Squat Form

[Pippadog1]

Hi

I went to the gym the other day and a PT mentioned that I was not squatting correctly. I have been doing Cathe workouts forever and it seems my squat is more of a bent knee dead lift. I do have problems sinking very low into a squat. For example when I do masala squat in yoga, I use a wedge under my feet. My hip flexors are very tight and I tend to lean forward to prevent myself falling backwards. Obviously, its disheartening realising I have been doing squats incorrectly as I wanted to use the squat rack at the gym for that purpose. The PT suggested I use wall squats with the stability ball, so I think for my squats I will 'relearn' them doing them this way. Has anyone any suggestions for mobility exercises that could warm up my hip flexors before doing my squats. Also I think I need to slow the rep count down so I can get the full benefit of the movement, any suggestions?
Thanks
Laura

 

[desertambrosia]

You could also use a heavy dumbbell, or kettlebell., and do a goblet squat. Hold the dumbbell in front of your chest with both hands, start squating sticking your butt back and down. Use the weight as a counter balance, to keep from falling backward. Go as low as you can, trying to improve with every workout. Just a suggestion, hope it helps. You can also try squating to a bench, touching the bench with every squat. Lower the bench as your range of motion improves.

 

[desertambrosia]

Another move that may help with hip mobility: Place one of Cathe's firewalker bands just above your knees. Stand with a wide stance, not sumo stance, but a little wider than a regular squat. Toes on an angle. Hold a dumbbell in a goblet squat position. Really think about pushing your knees wide, as you squat. When done right, really fires the glutes. Have fun practicing, and good luck!

 

[Stacy]

Over time my squat form was also becoming less than perfect due at first to a knee issue. I was modifying my squats and realized I had slowly changed my form. I would also suggest squatting slower, onto a bench or chair. Also it is possible that due to your form you have become more quad dominant with less strength in your glutes which also can account for not being able to squat as deep. I found that I needed to really work on glute strength and this helped tremendously, but took time. Focus on glute exercises such as hip thrusts, weighted glute bridges, clam shells, weighted floor work basically. Linda Wooldridge has alot of free stuff on youtube that is excellent for this. Do these about 3 times a week. For hip tightness I would incorporate some deep yoga stretches specifically for the hips after your leg work and one long session at least once a week. Some of my favorites are free on youtube, Five Parks Yoga, the instructor is Erin Sampson.

 

[Pippadog1]

Hi all

Thank you all for your suggestions. I will definitely continue to work my hips more. I do alot of yoga on udaya and bryan kest yoga. Also I'm going to work on my masala squat to get used to being in a deep hip squat position. I think rather than doing alot of quick squats I must focus on slow squats, so that my quality of squat is better than the quantity. Often I tend to follow the tempo of a workout soundtrack rather than think of the quality of the movement. I am going to start STS again at the gym and take the workout sheets with me so I can focus on the individual exercises rather than try and keep up with the participants and the tempo of the workout.

Laura
xx

 

[rhbrand]

Put something under your heels. Like small weight plates. If you elevate your heels a little bit, you can get deeper in your squat. Work on that for a while until you can get deep, then try doing them without.

Or get squat shoes. I've got lifter shoes that have a slight elevated heel and I can get even deeper in my squats now.

 

[nckfitheart2009]

I would definitely take your PT advise on board. Doing wall squat will also help in keeping your torso upright.

A plate underneath your toes is a great way of shifting the load/the work to your legs muscles including glute. This should prevent you from leaning forward.
As I am travelling down I litterally plant my foot making sure i slightly lift my toes of the floor. Depending on the
shape of your foot you may not be able to do it. A plate would be handy.

All the best

 

[Soapmaker]

I have 3 suggestions for you from what I use:
1- Mark Lauren Mobility RX. Use it to try new movements and then incorporate them into your workout (after the warm up and at the end of the workout) once you figure out which ones address your issue. I've reverted to the old days of doing some stretching before the main workout but after a proper warm up. I find it more helpful as I grow older than the stretch at the end of the workout.
2-Jill Miller. I have all of her dvds and accessories. She has a ton of information on all of the dvds with long explanation (excruciating details). Her quick fix dvds are good to start with if you aren't familiar with her. One of her movements fixed my lower back pain. Sometimes I do it at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the workout.
3-Tracie Long. There is a sequence at the start of Stronger Longer 2 that nicely prepares the hip/hip flexor area for working out. Also, Her Figure 30 Hips and Figure 30 Butt are 2 excellent workouts to add to short cardio to improve the strength and mobility of the hip/glute area.

I also wanted to add that you shouldn't feel depressed about this. It is an opportunity to build upon years of exercise and improve your mobility and strength for the long haul. That's what I remind myself of every time I want to skip warm ups/mobility exercises/stretching which is very often.

 

[~Elsie]

Everyone has offered excellent tips. And, yeah, working on the malasana squat has definitely helped me a lot! Just with pelvic area congestion in general. It's one of those wonderfully joyous poses! Need a little help with hip stability? Use your strap!
Anyway, my two cents on your squat is that if you're having some trouble getting "down into it" that your lumbar spine and ankles could most likely use some mobility work as well. Not just the hips. Even the thoracic spine is involved to a degree.....even more so on the overhead squat which I actually find to be a complex move, even though it's appearance is simple.
I love this guy's instruction! https://www.powermonkeyfitness.com/videos/mobility

 

[nckfitheart2009]

Not just the hips. Even the thoracic spine is involved to a degree.....even more so on the overhead squat which I actually find to be a complex move, even though it's appearance is simple.

Thoracic spine connected to core and chest expansion does get overlooked but it does assist throughtout
the execution of the move. Should the move be executed with barbell or dumbbell, torso upright and
strong assist. That is the beauty of multi joint compound move