Here he comes, the biggest douche in the universe...

[Anthrax Invasion]

No, no. Not John Edwards. Me.

Everyone who's done 5x5 knows MC advocates full olympic style squatting. If you don't, go away. Now, I've always followed the idea that your knees should not go beyond your toes, and if they did, you had a flexibility issue. At the same time, many olylifters do this with no problems.

Earlier today, I got an actual description of what oly squats are supposed to be. Break at knees first, no sitting back in any way (no sticking ass out at all), and descend right down. Unless this is incorrect, I haven't been oly squatting at all! I've been doing something between a generic power squat and an oly squat (think how Mark Rippetoe advocates squats, then somewhere less than that).

Well, is this how it's supposed to be? Break at knees and allow them to drift ever so slightly over the toes? 'cause it felt worlds better on my back. Fuck, I have three bulging discs and my little trial workout tonight (squat, bench, deadlift) felt great. No back issue during or after. Hell, my back hurt a little bit tonight before I started, but I wasn't in the mood to be a pussy tonight (although I am what I eat... )

So who else made a mistake like me? Am I the only douche here? I hope not. I'll have to eat my words of something-less-than-envy to Blut Wump.

 

[bignate73]

I was always told, you drop "into the pocket" when OLY squatting. your knees are going to shift forward a bit.

don't beat yourself up over it. when you stop learning you stop progressing.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

I'll beat myself up alright - with my newfound, glorious olympic squats! The real kind!

Good call though. Into the pocket.

 

[muscelove]

I always wondering if i could improve my form on my squat or deadlift to make the lift more efficient. It bothers me casue i may not be getting the full potential from the lift. Its somehting that comes with time i guess.

 

[AEKDB]

I was always told, you drop "into the pocket" when OLY squatting. your knees are going to shift forward a bit.

don't beat yourself up over it. when you stop learning you stop progressing.

Good way to describe it. I show people by putting a 10lb plate between their feet and telling them to squat down and pick it up. When they are at bottom I stop them and make them look at the position.

 

[Protobuilder]

I hear ya'. I think a lot of us do more of an athletic-semi-Olympic squat. The best way I've heard it described is, try to sit on your nuts.

 

[blut wump]

Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

I've never worried about knees drifting forwards except when PL-style squatting or on box-squats. I think it's inevitable with a narrower stance where you drop down rather than sitting back.

I'm pleased you've found a stance and technique to permit you to resume squats.

 

[casualbb]

dammit! i'm suposed to be doing olympics, and by this description I sit back way too much. argh

 

[BiggT]

Truly, the only thing an olympic squat and a pl-squat have in common is that they're both called 'squats'.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Truly, the only thing an olympic squat and a pl-squat have in common is that they're both called 'squats'.

I've decided to do oly squats and sumo deadlifts. They should basically build my lower half similar to power squats and conventional deadlifts, in that sumos will cover my hamstrings and glutes like power squats would. 'sides, oly squats and sumos keep me much more upright, and it makes it worlds easier on my lower back. I like this.

 

[psychedout]

Fuck overcomplicating squats. I just put the bar on my back, go ass to grass, come back up. Whatever form feels comfortable is what I do. Yeah my knees go past my toes but they are doing just great and it feels completely natural. Form is going to depend bigtime on your body structure. I have very short legs and a very long torso.

 

[TheOak84]

i thought u were gonna talk about Debaser....

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Fuck overcomplicating squats. I just put the bar on my back, go ass to grass, come back up. Whatever form feels comfortable is what I do. Yeah my knees go past my toes but they are doing just great and it feels completely natural. Form is going to depend bigtime on your body structure. I have very short legs and a very long torso.

It's not overcomplicating them. Sitting back can still feel comfortable for me (aside from my back now, they used to feel fine), but so does this new style. I also naturally used to sit back. That kind've form felt natural, but I now need to regroove motor patterns. Body structure isn't going to change the fact that power squats put more shearing force on the lumbar spine. The more upright you are, the easier it is on the back.

Debaser...whatever happened to him? That douche. Me and him happened to get along well.

 

[Madcow2]

I've never really been a stickler for it. Obviously full range of motion - for some people that's almost ass on the floor, others can't get that deep without form breaking. For almost every human on the planet - that's also below parallel (full range and below parallel are the things I tend to stress). You can do full olympic squats, a more neutral athletic squat. Probably not a pure wide stance, sit back far, parallel, heavy lean PL squat - not because I condem it in any way but just because it tends to more than people can handle and really overldoes things. That said, I'm also not convinced a competition PL squat provides the best carryover to activities other than PL comp. Not that it's a bad movement just very specific to generating a maximum "legal" squat.

I think people ran with the whole olympic squat/ass stain on the floor thing. Everyone's body is different and you find what works for you. And what works should be what is natural and full range of "your" body, not necessarily what someone else can do.

 

[kethnaab]

amen to that madcow. you are a fellow who displays good sense.

I always did a combo type squat. a moderately wide stance, bar relatively high, some ass drift, some knee drift, relatively deep (certainly past parallel)

i always figured going too deep wasn't too good for you, and not going deep enough was just stupid, so I found a happy medium.

 

[perp69]

It is all about what is comfortable to you and not what is for someone else. If the lift does not feel right I can tell and I modify it to fix it and stay as close to good form as possible. I think a strong back is like insurance and gives you a lot more options and flexibility in your lifts. So I try to work the abs and lower back a lot for that reason.

Perp