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need to improve flexibility.
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Protobuilder
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I'm no expert but I think everyone struggles w/ these at first. I'd suggest just keep doing them w/ nothing but the bar until you eventually find the groove and balance. You can stretch your shoulders, hips, ankles, etc., but I think you'll get it down if you just keep feeling it out.
A good stretch for the shoulders/chest is taking a broomstick overhead, holding the ends, and keep your arms straight while trying to rotate them back behind your head, like in the overhead squat position.
A good stretch for the shoulders/chest is taking a broomstick overhead, holding the ends, and keep your arms straight while trying to rotate them back behind your head, like in the overhead squat position.
musketeer
New member
I'll bet that it is your hips/lower back and ankles that are too tight. Hit them every workout to get them up to speed - with stretches.
The correct position for hand spaing is as wide as practicable - without touching the plate holders!
The bar should be over or even behind you head when sinking into the squat.
To paractice, use just the bar and try 5x3 or 5x5, do the sets first every workout (as a warm-up) until you get good at it.
The correct position for hand spaing is as wide as practicable - without touching the plate holders!
The bar should be over or even behind you head when sinking into the squat.
To paractice, use just the bar and try 5x3 or 5x5, do the sets first every workout (as a warm-up) until you get good at it.
anotherbutters
New member
I'm trying to learn these too. I tried a shoulder width grip at first and there's no way I could do it. Even wide grip, they're damned hard, flexibility wise. I've never arched my back as much as when I'm doing these. Fun stuff!
AEKDB
New member
It is always hard to determine the exact problem without seeing a video. Flexibility could be the problem but I think it may also be an error in your technique. Remember that this is one move where you cannot cheat (i.e. the bar must be overhead). If the bar is not overhead then you will either fall forward or backward. So don't worry about cheating since you can't.
As you squat if you remain upright in a deep squat with locked elbows then your form is good enough. It is the standing part that gets most people. The trick is to not stand straight up, but to let the bar slowly drift backward thrusting the hips and chest, out and up as you stand. This actually gets easier as the weight increases (at least to a point).
Stretch before and, if you are still using just the bar, try adding a little more weight and the above technique.
As you squat if you remain upright in a deep squat with locked elbows then your form is good enough. It is the standing part that gets most people. The trick is to not stand straight up, but to let the bar slowly drift backward thrusting the hips and chest, out and up as you stand. This actually gets easier as the weight increases (at least to a point).
Stretch before and, if you are still using just the bar, try adding a little more weight and the above technique.
