How to Oly Squat

[Gavin Laird]

Best post I've read in ages

IS this the bottom ? Cambered bar can take stress off the shoulders btw, for those SQing lots of times every week, as well as making the squat, well...harder

G.

 

[monsoon]

why isn't this a sticky yet?

 

[AnimalMass]

Gavin, that's a good squat, and although I'm not completely sure about it since you took that picture with camera that obviously came out of a cereal box (LOL), I would note that it looks like your weigth is on your toes, rather than your heels. I say that, not because it looks like your heels are up, but because your knees are REALLY out in front of your feet. Obviously, your knees will go forward quite a bit in OLY squats, but that really looks forward, although again, it could just be the quality of the pic.

I know you got some OLY shoes awhile back from a good friend of ours, are you wearing them in that pic?

Matt

 

[Gavin Laird]

Naw, that piccy was taken pre-Oly shoes days.

As for the cereal box camera man, fuck you. Tony the Tiger said I could take pics of me to show Mommy and she'd love me for it so suck my balls hehehehe.

I looked at my bottom position today after reading this and even with my toes elevated and COG back to the point where I need to hold something for balance my knees are about the same degree forward. Being 6'1 and skinny with no hamstrings has something to do with it I believe....I often find that my ass moves back and up rather than just "up" when i put close stance SQ's as deep as possible which i think is also indicative of shitty hams so thats where my efforts are focused juts now - hypertrophy work with Rom DLs

Cheers,

G

 

[Freddy]

Naw, that piccy was taken pre-Oly shoes days.

As for the cereal box camera man, fuck you. Tony the Tiger said I could take pics of me to show Mommy and she'd love me for it so suck my balls hehehehe.

I looked at my bottom position today after reading this and even with my toes elevated and COG back to the point where I need to hold something for balance my knees are about the same degree forward. Being 6'1 and skinny with no hamstrings has something to do with it I believe....I often find that my ass moves back and up rather than just "up" when i put close stance SQ's as deep as possible which i think is also indicative of shitty hams so thats where my efforts are focused juts now - hypertrophy work with Rom DLs

Cheers,

G

Gavin, some athletes cannot avoid having their knees move forward of their toes. We've all seen this from the skinnier weightlifters in the Olympics when they're racking a clean or catching a snatch. I wouldn't worry too much about it, bud. Like you said, its your structure.

Don't let AM pick on you anyway, he knows he has the shittiest squatting form in the world...which makes his 750 all the more cool.

 

[Gavin Laird]

Freddy,

My structure could be made better if I had Hammon -like hammys to sit down on to...lol.

Workin on it...

G.

 

[snatcher]

What would be the best places to purchase weightlifting shoes?

Dynamic fitness would be a good place:
http://www.dynamic-eleiko.com/

Also, back when I first started lifting someone suggested work boots as a temporary fix, just don't lace them up all the way to the top.

 

[spartacus]

Thanks

Dynamic fitness would be a good place:
http://www.dynamic-eleiko.com/

Also, back when I first started lifting someone suggested work boots as a temporary fix, just don't lace them up all the way to the top.

I found this site to have a good selection. Any thoughts on the Ironworks II versus Equipment? The three straps on the Equipment have been mentioned as a plus before.

 

[snatcher]

I found this site to have a good selection. Any thoughts on the Ironworks II versus Equipment? The three straps on the Equipment have been mentioned as a plus before.

I've had the Ironworks I for the past year and a half, they have worked well for me. I know a few people that broke the loop for the strap off pretty early. I've never worn any of the shoes with 3 straps, I doubt they would make a noticeable difference. I think the straps are mostly to keep your foot secure in the shoe when you split for the jerk so your toes don't slam into the toe box. I would think that if you are just using them for squatting the cheapest ones would be best.

 

[road warrior]

Freddies oly squats

Bump

 

[Gavin Laird]

www.wichitafallsweightlifting.com

sell a really good, cheap, effective shoe for OL / squatting. Service is good and the money goes back to helping a good club with a lot of youngsters so go buy 'em!

Cheers,

G.

 

[kasper2133]

Here is a rock bottom squat...

http://forum.mesomorphosis.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5969

Is it a good idea to keep the arms wrapped around the bar like he does. I asume it keeps your chest out, and keeping you from have weight on your toes? Or should take a tight grip on the bar with the hands?

Also, should you be concerned of how much your knees travel in front of your feet, or should you just focus on keeping your weight on the heels? When i look at olympic lifters, some of them have their knees well in front of their toes?

 

[Freddy]

http://forum.mesomorphosis.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5969

Is it a good idea to keep the arms wrapped around the bar like he does. I asume it keeps your chest out, and keeping you from have weight on your toes? Or should take a tight grip on the bar with the hands?

Also, should you be concerned of how much your knees travel in front of your feet, or should you just focus on keeping your weight on the heels? When i look at olympic lifters, some of them have their knees well in front of their toes?

He has his arms "around the bar" I imagine to ward off bicep/elbow pain. A lot of big squatters get tendonitus like pain in the elbow region from squatting.

This is much more common in powerlifting, where you'll see lifters use extra long bars to help eleviate this.

As long as you're going as deep as possible, it doesn't really matter how far your knees go forward during an Oly squat.

This is VERY different from when you squat to parallel. When you stop at parallel it is VERY important to make sure your knees don't go forward. A good powerlifter will not let his knees travel forward of his heels by very much at all.

 

[kasper2133]

So you're saying to take a normal grip, and the grip his doing is not something you recommend if you have healthy elbows?

 

[Freddy]

So you're saying to take a normal grip, and the grip his doing is not something you recommend if you have healthy elbows?

Yes, take a normal grip. You can experiment with whatever grip you'd like though.

 

[Phreezer]

NOW A STICKY!!

Good post Freddy!!

Thank you for the time and effort it took to write this!!

 

[kasper2133]

I experimented with my squatting style today.

My normal style is feet at shoulder width apart and pointed almost straight ahead. When I squat down the hips go first and I try to sit back. When I go down my knees go straight ahead and not much out to the sides. With this style I have some forward lean at the bottom, and problems with keeping my chest high, when I come up.

Today I kept my heels shoulder width apart but angled them out to about 45 degrees. When I squat down the hips and knees drop simultaneously , and its a much more a straight down movement. I push my knees out to follow the feets, so at the bottom viewed from the front it looks like a frog ready to jump. With this style I could get much deeper and its easier to keep the torso upright, and push through the heels. I also had to drop the weight by 15 kg.

Am I on the right track with this new style?

 

[Freddy]

I experimented with my squatting style today.

My normal style is feet at shoulder width apart and pointed almost straight ahead. When I squat down the hips go first and I try to sit back. When I go down my knees go straight ahead and not much out to the sides. With this style I have some forward lean at the bottom, and problems with keeping my chest high, when I come up.

Today I kept my heels shoulder width apart but angled them out to about 45 degrees. When I squat down the hips and knees drop simultaneously , and its a much more a straight down movement. I push my knees out to follow the feets, so at the bottom viewed from the front it looks like a frog ready to jump. With this style I could get much deeper and its easier to keep the torso upright, and push through the heels. I also had to drop the weight by 15 kg.

Am I on the right track with this new style?

It sounds better for you.

The best way to Oly squat is to use the stance that lets you get the deepest, so it won't be your strongest stance.

 

[kasper2133]

Okay.. Second week of my new squat style.

I tried to pause at the bottom for a second and found it to be better to keep my technique perfect. I had to drop the weight even further. Is this a good idea?

When at the bottom at the squat should i keep an slight arch in my low back. If i let i round a little i can get even further down.

I'm in my second week of the 3x3 (5x5 program), and i have dropped the idea of increasing the weight every workout on my squats and instead work on my technique.

 

[Freddy]

Okay.. Second week of my new squat style.

I tried to pause at the bottom for a second and found it to be better to keep my technique perfect. I had to drop the weight even further. Is this a good idea?

When at the bottom at the squat should i keep an slight arch in my low back. If i let i round a little i can get even further down.

I'm in my second week of the 3x3 (5x5 program), and i have dropped the idea of increasing the weight every workout on my squats and instead work on my technique.

Those are two different kinds of squats. Oly squats versus 'paused oly squats'. As you've already noticed, paused oly squats are even harder.

As long as you're healthy and have perfect form, I would just do normal oly squats, without a pause.

If you're going ass-to-grass, your back will round at the bottom.

Don't obsess about your form, everyone does Oly squats slightly differently. Some have a very narrow stance, some a medium stance, and some go kinda wide.

These are the important things:

1.) You're going as deep as possible (very far below parallel).
2.) You're not getting any pain.

Once you're doing that, the rest is just details. Focus on lifting more weight.