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Mumma

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Today my brother and I realised that our squatting form isnt perfect due to some lower back rounding at the bottom of the squat. I was told that it's mostly because I'm squatting too deep - we nearly go arse to grass because I thought parallel was bad. It turns out that you break parallel with your hamstrings but hit just below parallel with the ground with your quads.

I tried out doing some empty-bar box squats with a small chair set up to that height. Since we don't need to go so deep anymore, the rounding has mostly disappeared (hips slightly bob, but that can be fixed by increasing hamstring flexibility, which is continuously improving). Any experiences with box squats? Can I replace normal squats with them for a while to improve my technique? I hear they can be better than squats since they force you to use your hips/posterior chain more due to the dead start. I'm having problems getting the hip drive, mostly because I'm learning all this off a book and the net while also trying to teach my brother, so these box squats seem pretty useful.
 

NinjaSauce

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I do not like box squats.

Squat deep, it is better than parallel. Parallel is defined as the crease in your hip (when squatting) being equal too or below the top of your knee.



Are you training to powerlift? I still personally recommend deeper squats. Actually, i'm going to change over the front squats, i get enough posterior work from deads, and other little stuff. They are also safer (i'm coming off 2 months of no training due to injury, form related, but NOT my fault directly. I just found out, literally 1 hour ago, i have a 1/2 cm longer leg on one side, bending my hip, which in turn, bent my spine = bulging disk. 2 months off training has made me not want to go ANYWHERE near injury again, so i'm going to hit front squats.

Front squats will also help address your lean forward, as you have to stay upright. Some people even say it is impossible (at least, very, very, very hard) to have a bad form front squat. Failure on form means failure on lift, you end up having to dump the bar (easy with a front squat - just push forward). They will train your abs more, and should help with keeping a straight back. Hell, you might even prefer fronts over backs. experiment!

Actually, go back to stronglifts.com , and search his site for front squats. There are 3 or so articles you should look at. Oh, and with Frontsies, always go deep. Shallow fronts are not good on the knees.

Remember: Guess how much you think you can manage with frontsquats, and HALF it. Not because its a super-hard exercise, but because it is a NEW exercise, and you should always risk doing heeeeaaaps of super easy warm-ups, than risk bitting off more than you can chew. Better put; it is better to find you put too little on the bar, than too much :)
 

Mumma

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Yeah, we were going way lower than that pic. Why don't you like box squats? I'll give front squats a go during tomorrows session.

I remember giving over head squats a go once ... what a killer ...
 

quik.

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Box squats are good for getting the right form, or working on lifting strongly out of the hole.
 

Wassup?

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Does anyone know of a site that features a diagram of a human body where you can click on any part of the body and it gives you exercises for that specific body part.

I had it bookmarked but after formatting my computer, I've lost it and I can't find it for the life of me.

Anybody know what I'm talking about and where I can find it?
 

russs

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Mon:
-------

Squat Work up to 3x8
Box Squat Work up to 3x3
Leg Press 3x8
Leg Exts 3x8
Glute-Ham Raise 3x8
Calf Raises 3x8
Front Squats ATG 3x8

Wed:
--------

Bench Work up to 1x3
Pinch
DB Press 3x6-8
Kroc Row (High-Rep One Arm DB Rows) 1x20, 1x10
Overhead-Press 3x6
Curl 3x8
Overhead-DB Press 3x6
Dips 3x5
Tri. Pushdowns 3x8

Fri:
--------

Good Mornings Work up to 1x8 or 1x5
Concentric Good Mornings 3x8
Deadlift Work up to a max double.
Shrugs 3x6
Bent-Over Rows 3x8
T-Bar Rows 3x8
Glute-Ham Raises 3x8
One-Arm DB Rows 3x6-8

Took a lot of stuff from Westside Barbell. Louie Simmons really knows his stuff.

If you want to gain strength:

Squats
Good Mornings
Deadlifts
Bench Press
Overhead Press

Are the best.
 

Nat3skiz

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russs said:
If you want to gain strength:

Squats
Good Mornings
Deadlifts
Bench Press
Overhead Press

Are the best.
uhh that depends on what sort of strength you want and where you want it.
 

NinjaSauce

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russs said:
Mon:
-------

Squat Work up to 3x8
Box Squat Work up to 3x3
Leg Press 3x8
Leg Exts 3x8
Glute-Ham Raise 3x8
Calf Raises 3x8
Front Squats ATG 3x8

Wed:
--------

Bench Work up to 1x3
Pinch
DB Press 3x6-8
Kroc Row (High-Rep One Arm DB Rows) 1x20, 1x10
Overhead-Press 3x6
Curl 3x8
Overhead-DB Press 3x6
Dips 3x5
Tri. Pushdowns 3x8

Fri:
--------

Good Mornings Work up to 1x8 or 1x5
Concentric Good Mornings 3x8
Deadlift Work up to a max double.
Shrugs 3x6
Bent-Over Rows 3x8
T-Bar Rows 3x8
Glute-Ham Raises 3x8
One-Arm DB Rows 3x6-8

Took a lot of stuff from Westside Barbell. Louie Simmons really knows his stuff.

If you want to gain strength:

Squats
Good Mornings
Deadlifts
Bench Press
Overhead Press

Are the best.
Good gosh man.

Is this a PLAN, or is this your current schedule?

Just looking at the leg day, if you are able to do ALL that in 1 session, i would say you aren't going heavy enough.

Holy Moly.
 

russs

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NinjaSauce said:
Good gosh man.

Is this a PLAN, or is this your current schedule?

Just looking at the leg day, if you are able to do ALL that in 1 session, i would say you aren't going heavy enough.

Holy Moly.
This is my current schedule. I've been at it for a few years, in the gym for 6 months.

I could in theory go heavier on the squats ... but then I would not be able to complete anything else. Walking upstairs is a challenge after training legs, I don't want to be a cripple for days after training heh.

Here are my lifts (keep in mind I am 65kg and 170cm... pretty short so squats are relatively easy for me. All raw, no equipment.):

Squat: 112.5kg x 8 x 3 to parallel.
Box Squat: Up to 140kg x 3 to parallel.
ATG Front Squat: 70kg x 8 x 3

I am working towards a 3x bw squat. Very far from it, but its my long-term goal.
 

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