The truth about bodyweight squats

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by El-Guapo, Mar 27, 2008.

  1. Fish Of Doom

    Fish Of Doom Will : Mind : Motion Supporter

    well, acording to that link, i would seem to have doriflexion inflexibility, which i've kinda suspected for a while now(short feet+big insteps=PHAIL)
     
  2. Freyr

    Freyr Valued Member

    Mobility issues are incredibly common with squats, due to a variety of different flexibility issues, such as inflexible hamstrings, gluteals, calves, and so forth.

    Even people who believe they can correctly squat through a full range of motion very frequently have a significant degree of anterior pelvic tilt at the bottom of the squat. If they are squatting with weight they are risking serious injury. This is why it's so important to have your form critiqued and corrected by someone truly qualified before squatting with real weight.

    Bodyweight squats performed with good form should not be dangerous to healthy knees. Hindu squats, or any squats performed with such dramatic extension of the knees out front take a lot of flak because this apparently places significantly more stress on them. If you want to err on the safe side, learn the correct weighted form (olympic high-bar i suppose) - developing the mobility to do this will also afford you the option of later training with weighted squats, which are an invaluable strength development tool.
     
  3. Mr Punch

    Mr Punch Homicidal puppet

    Personally, after reading a lot of stuff, I think the not letting your knees go past your toes thing is bunk.

    Just one link.

    The relevant point being:

    with a knee-behind-toe squat. 22% savings on your knees is worth it. 1070% overload on your lower back is most definitely not! Improving the flexibility of your lower back, hips, knees and ankles will help to stop the anterior lean of the trunk, and relieve some of this stress before you even start messing about with squats.

    The second post in the thread that Garret posted supports this too. Flexibility is more of an issue.
     
  4. Mr Punch

    Mr Punch Homicidal puppet

    Thread-killer or what?!

    Interesting! I just disagreed with half the people on this thread and nobody came back at me! Did you all just agree or is it too cracked to be worth considering!?:confused: :eek: :D

    I mean, I'm not sure that it's right, and a couple of Cosgrove's ideas sound like bunk (eg using the fact that foetuses are by default in an extended-knee squat position as justification for the position is a bit nuts IMO), but his science sounds good.

    Anyway...
     
  5. Pitfighter

    Pitfighter Valued Member

    Hey I was just browsing in the thread and I gotta give props on the advice here. Mainly I haven't been able to figure out ways of improving my range of motion. Using a chair to wean my self off of squats with less range is a great idea. I'm goina give it a go for a few weeks and see if that improves my stability when I squat deep.
     
  6. Topher

    Topher allo!

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Zbt44Qj8M"]How to Exercise When Traveling : Squat Exercises For Travel Fitness - YouTube[/ame]
     
  7. tomass911

    tomass911 Valued Member

    offtopic but staying on subject of joints

    i have broken both wrists twice and had incedibly weak wrists when i started taekwondo fast motion blocks would hurt my wrists since i have started weightlifting my wrists are now at a stage where they are the strongest they have ever been in my opinion training your joints with an acceptable and not ridiculous weight can only strengthen them

    my 2 cents
     

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