No more OLY Squats for me

[MANWHORE]

I just don't have the flexibility and the weight is all on my lower back when i go past parallel ... I pulled a muscle in my inner thigh and i just can't afford to get hurt anymore then .. then i could afford to get hurt .... I just don't want to get hurt putting my body in an awkward possition,which is why i don't do behind the neck presses either. .. so,now i will just go parallel,like most guys i see .. most guys i see don't squat,but most that do won't even go parallel ... Parallel is very low and it's where the weight still stays on my legs. I'm not saying they are bad,i'm just saying they are bad for ME. .. I just found out Friday that this guy i work with used to be a competitive powerlifter and he said i'm crazy for going past parallel. He said he knows some groups have to go lower than others but he never went past parallel and his body is pretty messed up. He can't train anymore because his knees and back are to badly damaged. I nkow that's more from very lowe reps (singles .. doubles ) so i try to stay with 5 reps and maybe 4 sometimes. Who here doesn't go ass to floor? I'm guessing alot of you don't even go parallel

[AnimalMass]

Well, your powerlifter friend is a moron. I am a powerlifter and I still squat ass to the floor quite frequently, because nothing makes you as big and strong as olympic squats.

If you do them correctly, you will not hurt your knees or back. Don't push the weight if your form is failing - stick with weights you can keep good form on and fix your flexibility issues and muscle imbalances.

Push your knees out and open up your groin when you squat.

Matt

[MANWHORE]

Originally Posted by AnimalMass

Well, your powerlifter friend is a moron. I am a powerlifter and I still squat ass to the floor quite frequently, because nothing makes you as big and strong as olympic squats.

If you do them correctly, you will not hurt your knees or back. Don't push the weight if your form is failing - stick with weights you can keep good form on and fix your flexibility issues and muscle imbalances.

Push your knees out and open up your groin when you squat.

Matt

I do keep my toes point outward at an angle but trust me when i say .. my flexibility sucks. I use to practice stretching for karate classes when i was very young and even then it really sucked. I practiced ED and i didn't get far. I know you love them,but they just aren't for me. Maybe i'll give them a try again in the future ... BTW thanks for saying my friend is a moron

[AnimalMass]

LOL - I have to throw a ridicule at you in each post or you'll think I won't like you anymore. :-)

However, I do stand by my statement that if your powerlifter buddy is messed up, that's his fault - not because he lifted hevay or did singles - but because he lifted incorrectly. And if you are crazy for doing olympic squats, then why is every Olympic weightlifter (who are some of the greatest athletes in the world) doing heavy, heavy olympic squats for singles? Very few of them have knee or back problems because they squat correctly.

Matt

[kethnaab]

bro, your hammies are tight

that's why you feel it in your low back. When you go past parallel without requisite hammie flexibility, your sacrum gets pulled underneath your body by your banjo-string hammies. You have to have good flexibility or your back will be killing you.

[Girth]

The ego causes injuries, not the exercise.

[MANWHORE]

Originally Posted by AnimalMass

LOL - I have to throw a ridicule at you in each post or you'll think I won't like you anymore. :-)

However, I do stand by my statement that if your powerlifter buddy is messed up, that's his fault - not because he lifted hevay or did singles - but because he lifted incorrectly. And if you are crazy for doing olympic squats, then why is every Olympic weightlifter (who are some of the greatest athletes in the world) doing heavy, heavy olympic squats for singles? Very few of them have knee or back problems because they squat correctly.

Matt

Don't get me wrong Animal,i'm not saying he's right and they are bad for everyone ... As far as my friend,i was just telling you what he said. I didn't agree with alot of other things he said. He didn't even go below parallel so OLY Squats didn't mess up his knees and back. You really make me want to continue doing them because i really like the stretch but it's hard with the heavy weight. I will have to use 200lbs .. Yeah yeah,i always said i wasn't there to impress anyone but 200lbs??? I don't even feel that's enough weight to stimulate my legs into growth. .. What would you say makes them better for growth over the basic squat? Higher stimulation of the CNS? I can see that but couldn't i just get that from pushing every set to almost failure? .. I would take them to failure but then i probably couldn't do them 3X/week .. OK i am going to have to give them another try. I trust you. If you say they worked for you for not only strength but also size,then i will give them another shot ... I was actually going to switch to HST program because i'm getting a little tired of 5X5. Should i use light weight in squats just until this pulled muscle heals,or should i just wait?

[MANWHORE]

Originally Posted by kethnaab

bro, your hammies are tight

that's why you feel it in your low back. When you go past parallel without requisite hammie flexibility, your sacrum gets pulled underneath your body by your banjo-string hammies. You have to have good flexibility or your back will be killing you.

My legs are strong and my back is even stronger,i just don't have the movement down yet .. I'm not worried about my lower back hurting because it never does,i'm just worried about training my lower back when i'm trying to train my legs. .. I just need to do like Animal said,and use a lighter weight until i get the movement right. I've been training for years and my form on other exercises is great. I'm just not use to OLY Squats,but i will get it

[MANWHORE]

Originally Posted by Girth

The ego causes injuries, not the exercise.

So what can i do about that? Tell that to all the Pros who have injuries .. tell that to Dorian Yates. .. Can you explain what you mean by that?

[AnimalMass]

Good idea MW - Well, if it's a pretty good strain then you better wait a bit. but if it's just a very minor pull, then you can keep squatting. Just keep the weight light - 200lbs is enough to cause growth if that is all you can do with good form.

Keep your chest up and high and push your knees out to the side - also, make sure your weight is throughout your foot and not up on the balls of your feet.

Matt

[MANWHORE]

Originally Posted by AnimalMass

Good idea MW - Well, if it's a pretty good strain then you better wait a bit. but if it's just a very minor pull, then you can keep squatting. Just keep the weight light - 200lbs is enough to cause growth if that is all you can do with good form.

Keep your chest up and high and push your knees out to the side - also, make sure your weight is throughout your foot and not up on the balls of your feet.

Matt

I try to always push with my heels but now that my form sucks,the weight dose go to the balls of my feet .. Thanks

[pupeye]

I have the same problem. I try to push with my heels but it feels like I'll fall backward. I have a tendency to lean forward while I squat or I'm pushing from the toes. Does this mean I have a weakness somewhere? I was thinking of trying front squats but ive never done them before and didn't want to hurt myself placing the bar in the wrong spot.

[Girth]

Any pro, in any sport, will have injuries. It's the nature of the beast. To be the best, you have to push your body to do things that it wasn't intended for. And I say this without sarcasm.....Are you at the pro level?

[Grizzly]

Originally Posted by MANWHORE

My legs are strong and my back is even stronger,i just don't have the movement down yet .. I'm not worried about my lower back hurting because it never does,i'm just worried about training my lower back when i'm trying to train my legs. .. I just need to do like Animal said,and use a lighter weight until i get the movement right. I've been training for years and my form on other exercises is great. I'm just not use to OLY Squats,but i will get it

I think it's alright that you get a lot of lower back work with your squats. I think it's a function of muscle imbalances, probably in the abs, actually. If I were you(because I've done this before) I would stick with X amount of weight and do it each workout until I felt that I had the movement correct and that the stress was being put where I wanted it. This is why, when I first began OLY squats, I used 135lbs for about a month.

[MANWHORE]

Originally Posted by Grizzly

I think it's alright that you get a lot of lower back work with your squats. I think it's a function of muscle imbalances, probably in the abs, actually. If I were you(because I've done this before) I would stick with X amount of weight and do it each workout until I felt that I had the movement correct and that the stress was being put where I wanted it. This is why, when I first began OLY squats, I used 135lbs for about a month.

How many reps were you doing ? .. I was even thinking about raising my reps because i get so damn tired from just 5 that i think my endurance sucks ass. I can only keep good form with 205 so i won't be going over that for a while