Kettlebell squats?

trixie108

trixie108

Cathlete
I was doing the instructional video for my new kettlebell last night, and now I'm thoroughly confused about squats. I always thought that your thighs should never go past parallel with the floor to avoid knee injuries. But in the gofit video, she gets her butt almost to the ground! So should I do the squats in the video, or should I only go to parallel? I'm just terrified I'll do something to my knees with the deep squats...
 
Hi Nicole,

I remember this topic coming up in a previous kettlebell thread.

http://www.thecathenation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252916&highlight=full+squat

Here's my response from that:
"As for the squat, I'm a big advocate of the full squat (as done in AOS). When done correctly, full/deep squats work the entire posterior chain, partial squats (everything 90 degrees and up) do not.

In fact, I've been reading a lot lately about how partial squats stress the knee and quadriceps, without stressing the glutes, adductors and hamstrings, thereby creating muscle imbalances that can lead to injury. Partial squats also produce an anterior shear on the knee that creates an unbalanced strain on the prepatellar area."

Hope this helps. :)
 
The OTHER GAYLE, here! :)

Although I can't speak directly to KB squats, I, too, like the LOW squats. I called the ATG squats (a$$ to ground). I go lighter than I would normally for a 90 degree squat, and I go nice and s-l-o-w-l-y!!! Like GAYLE said, WHEN DONE CORRECTLY, they're an awesome exercise for the entire lower half!

Gayle
 
Gayle said:
In fact, I've been reading a lot lately about how partial squats stress the knee and quadriceps, without stressing the glutes, adductors and hamstrings, thereby creating muscle imbalances that can lead to injury. Partial squats also produce an anterior shear on the knee that creates an unbalanced strain on the prepatellar area."

:)
Click to expand...

This is me to a tee!! :confused: I have serious anterior posterior imbalances. I am now having to learn how to squat properly to get my posterior chain to fire. Thanks to some help from my RKC. :)
 
Just popping in to say since my hip replacement, I simply cannot squat deep during the kettlebell workouts, I just go as far down as I can.
 
Hi Nicole. I have to agree with the Gayles on these squats. I've recently begun working with a trainer so I can be fully ready for STS, and she has me doing these deep squats. On the traditional squats - down to 4" above the floor - close to Gayle's ATG description (great name there Gayle! HA). And yesterday for the first time I did wide squats with her - not down to 4" this time, but MUCH deeper than I've ever done on my Cathe workouts. In both cases my weights have been around 110#. And WOW did I feel it. I've never gotten that kind of well rounded workout from the 90 degree or higher squats.

But these ladies are right -- you have to go slowly, and really feel the energy from your heels and out thru your legs and glutes as you start to push up. In fact I'm now looking for hard-soled shoes in order to do these more effectively.
 
Hey girls!!!

Hey ladies, WOW :eek: is this topic made for me with my crummy knees!! GREAT info -- and ya know, this makes total sense to me. In fact I think this helps me to understand why my knees have been giving me fits periodically as I've tried to up my squat weight in preparation for STS.

Gayles (both of you lovelies :D) THANKS SO MUCH!! T-12 Gayle, I am officially adopting the term "ATG Squats" -- LOVE IT!!! :D

Catherine, what are Chuck Taylors??

And Lorrie, dear GF, ohmigosh, you're making fantastic progress with your trainer!! Send Melissa down here for a few weeks, will ya?? ;)
 
Gayle!

Ohmigosh, Gayle, I had no idea those classic Converses were "Chuck Taylors" -- geez, I feel so lame! :eek: Thanks for clueing me in!! :D
 
OMG, yeah! I had about 4 pairs when I was in school and they were cheap. After our visit to Ohio to see Lorrie and her clan last Spring, my younger DS insisted on getting a pair because he thought her DH's shoes were the COOLEST! So, that's what he got for his school shoes....I was shocked at the price!

I remember wearing red ones, blue ones, the basic black and off-white ones. lol

MEMORIES!

Gayle
 
Ha - yes Gayle I should, though the'd be a bit big I think. My DH has such a sense of style -- he has Chuck's in black, red, blue, purple, and PINK -- yes pink! And he wears them well. Even I don't have pink shoes. I need to pay a visit to pick up a pair huh. But while his are stylin' - mine will be purely functional. :p

Oh WOW my friends. I said I did those heavy wide squats yesterday. Good Lord -- I have NEVER had inner thigh DOMS like this. There is def somethin' to be said for these low SAFE squats. To those of you who do them without a spotter -- I bow in awe of you.
 
Let me ask a question of the knowledgeable Gayles!

When you do the atg squats, do you change your stance from what we see on Cathe DVDs? Are the legs further apart than shoulder width approx? How does your balance differ as you go down and come back up? What sort of count for each rep do you recommend? Like a slow, 4 down-4 up? Do you still use barbell on shoulders, or do you prefer dumbells held in each hand at side for these deep squats? Which helps balance best? Seems like it might be the dumbells at side, but that would limit the total poundage.....

For sure, I have never seen the point of the superfast, shallow squats I just did on Saturday with Supersets. WTF?!?!?!?!?!?! And I am keen to avoid another knee injury and musclular imbalances........

Thanks ladies,

Clare
 
Clare...one of the Gayles here. Personally, I prefer the barbell, for a few reasons. First, I can go heavier than with DBs as my heaviest DS is 35#. Second, it seems to really help me balance out the fact that I'd also doing these ATG squats with my heels elevated. lol You can do these ATG squats with both feel planted flat on the ground of course, and I alternate workouts with heels down and heels elevated, but I PERSONALLY prefer the heels elevated because I like working that quad just that much more! Having said all that.....when my heels are elevated, the barbell helps me keep my focus on pushing thru my heels without losing my balance as easily.

As for rep speed, I find anything slower than a 2-2 count works best for me! 2-2 with these deep squats just feels to quick and I LOVE the 4-4 count because of slowly you're going and, oh yeah, FEELING it! lol And I keep my feet about shoulder width apart.

Gayle (as in T-12 Gayle, Gayle in Nazareth, Gayle who LOVES to work LB) lol
 
I have a question about ATG squats too - I'm really intrigued, and I want to try them... but, how do you do them if you have short achilles tendons? Mine are genetically short (thanks dad!) and because of it, I'm unable to keep my feet flat on the ground if I try to go into a deep squat. I'm forced to raise my heels. Any advice?
 
materialsgirl said:
I have a question about ATG squats too - I'm really intrigued, and I want to try them... but, how do you do them if you have short achilles tendons? Mine are genetically short (thanks dad!) and because of it, I'm unable to keep my feet flat on the ground if I try to go into a deep squat. I'm forced to raise my heels. Any advice?
Click to expand...
Evily, have you tried a shoe with a higher heel? Would that make a difference?
 
Miss Lee said:
Evily, have you tried a shoe with a higher heel? Would that make a difference?
Click to expand...

What, you mean like do squats in my 3" dress heels? :p I can actually do a full squat when I'm wearing heels... but I don't think they make sneakers with 3" heels. ;)

That said... if I do elevate my heels in order to do a full squat, am I still getting the benefit of the full squat? Is it better to do it flat-footed? Would I be doing myself disservice by having my heels elevated, say, on a plank of wood or something? Just curious...
 
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