Thread: Why can't I squat?

My guess is a genetic problem. Go see a sports Doctor about it.

Did you stretch beforehand? Dumb question, but after I stretch i can get that extra inch or two..

Hard to tell with only 1 view, but your add/abductors aren't stabilizing you in any direction, your legs go in and out throughout your limited ROM, so you need to strengthen both. Are you leaning excessively forward at the hip? My guess, and it is hard to see, is that your hip flexors are super tight, your ass is weak, or both. Your glutes are certainly weak, it would explain both the lack of stabilization and the forward lean. Can't see what your lower back is doing in the video, that would help. Your core definitely needs work, you can't keep your upper body stiff whatsoever. Your calves could be tight/your ant. tib could be weak as well, but I cannot see your feet so I have no idea on that. It is as if you have no kinesthetic awareness whatsoever and you are afraid to go down that far. Do a side view with some light as well as a front view with light. Get your whole leg including your foot as well.

Can you start fron the very bottom position, ass to ankles and get up, or can you not even get in that position?

The simple answer is that you can't squat because you don't.

hmmmmm.....dunno, how about stretching?

Hard to tell from one angle like dale said.....

here is what I can gather from the information given:

1) weak core strength is causing lots of compensatory movement at the pelvis.

2) you have really tight hip flexors and calves which are causing you to excessively lean foreward/

3) you have very poor hip stability causing you to move all over the place on the decent. If I had to guess I would say your glutes are weak (maximus, medius and minimus) because you are lacking overal stability.

4) hard to tell but it looks like your back is rounding.....are your hamstrings really tight?

5) extremely poor balance and coordination. How often do you practice the movement?

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

Hard to tell with only 1 view, but your add/abductors aren't stabilizing you in any direction, your legs go in and out throughout your limited ROM, so you need to strengthen both. Are you leaning excessively forward at the hip? My guess, and it is hard to see, is that your hip flexors are super tight, your ass is weak, or both. Your glutes are certainly weak, it would explain both the lack of stabilization and the forward lean. Can't see what your lower back is doing in the video, that would help. Your core definitely needs work, you can't keep your upper body stiff whatsoever. Your calves could be tight/your ant. tib could be weak as well, but I cannot see your feet so I have no idea on that. It is as if you have no kinesthetic awareness whatsoever and you are afraid to go down that far. Do a side view with some light as well as a front view with light. Get your whole leg including your foot as well.
Ok I will make more videos from different angles.
Can you start fron the very bottom position, ass to ankles and get up, or can you not even get in that position?
No, If I am sitting on a low chair, I have to use my hands to push off of something to get up.
The simple answer is that you can't squat because you don't.

Comments above in bold, thanks alot for your input I will do the new vids and have them ready in like 15min.

Originally Posted by P-funk

Hard to tell from one angle like dale said.....

here is what I can gather from the information given:

1) weak core strength is causing lots of compensatory movement at the pelvis.

2) you have really tight hip flexors and calves which are causing you to excessively lean foreward/

3) you have very poor hip stability causing you to move all over the place on the decent. If I had to guess I would say your glutes are weak (maximus, medius and minimus) because you are lacking overal stability.

4) hard to tell but it looks like your back is rounding.....are your hamstrings really tight?

5) extremely poor balance and coordination. How often do you practice the movement?

I will get more angles soon

angles or not.....just look over what I said and try and make some sense of it in your training routine.

^ P, I don't know if you saw the first video of him squatting (the one with his little cousin laughing in the background), it was likely when you were at camp,
but believe it or not this new video shows a HUGE improvement. In his last squat video his whole body was shaking like crazy, legs wobbling all over the place and he hardly went down at all. It also looks like he has lost about ten pounds since his last performance. Dale had some of the same observations, but what's the kid to do? I think just getting down on all fours and then standing up as well as your other previous suggestions might help a lot. I know he doesn't drive yet, but taking a yoga class a few times a week might be a good idea, he's obviously very tight and lacks basic coordination.

Originally Posted by Bakerboy

^ P, I don't know if you saw the first video of him squatting (the one with his little cousin laughing in the background), it was likely when you were at camp,
but believe it or not this new video shows a HUGE improvement. In his last squat video his whole body was shaking like crazy, legs wobbling all over the place and he hardly went down at all. It also looks like he has lost about ten pounds since his last performance. Dale had some of the same observations, but what's the kid to do? I think just getting down on all fours and then standing up as well as your other previous suggestions might help a lot. I know he doesn't drive yet, but taking a yoga class a few times a week might be a good idea, he's obviously very tight and lacks basic coordination.

no, i never knew there was another video?


what is he to do?

If I were training him it would be a healthy does of glute bridges (static holds at top, fire the glutes), lateral tube walking or x-band walks (fire the glutes), then stripper squats (hands holding onto the side of the power rack as you squat down), pause in the bottom, fire glutes stand back up. Also, leg presses, progressing to single leg leg presses and then eventually we do Db squats, holding one DB between the legs by the bell end, and then we move to DB front squats and then to BB squats or trap bar if avaliable.

bridging and plank exercises for the core

and hit up some seriously flexibility training

Swiss Ball Squats!!

heh....just a thought...I have a lot of clients who do these, they are just too overweight and too weak to do anything else.

Originally Posted by PWGriffin

Swiss Ball Squats!!

heh....just a thought...I have a lot of clients who do these, they are just too overweight and too weak to do anything else.

could work. I usually don't use that as a progression but it could work. Biggest problem I find with it is that people end up having their feet to far out in front, kind of mimics a smith squat, and they roll along the ball rather then squatting back and staying tight. But, with good coaching it could work.

Originally Posted by Bakerboy

^ P, I don't know if you saw the first video of him squatting (the one with his little cousin laughing in the background), it was likely when you were at camp,
but believe it or not this new video shows a HUGE improvement. In his last squat video his whole body was shaking like crazy, legs wobbling all over the place and he hardly went down at all. It also looks like he has lost about ten pounds since his last performance. Dale had some of the same observations, but what's the kid to do? I think just getting down on all fours and then standing up as well as your other previous suggestions might help a lot. I know he doesn't drive yet, but taking a yoga class a few times a week might be a good idea, he's obviously very tight and lacks basic coordination.

Yea I think I made an improvement, but still need alot of work, too bad I deleted that old video.

Originally Posted by P-funk

could work. I usually don't use that as a progression but it could work. Biggest problem I find with it is that people end up having their feet to far out in front, kind of mimics a smith squat, and they roll along the ball rather then squatting back and staying tight. But, with good coaching it could work.

It wouldn't be good for progression right, but if flexability is the real issue here, it could be a tool to improve his ROM.

What are swiss ball squats?

you don't look 230 to me dude....closer or under 200 to me.

anyway, for myself....i find it hard to just squat out of the blue with no bar also. But by just putting 10 pounds on each side of the bar, it feels balanced somehow and more natural. Maybe try it like that.

swiss ball squat on the left side of the page

Originally Posted by viet_jon

you don't look 230 to me dude....closer or under 200 to me.

anyway, for myself....i find it hard to just squat out of the blue with no bar also. But by just putting 10 pounds on each side of the bar, it feels balanced somehow and more natural. Maybe try it like that.

i disagree. if you can't squat with no weight you should not load the spine. no way!

just looking at him squat, he lacks tons of stability. A bar will invite the risk of injury.

squatting is one of the most natural movements that the human body can produce. unfortunalty, our sedentary society has destroyed it.

Originally Posted by P-funk

swiss ball squat on the left side of the page

I will definitly try those, I got one of those balls at my old house

Originally Posted by viet_jon

you don't look 230 to me dude....closer or under 200 to me.

anyway, for myself....i find it hard to just squat out of the blue with no bar also. But by just putting 10 pounds on each side of the bar, it feels balanced somehow and more natural. Maybe try it like that.

I am 6ft tall

Originally Posted by P-funk

i disagree. if you can't squat with no weight you should not load the spine. no way!

just looking at him squat, he lacks tons of stability. A bar will invite the risk of injury.
squatting is one of the most natural movements that the human body can produce. unfortunalty, our sedentary society has destroyed it.

You should have seen the old video lol

Originally Posted by mike456

You should have seen the old video lol

True story.

This was my assesment of the previous video:

One thing that is for sure is you're not doing the movement right. You are not sitting back. You're just jutting your knees forward. This anterior weight bearing is very common. You should definitely be starting with squat onto a box or bench to get your sitting back. The weight should be over the heels of your feet right in line with your lower leg bone. Initiate the movement at your hips. Sit back, not down.

You also look like you have tight hip flexors and/or you're severely lacking core stability. I think it's a combination of both. Your forward lean is crazy. It almost looks like a good morning. Stretch the shit out of those hip flexors and start working plank variations like a mofo. You have to stay more upright. This forward lean is probably largely contributing to your anterior weight bearing.

I can't tell for sure from the front view because of the lighting, but are your knees buckling inward? It kind of looks like it. If your knees are buckling then that usually means weak/inactive glutes and possibly tight adducts. Start doing some activation work as listed in the sticky about warming up.

The other video was from a side view, so I was able to see the form a little better. It was really dark though, so that limited my observations. Things look similar still. Now I can confirm that your knees are flopping around too.

was his lower back rounding out in the other one from the side view?


On top off all these things, tightness, poor form, etc.....You severly lack muscular control. I mean, even if you are tight, even with sloppy form....there should be no reason that you are shaking around like that.

Originally Posted by P-funk

was his lower back rounding out in the other one from the side view?


On top off all these things, tightness, poor form, etc.....You severly lack muscular control. I mean, even if you are tight, even with sloppy form....there should be no reason that you are shaking around like that.

I don't know about his lower back. Honestly, the lighting was so bad I couldn't see much very well.

my bad. safety first.

u still look like you lost weight from your other picture. keep rockin

I just made a side video and it looks exactly the same as the old one.

And for eveyone who is saying I lost weight, you will take that back after you see this video, you can even see my gyno in this one.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=liXvCl3dPC8