|
Falling in Love with the Squat
By John S. Howard
I never took much of a liking to squats as a teenager. Actually I hated
them. Sure I did them, but at the same time I dreaded them. I followed
the techniques I read about in the bodybuilding magazines, with the
foam-padded bar high up on your neck and feet close together with your
heels on a 2” board. I felt really uncomfortable doing these and they
hurt my knees. But since they were supposed to be of such tremendous
benefit and all, I did the stupid things anyway cursing the whole time.
My attitude for the squat changed completely after I was introduced to
the powerlifting-style squat. This was a totally different animal. I was
living in Colorado at the time where I met a great powerlifter and a
great guy named Curtis Bentley. He invited me to start going to his gym
every Saturday, where he would teach me a better way to squat. And boy,
did he ever!
I loved these new squats, holding the bar down low on my shoulders and
with a wide foot stance, because I could immediately handle more weight
which was a big ego booster. Not only that: they didn‘t hurt my knees.
In fact, I have since read that wide-stance squats are actually good for
your knees. Before I knew it I was squatting over 400 lbs.
This is the way to squat: Grasp the bar with your index fingers just
outside the power rings. Duck under the bar and squeeze your shoulder
blades together. Let the bar settle into the “shelf” created by your
rear delts and traps. Unrack the bar and take a step back. Assume a wide
stance by stepping sideways - your left foot first, then your right.
Take a deep breath into your stomach and push out with your stomach
against your belt. The descent of the squat should begin by bending at
the hips first. Not at the knees. Keep your head upright and stay tight
as you sink down, down, down until the tops of your thighs are parallel
with the tops of your knees. Pause for a second at the bottom. Arch your
lower back hard and then EXPLODE upwards driving your traps into the
bar. Keep your head upright and your knees spread out over your toes.
Squat Tips:
1. Be sure to warm up thoroughly with some stretching and light squats
before going heavy. If you aren’t warmed up, your hips will be tight and
you’ll have a hard time achieving the desired depth. Not to mention,
you’ll be more prone to injury.
2. If you plan to compete in powerlifting, don’t squat in front of a
mirror. At the meet there won’t be any mirrors and you’ll feel really
awkward, like you might lose your balance and tip over, if you‘ve always
squatted in front of one.
3. A flat soled shoe is popular for squatting, but if you have trouble
achieving the desired depth, a shoe with a slight heel might help.
4. Save your belt for the heavier sets. And don’t tighten your belt so
tight that you can’t push out against it with your stomach.
5. A common error in heavy wide-stance squatting is bringing the knees
together during the up phase. Don’t do this. It’s considered bad form.
Keep your knees pushed out over your toes. It might help to push out to
the sides with your feet.
6. One of the best assistance exercises for the squat is goodmornings.
7. Make sure to include plenty of trap and rear delt work so you’ll have
a thick, sturdy “shelf” to rest the bar across.
8. Don’t use the Smith Machine for squatting. It eliminates the
stabilization portion of the exercise.
9. Squeeze the bar with your hands. This will help you stay tight
throughout the lift.
10. Train with other experienced lifters who can coach you and tell you
what you‘re doing wrong.John S. Howard is a competitive powerlifter with a B.I.S. Degree in
English, communication and physical education. He has written numerous
newspaper articles and articles for the web. His best lifts include a
480 lb squat, 325 lb bench press and a 525 lb deadlift all done in the
USPF. As a teenager, Howard competed in four bodybuilding shows placing
1st in the Teenage Mr. Northern Utah.
|
|
