Squats!

5656 Views 50 Replies 16 Participants Last post by melistic, Jul 17, 2009

theia

Discussion Starter · Feb 12, 2008

Will be crossposted to my blog as soon as I figure out how to add pics in my blog posts! <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"> 
Squats are probably my favorite lower body exercise. There are so many things you can do with them to challenge your quadriceps, hamstrings, gluts, hips, core, lower back... Good stuff. 
BASIC SQUAT 
Stand with your feet hip distance apart, spine nice and aligned, head neutral, shoulders relaxed and down. On an inhale, bend your knees and keep your hips back as though there were a chair behind you. You should be able to see your toes throughout the movement if you glance down. If your knees are farther forward than your toes, obscuring your view of your toes, you are doing more harm than good! Keep those hips back. This girl has great form: <img alt="" src="http://i29.tinypic.com/smru53.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"> 
As you can see, her hips are back, her knees are bent to 90 degrees, and her thighs are parallel to the floor. She is holding one dumbbell. If you can handle more weight, you can place a weighted bar across the upper part of your back (NOT on your spine), like this: <img alt="" src="http://i28.tinypic.com/24vi1qa.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"> 
Here is an example of really bad form. And bad clothes. And bad hair, frankly. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"> <img alt="" src="http://i25.tinypic.com/23wa7oh.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"> 
See how his knees are in front of his toes? His knees should be back over his ankles or shoelaces, like the woman pictured above. She rocks. He does not. 
More later.

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melistic

· #7 · Feb 13, 2008

man she has nice form. see how her toes are raised. As in I can stick my fingers under there. That is important you want to make sure you are pushing up thru your heels. 
Are you rocking lunges and step up's here as well?

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melistic

· #9 · Feb 13, 2008

Beginners? 
Try using a swiss ball between you and a wall. the ball will help you lower and raise. Have a friend hold your hands in front of you if you are scared of falling.

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melistic

· #11 · Feb 13, 2008

sometimes we are scary. did you see what I was posting in planks while you were putting plie here?

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melistic

· #26 · Feb 13, 2008

if you turn your feet out (like pilates) from a slightly wider stance on oache's move you'll get a great 'saddle bag' move. 
assisted squats? jeez that looks dangerous for the masses. I'm glad we don't have one of those. I imagine that would drive me more nuts than all the people misusing the tricep pulldown. I have to turn my head when walking past that one. 
Grey Dog: do you have one of those poems for all the men complaining about small calves spending all their time on the seated calf raise? lol

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melistic

· #29 · Feb 13, 2008

oops I meant turn your feet out on this one <img alt="cool.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/cool.gif"> <img alt="" src="http://i27.tinypic.com/xopcvb.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"> from a wider stance w/ feet towards outside of ball

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melistic

· #31 · Feb 14, 2008

Yes Fox. Start with the ball @ about the small of your back. Feet out way farther from the wall than you think is necessary. (3 or 4 feet) Feet shoulder width apart. Sometimes a broomstick handle/ski pole/hiking stick/empty bar/ in one hand for extra balance. As you lower down the ball will ride up your back to about your shoulder blades/bra strap area. Bend from the hips like you are going to sit in a chair, go as far as is just more than comforting and push through your heels, squeezing your butt as you come back up. 
A really simple way to improve your quad strength is to stand up out of your chair (office, kitchen, heck toilet) without grabbing an arm rest or the desk or table and pulling yourself up. You'll be amazed once you start noticing how often you cheat to stand up. <img alt="blush.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/blush.gif">

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melistic

· #32 · Feb 14, 2008

other quad moves <img alt="" src="http://z.about.com/d/backandneck/1/0/D/1/wallsquat.gif" style="border:0px solid;"> 
That's it. just hold there. Of course you know we can make this harder. 
Fox: here's the ball wall squat <a href="http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/exercise_display.aspx?pageID=266" target="_blank">http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/exe...spx?pageID=266</a> 
TJ's Smith machine is a great way for beginners to learn too because it locks you into form. (I'm not sure about the assisted version) Put a step about ? one giant step in front of machine. Then when you take the bar off the rack, step up onto step. as you squat back and down ~ you have nowhere to go but into correct position. if you don't have a friend to catch you; slide a bench where the theoretical chair would be. 
*disclamer. squats and lunges are hard on the knees if your quads can't keep up. ALWAYS make sure you can see your big toe!!! In rehabbing quads your knees might actually hurt worse for a couple a days (but hey we're runners) if you have any question about form find a mirror or a well experienced trainer to look at your form.

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melistic

· #36 · Feb 28, 2008

Yeah it's like a bridge. But with the ball you are contracting and extending not just holding as you would be in the bridge.

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melistic

· #38 · Mar 5, 2008

Thanks Joe for the new modes of torture, I mean training modifications. I love the band assisted single leg squat <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

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melistic

· #40 · May 22, 2008

She's wearing flipflops? 
(edit cause it said flipflips he-he)

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melistic

· #51 · Jul 17, 2009

bump. 
tag you're it

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