscles are fully fatigued. By squatting only to parellel you will avoid this problem and thus be able to fatigue the actual muscles more. Like I told you on IM, if you're really worried about it than do a set or two og leg extensions before your squats which would fatigued the quads and cause them to fail before the other involved muscles. Another option would be to perform a the leg ext AFTER the squats as to not rob the other involved muscles of stimulation but also maxmimally stimulate the quads. ------------------ Complex problems have simple, easy to understand, wrong answers.