squatted for the first time yesterday

[The Eugenius]

holy shit, my ass and legs hurt. it was pretty cool though, i will definetely do it more. anyways, i wanted to make sure that i was doing it correctly, because i dont want to permanently fuck up my knees or back. i tried to follow most of the guidelines from the squat thread in the powerlifting forum, but i wanted some input on this.

- i placed the bar right below the spot where the neck meets the shoulders. i have a large deposit of fat there.
- my toes were pointed slightly outwards. about 60 degrees from my line of feet placement.
- i descended as far as i could.
- when descending, i tried to keep my shins vertical. didn't do it very well, but i tried.
- i *think* my lower back was straight. im not really sure, because i wasnt thinking about anything else except for getting the weight back up.
- before descending, i took a deep breath into the diaphragm and held it. when ascending, i let the air out.

i think that is all of it, for now. i will not tell you the weight, because it is woefully pitiful, but i did five sets of five.

thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[coolcolj]

Depending on your goals, squatting like a powerlifter may not be the right thing for you.

http://www.stumptuous.com/learnsquat.html

 

[Geno_O]

Good job on the squats.

Since you have chosen the PL'ing method of squatting, you
might want to think about using a box. The box will help you
learn correct form. In addition, you can set the box at a
height that is comfortable for you. Then as you get more
flexible, lower the box height until you are squatting just
below parallel.

 

[b fold the truth]

I hold my breath till I am back at the top of the movement again...

B True

 

[gettinlarger]

I hold my breath till I am back at the top of the movement again...

B True

Is that good ... ? I always try to exhale.

 

[Y_lifter]

I inhale at the top and sometimes on the way down and exhale on the upstroke pretending it's Jet propelling my Ass back up.

Another thing that helped me keep my back from arching was to pick a spot on the wall in front of me at about 10 ft up.
Stare at it all the way down and back up.

 

[b fold the truth]

Holding your breath increases your internal pressure...making you stronger. Notice when you see a clip of someone squatting a grand...they don't make a sound...

B True

 

[gettinlarger]

Ah. Looks like something new to try Friday.

 

[aurelius]

Holding your breath increases your internal pressure...making you stronger. Notice when you see a clip of someone squatting a grand...they don't make a sound...

B True

I would just like to add that taking in a full breath of air, for me, is too much and ends up straining my abdominal wall. Just a quick one second gulp works best for me.

 

[The Eugenius]

thanks for the help, guys.

i squatted again yesterday. i'm not sore for some reason though. i think i'll go run or something.