Learning to Squat
newyorker.com
newyorker.com
I wasted years of time in the gym doing leg extensions and leg curls -- single joint exercises and seeing no results before I embraced squats.
Before StrongLifts (which eased me into squats with the +5lbs ever lift day, of which there are three per week) I was squatting on the Smith machine. That was bad for my jointsbesause it restricted my range of motion. Also, I through I needed the bar pad, but it turns out I can bear a lot of weight with the bar across my shoulders.
Because I have poor join flexibility, I only squat to horizontal thighs, not deep squats like some people can do. Maybe the biggest difference I can tell from the squats (plus the other four exercise) is that the ROI on my metabolism is huge! I used to have to run to keep the weight off, but that was bad for my knees.
I'm about to level off at my first set of eight goals, and start incorporating the rowing machine for cardio into my weekly workout. StrongLifts recommends to eat a lot of protein, and not to do any other exercise while on the program, so you can keep progressing through the weight increases by giving your body all the rest it can get between workout days.
The one thing that StrongLifts beat into my tiny brain is that nothing worked before squats and everything got better after squats.
Squatting correctly is hard. It's a complex movement that involves the entire body and requires you to do things you probably are not used to doing, and mobility you probably do not have.
Poor posture, tight hamstrings, weak ankles, knee joints, tendons, etc. You can't take those things for granted.
The more complex the movement, the more likely you are to involve a part of the body that is not capable of handling it. Other parts will compensate, but if you go to failure or use imperfect form, you'll quickly discover a weak link.
Complex movements are the best for maximizing strength gains, but even without weights, they can more easily break you.
Alan Thrall runs a Sacramento gym and has a number of videos on technique: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLibo-Z1-9Z6jPVfvHhy0v...
2 - Failing (1), find one on the internet that does online coaching. Film yourself and pay for feedback. I have no experience with him, but George Leeman is strong as hell and knows his technique. You could start here. https://www.muscle-massochist.com/services/
3 - If you're in sf, I have a strong recommendation. (Your username may be old.)
Learned this the hard way. I'd encourage anyone tempted to try out his program to take a week or two and work on your mobility first. You won't really notice your imperfect movements until the weight is sufficiently heavy enough to start hurting you.
Interesting; do you have any links for advice or guidance on how to work on mobility?
The weights also improve flexibility but not in as balanced a fashion. Stories abound of lifters with the posture of a gorilla.
Though I'm not athletic by any competitive standards, being physically active has always been important to my health and well-being. I've tried a pretty good variety of sports and activities, and of everything I've tried, strength training--squats in particular--have had the best cost/benefit. Doesn't bother my joints and very few (if any) injuries. Doesn't take much time to get an intense workout done. Good for maintaining flexibility, especially after programming at a desk all day long. Fills my body with youthful hormones.
YMMV, but for me, squats are the best thing I've ever discovered for exercise.
Only started in my very late twenties, and it solved all sorts of niggles I had (occasional aches in one of my knees and ankle). It's improved my balance and I also noticed I no longer roll my ankles.
I'm now a few years in, in my mid-thirties and in the best shape of my life.
I also found the continual improvement aspect of training leaked into the rest of my life. Made me think hard about the other aspects of my life, what I was working towards and what I was doing to get there.
Start with Ripptoe's novice program and you'll see yourself do more than you thought possible.
For me, I hit a PR of 405 for one rep on squats in my early 20s with likely bad form. Couple weeks later, did a warmup set w/ a quality belt and felt a pull in my back.
3 years later, I'm foam rolling/modified yoga every morning and night to keep the 3mm separations on every disc from causing me massive pain.
Tl;dr version - don't gotta jump into heavy back squats and don't ego lift, slow and steady or you will pay the price.
In the last year, I've been doing Bodypump classes at my local gym. There's a good amount of squatting and lunges in this, and with good music and fun instructors. If you're looking to try it out and have this at your local gym, try it out; it's a good hour-long class that will get you sweating, and you can set your difficulty level to whatever you want, light to heavy weights.
The music is pretty catchy, too! Here's the latest playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8gGCsYhXV4RSJ_kJft_cs...
P.S. The author of the piece said start squatting at the beginning and you'll be hurting by the time you finish reading. Thanks to my squats on my own and in classes, I was in a squat for the whole article and for the minutes it took to tap out this message on my phone. Squatting is good and can be learned!
With regular cushioned shoes, you get in the habit of putting all your weight on your heel in one strike, which -- even with the cushioning -- sends the impact through your knees.
The first couple of days with my Vibrams felt very weird and impactful on the knee (I went all in, you might want to ease in at a couple hours/day first if you do) - but then your body gets used to walking on the balls of your feet, using the heel joint as a spring, and basically saving all impact from your knees -- it makes a huge difference, even if you don't do it all the time; I find I lose the spring action after a few months without them, but then a couple of days are enough to jog the muscle memory.
When I hit the gym I pretty much just organise my routine around the squat rack. It is barely used (everyone is busy doing bicep curls in front of the mirror) so it works out for me :)
PS: shameless plug - I recently created a workout tracker in react/redux. If you're looking for a simple app to track your progress check out https://ewolo.fitness !
Happy to answer any questions about the app or starting strength in general (although I'm not an SSC, I have done the seminar and been strength training for about 5 years).
Here's a bunch of free resources to help people get started:
Starting Strength youtube channel, check out the DVD section which has Rip coaching people through each lift. https://www.youtube.com/user/AasgaardCo
Get your form checked by a starting strength coach - http://startingstrength.com/resources/forum/forum171/ (read the sticky first about how to a useful video)
Starting Strength sub-reddit - Scott Hambrick (a starting strength coach) is active on there and will do form checks and give advice on general questions. https://www.reddit.com/r/StartingStrength/
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/strength-articles/iron-henry...
My mother didn't like us squatting because she associated it with Japanese occupation. The soldiers would squat like that to eat a meal or have a meeting, and in the latter case it was generally a sign you should make yourself scarce.
I find this interesting because, being almost 30 years younger than she, and having heard this a few times (like when my sister and I would try to "sit squat" I just cannot adopt the same opinion. Thank goodness!
Also, I think many people underestimate how useful strength is in most aspects of life. From picking up groceries, to home improvement projects, to wrangling kids, to getting yourself up off the toilet (a serious problem for older people). Strength makes all of these easier.
In addition to the skill of jumping, jumping with weight will gain muscle and endurance. It also improves the fast neurologic response that is required for the complex series of movements when changing direction. It also trains specific muscle fibers in ways that aren't in strength training.
Much like squatting, all you have to do to start is to jump a lot. Trainers can point out how to optimize your jump. But a lot of the potential to get high air, land on top of something, or reach something high, is mental.
As he points out, if vertical jump was really trainable, every basketball player in the NBA would have a 48" vertical. But, I assure you, they do not. Only genetic freaks have 48" verticals.
I played volleyball recreationally for years and the jumping with arm swing became muscle memory. Last week I was teaching my 10 yo son some volleyball basics and I realized how a few extra movements can impove one's jump (specifically the singing and its timing).
Speed and power is entirely genetic. you're either fast or not. you can either jump high or you can't. you can improve it but only by slim margins.
Strength however, can be trained and improved greatly and well into middle age, which is why barbell training is so popular.
But being stronger, and, thus, bigger, is a good way to remove a predator's motivation. And, speaking of survival: being bigger will also give your body more food to eat if you're in a starvation situation.
You mean, "women"?
I would recommend doing 8 sets or 6 or 8, increasing the weight each set. 5 sets of 5 isn't enough to do more than get warmed up.