Thread: newbie squat mistake #1!

Newbie squat mistake #1 should be don't squat with a bar on your back until you can squat with perfect form with your body weight.

Thanks for that Poor form becomes pretty obvious soon enough,
but i see alot of lifters at my gym doing what i described in the original post. You've made a good observation, we've all got our spin on what the numero uno mistake for squatting might be and im throwing mine out there for people to chew on!

Form is paramount, there is no room for spin there. If you cant squat with good form, you cant squat, and therefore shouldnt even step into a rack in the first place.

Not sure if thats necessarily true, i agree you shouldnt squat w/ proper form, but to say because you dont know good form you shouldnt step into a rack isnt that on point either. I may not be interpretating what you said correctly that said though.

In the golden era of lifting, Arnie and Co. often lifted with movements that at the time were revolutinary, and in some instances and to an extent, what we know today as not being optimal etc. Such as the Oak thinking leg extension's were meant to rip up your quads!

I think everyone should squat who wants to claim the laurels of a bodybuilder, but should also study the stance, have someone who the know how to correct if necessary, but dont let a lack of knowledge daunt them from giving the lift a try..afterall, thats how alot of the bread and butter of the industry we have today, was accomplished (note, im not claiming ignorance should be a staple, but, it is bliss in a sense).

Originally Posted by lgkitfox

Not sure if thats necessarily true, i agree you shouldnt squat w/ proper form, but to say because you dont know good form you shouldnt step into a rack isnt that on point either. I may not be interpretating what you said correctly that said though.

In the golden era of lifting, Arnie and Co. often lifted with movements that at the time were revolutinary, and in some instances and to an extent, what we know today as not being optimal etc. Such as the Oak thinking leg extension's were meant to rip up your quads!

I think everyone should squat who wants to claim the laurels of a bodybuilder, but should also study the stance, have someone who the know how to correct if necessary, but dont let a lack of knowledge daunt them from giving the lift a try..afterall, thats how alot of the bread and butter of the industry we have today, was accomplished (note, im not claiming ignorance should be a staple, but, it is bliss in a sense).

The point is that if you don't learn good form early, then you probably won't learn good form. At first it may not hurt when you use only the bar or a little weight, but eventually:

Squatting 300lbs + Bad Form =

Somebody should explain the proper form then...edumacation is key!!!

Originally Posted by lgkitfox

Not sure if thats necessarily true, i agree you shouldnt squat w/ proper form, but to say because you dont know good form you shouldnt step into a rack isnt that on point either. I may not be interpretating what you said correctly that said though.

No, thats exactly what i said. If you cant squat with good form, you should work on your flexibility and mobility or whatever the problem is before you even surpass just using your bodyweight on that movement.

If you step into a rack and load up your spine with weight while knowing you cant perform the movement properly (and safely) you deserve to get injured.

Originally Posted by danzik17

The point is that if you don't learn good form early, then you probably won't learn good form. At first it may not hurt when you use only the bar or a little weight, but eventually:

Squatting 300lbs + Bad Form =

To be honest i dont think it even has to get particularly heavy to do you a mischief. You hear about people pulling their backs out bending down to tie their shoes or lifting a sofa or something.

Hell, i pulled my back out last summer split squatting 50lbs! And i deserved it because i wasnt concentrating, lol. Still paying for it, too.

Just goes to show that even if you CAN do a movement with perfect form, which i did because id been split squatting for at least a year before that with good form, it can still slip away in a moment if you dont pay attention. Let alone if you dont know the form perfectly to start with.

Just today I saw an idiot leaning forward on the upward movement because the weight was too heavy. He really struggled keeping the weight stable. He had packed on about 180 lbs onto the bar and I guess 90 lbs would have been plenty. I told him and he just told me to mind my own business. Who cares?

Originally Posted by XFatMan

Just today I saw an idiot leaning forward on the upward movement because the weight was too heavy. He really struggled keeping the weight stable. He had packed on about 180 lbs onto the bar and I guess 90 lbs would have been plenty. I told him and he just told me to mind my own business. Who cares?

Well you tried, man.

Next time sit back with a video camera because sooner or later his face will meet the carpet.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

Well you tried, man.

Next time sit back with a video camera because sooner or later his face will meet the carpet.

Yeah, good idea. I guess he didn't like my advice because he's been lifting for ages and I am just a beginner.

Originally Posted by XFatMan

Yeah, good idea. I guess he didn't like my advice because he's been lifting for ages and I am just a beginner.

He didnt like your advice because taking weight off the bar is something his ego cant allow.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

To be honest i dont think it even has to get particularly heavy to do you a mischief. You hear about people pulling their backs out bending down to tie their shoes or lifting a sofa or something.

Hell, i pulled my back out last summer split squatting 50lbs! And i deserved it because i wasnt concentrating, lol. Still paying for it, too.

Just goes to show that even if you CAN do a movement with perfect form, which i did because id been split squatting for at least a year before that with good form, it can still slip away in a moment if you dont pay attention. Let alone if you dont know the form perfectly to start with.

Eh it was just a random weight I chose. Hell I would probably wreck my back if I wasn't careful with form, and I'm only squatting like 170lbs.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

He didnt like your advice because taking weight off the bar is something his ego cant allow.

Exactly!!! Takes only one fuckup to learn that one's ego must remain in the locker room on squat day!!!

Originally Posted by danzik17

Eh it was just a random weight I chose. Hell I would probably wreck my back if I wasn't careful with form, and I'm only squatting like 170lbs.

Exactly, you could probably do some damage squatting BW too much with bad form aswell.

You were dead on. Bad form doesnt know what weight youre using

Originally Posted by crazy_enough

Exactly!!! Takes only one fuckup to learn that one's ego must remain in the locker room on squat day!!!

And indeed any day in the gym! When i have my gym up and running in the future there will be big signs everywhere saying just that

If you step into a rack and load up your spine with weight while knowing you cant perform the movement properly (and safely) you deserve to get injured.

Well 'cha...but anyone just getting into squat training should be using no weight *at least intitially for..* plenty of warm up sets, have done their research, etc.

ALot of people just dont know they are doing the movement improperly...alot of people in today's gyms dont even use a squat rack save for arm curls heh.

bump for good thread.

Originally Posted by XFatMan

he didn't like my advice because he's been lifting for ages and I am just a beginner.

What did you expect?

I see what all of you are saying, but I don't totally agree, or with the mobility and flexibility part. I have scar tissue in both of my ankles from years of repeated football injuries. I would have never made it into the rack had I waited until I had perfect form. I still have shitty form if my feet are shoulder width apart, but it is because of a limitation that I can't fix.

Switching to wide stance squats fixed the problem for the most part, but I wouldn't have had the hip power to do them if I hadn't been squatting with plates under my feet for years.

Other than that, I agree with what you guys are saying about form.