Squat Form

[TheWolf]

Mudge had a great post on "How to Bench Big" which has helped me tremendously.
http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/showthread.php?t=11158&highlight=bench+big

Is there a similar article out there for squatting? I've read somewhere your knees should not go past your toes.....right?? Mine do, especially while doing leg presses.

 

[Akateros]

As luck would have it, Saturday Fever posted the very thing a couple days ago.
http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/showthread.php?t=33779

 

[TheWolf]

Thanks Akateros. I tried to do a search, but too many hits to search through. That is a great post from SF. One thing not mentioned is where are you pushing from?....I assume from the heals and not the balls of you feet...right??

I have been avoiding squats because I just don't have the experience with the lift. I want to start off on the right foot and not develop any bad habits\injuries. I have not seen anyone in my gym squat to get advice from.

Any idea with the knee going past the toe thing? I did legs last night and tried to focus on that while doing leg presses. I tried placing my feet in different positions, but my knee always went past me toe. Any thoughts on that?? I'm only pressing 390. I want to continue to push myself, but I don't want to have a blow-out either.

 

[Saturday Fever]

You're pushing out on the sides of your feet. You will want to use the entire side of your feet.

 

[TheWolf]

Thanks Sat,
I have to work on the fundamentals of this movment. In watching some of the video clips you've posted, I see that I am trying to keep my back too vertical. The videos show more angle than I am using.

Back to the drawing board.

Thanks

 

[Erik]

I follow these squat posts. I AM A TRUE BELIEVER IN SQUATS. The healed my back period. Big fat juicy crushing squats. But it took almost a year for me to nail them right. There is a right way and a wrong way, but I'll be damned if there are not a ton of ways to do them.I think that allot depends on your body type.

 

[Erik]

BTW. Saturdaynight fever....Thanks for you squat posts. When it comes to squats I have been running some Lord Jim operation at my "fitness center". Meaning, I have been totally on my own in the wilderness worse the Kurtz in Heart of Darkness.
My advice is...go slow, light and pay attention to form. Bring up the rest of your body.It takes a while to get the whole thing hitting on on cylinders. One day it will click. Don't be afraid to ask and stare

 

[Saturday Fever]

Saturdaynight fever....

Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk...

 

[Riverdragon]

SF's thread on squatting is one of the best threads I have read on this board. I was always kind of hesitant to do squats because I was so worried about my knees. After reading that thread I tried doing them with my feet further apart and closer in and was amazed at how much better it felt. Now I can't wait until my next leg day to do some more!

 

[ALBOB]

I want to start off on the right foot

There's your main problem, you need to use BOTH feet.

You're very correct to be so concerned about squat form. I got stupid a few years ago and tore the Patellar tendon of my right knee so bad it had to be surgically repaired. I'm still not back to where I used to be but that's a matter of age and fear. I'm damn scared of doing it again. I've made an amazing discovery during my recovery though; FRONT squats. They take a hell of a lot of getting used to but they are awesome for hitting the quads hard without putting stress on the knees.

 

[TheWolf]

There's your main problem, you need to use BOTH feet.

Wow, I can go and double my max now!!!

Yeah, I'm worried about my back and knees. I avoided squats, but I want to start. I've never had any real knee trouble, have had some minor lower back pain. I'll just start light and focus on form and go from there.

This knee past toe thing still bothers me with the leg press machine. I can't see getting around it. Watching the squat video's I can see it, but not on the leg press. Any ideas on that?? Are leg presses worth it if you are doing squats??

 

[Riverdragon]

When doing leg presses my feet go pretty high on the plate so they are always above my knees anyway.

I don't see any problem with doing both squats and presses but if you have a really good and heavy squat session then I wouldn't see the need to do presses in the same workout. I think about it like this - I am trying to hit the muscle really well and if I achieve that with squats then I should be beat afterwards and not able to do any presses.

 

[ALBOB]

I think the "knee past the toe" obsession is probably what's holding you back. Your body is going to do whatever it does naturally, don't fight it. Just keep your head up HIGH (to protect your back) and keep your weight as far back as possible (so you're pressing with your heels, not your toes). Pressing with your heels puts the weight on your quads, pressing with your toes puts the weight on your knees. (That's exactly how I tore up my knee.)

As far as the squat vs. leg press arguement goes, they're two different exercises. You don't do just bench presses for your chest, right? You don't do just rows for your lats, right? Don't limit yourself, you can do both. Now, having said that, I'd make squats your #1 priority. Squats will ultimately provide you with a better overall workout than leg presses, but again, you can do both.

 

[TheWolf]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Sounds like solid advice.

 

[Mudge]

When doing leg presses my feet go pretty high on the plate so they are always above my knees anyway.

Great for the hamns, but wont hit the quads much. High and outside is a duck press.

 

[ALBOB]

High and outside is a duck press.

I thought a duck press was when you sliced the meat real thin and squeezed it between two slices of bread?