Squat troubles.

[Swole06]

Let's start off with some stats:

Age: 16
Height: 6'2
Weight: 215
Bodyfat%: Around 15%

I have football off-season conditioning as of right now.

When we squat, we go 8 reps. then 6 then 4.

I usually start out with 225 lbs. I get 8 reps. When i go for 6 i do 245. Then on my last set i try to do 275 for 4 reps. I usually get out the first 2 sets on the easy side, but i still struggle a little. But on the last set i can only get one rep in and i almost fell today trying to do it.

I have been stuck at these same weights for like a month on squats. I really want to increase it but im having troubles.

Here are my other lifts currently if this might help you out any:

Bench- 205 x 4 (After working up from one set of 8 and a set of 6 with lighter weights.)
Clean- 185 x 2 (I get this pretty easily. I could probably get around 200 x 2.)
Deadlift- 305 x 1. (After doing many sets working up to it.)

I lift mondays and wednesdays and if i miss a day, coach makes us come back on friday to make up.

Basically i just want to know how i can get my squat to the best it can be before the season rolls around. Thanks EF!

One more question: Is it easier to put up more weight on squats with a wide, mid, or close stance?

[justaguy87337]

when I do squats I do more than just 3 sets, 4 or 5. You might try going for more reps and incorporate lunges and leg presses as well.

[Swole06]

Originally Posted by justaguy87337

when I do squats I do more than just 3 sets, 4 or 5. You might try going for more reps and incorporate lunges and leg presses as well.

That's a great idea and i would be all for it, but i have to do it like my coach says. I'm on a football team, and coach makes all the players lift the same way.

[gYmgIrL]

Aww well thats silly! Everyone works differently! Tell your coach I said he was silly :P

I find it easier to lift more weight with wide legs, but that makes it harder to go down as low! And going down low is pretty important for your massive football player hamstrings

but thats just my personal opinion

[Swole06]

Originally Posted by gYmgIrL

Aww well thats silly! Everyone works differently! Tell your coach I said he was silly :P

I find it easier to lift more weight with wide legs, but that makes it harder to go down as low! And going down low is pretty important for your massive football player hamstrings

but thats just my personal opinion

Thanks for your input gymgirl, and i'll be sure and tell my coach that you said he was silly! Haha.

Anyways, our coach also makes us do bench squat and not box squats. So we only go parallel to the floor. Is it still that hard to go all the way to the bench?

Would stretching a lot help this?

How wide should my stance really be? Thanks guys.

[Mr. Stone]

Actually, in my experience, under-developed form is usually the reason behind your plight.

Try this: Take a broomstick and hold it over your head. Now squat. You'll probably notice hip inflexibility and/or lower back weakness.

Simply, it may that your posterior chain isn't developed becuase you never learned to properly squat without being under load.

Here is a illustration:


The progression, if you will, should start from the right. A developed, unladen squat should look like this, yet it needs to be taught and practiced. When it's developed, while under load, you should look like the middle picture.

If your squat is underdeveloped, you'll look like the picture on the left, if only transiently.

By elevating your hands you will motivate the engagement of the glutes and hamstring group (portions of the posterior chain) and this should greatly improve your squat technique.

Clear as mud?

[Insex]

Your stance is quite simply a personal preference. So you should Squat with whatever stance you feel most comfortable with. For most people, that would be a shoulder-width to slightly-wider-than-shoulder-width stance.

Where do you place the bar while doing Squats? When I was your age, I used to rest the bar on the back of my neck, like most people. However, when I got to college, I took my teammate's advice and used what is called the Powerlifting stance. Basically, it involves resting the bar lower on my back. It was more like resting the bar on the back of my shoulder blades, across my posterier deltoids and below the upper-portion of my trapezius. At first, if felt like the bar was going to roll off my back. But once I got used to it, my Squat max went up.

Also, concentrate on picture-perfect form. The frame in the middle on the picture that Mr. Stone posted is a good example. Your back should be straight, your eyes should either be looking straight ahead or slightly upwards, your knees should not go beyond your toes, and your butt should be sticking outwards. When you squat, you should be doing more of a "sitting" motion rather than just "squatting" straight down. Try this: stand in front of your couch, and sit into it comfortably while keeping your knees over or behind your toes and your back straight. That's the way you should squat.

One last thing, toes direction is another personal preference. You should either have your toes pointing straight ahead, or slightly outwards. Most people prefer to point their toes slightly outwards. Never point them inwards.

[PowerHouse]

Originally Posted by Swole06

That's a great idea and i would be all for it, but i have to do it like my coach says. I'm on a football team, and coach makes all the players lift the same way.

Your coach is an idiot.

[Mr. Stone]

Originally Posted by Insex

your knees should not go beyond your toes

The key word is beyond, and in most cases, this can't be helped. Trying getting up from a seated position without driving the knee over the toe. You can't.

The real issue with knees arise when we squat without sending the knees over the toes, much like a Smith-Machine squat or wall squat, where trapping the hip creates a shear on the knee that leads to a feeling of pain or discomfort.

Great thread, btw!

[Mr. Stone]

Originally Posted by PowerHouse

Your coach is an idiot.

[Presa_Canario]

Check out this post with some good stuff on squats. Most of it's been said here, but if you want a little more reading check it out.

There's another post somebody made here with an article by Louis Simmons. Again, everybody has basically glossed the info, but it's worth reading if you feel like it. I thought I had it bookmarked, but I can't find it right now...

Can you give us an idea of the routines your coach uses for you guys?

[Saurian]

Good points above.

As alluded to, part of the problem is that you are being held in a rigid workout. Bumping up the intensity of the workout, reps, sets, etc would certainly help.

Your body gets used to repeated stimulus - your body may just be screaming at this point for something new.

Also, how often are you squating? You'd be surprised what a few days extra off in between a set could do. If you're only doing it once a week, you should be alright. Still, extra time in between can usually help as well. But don't do it too often.

[Mr. Stone]

To your coach's credit, it's hard to make sure each individual on a full football team gets the specific attention they need. Because of this, he should be focusing on the basics, and it sounds like that's not happening.

[Presa_Canario]

Here's the article I was talking about before. Thanks to PowerHouse.

Also, check out this thread. Don't know what kind of assistance you'll be able to work into your routine if your coach keeps everybody pretty locked down though.

To go along with what Saurian said above, I think "instinctual" training has been the best platuea breaker for myself. On a big lift like squats, deads, or cleans, that usually means taking time off from the lift itself and doing lots of variations.

Even if you can't completely change your routine, you should be able to change your stance. So, let's say you start squatting more Olympic style, you will most likely find that as your narrower-stance squat goes up, it will translate into a better squat with whatever your normal stance is. Same with wide stance, front squats, hack squats, you could change up your deadlift stance too.

Good luck

[The_Don]

I had similar problems increasing strength in my Bench Press. I was stuck doing the same amount of weight for a month or two; what a waste of time. The reason behind this was because when i was adding weight each set, i was adding too much. Instead of going from 245lbs to 275lbs on your last set, how bout going to 255 or 265lbs? Or will your coach object?

PS. Like everyone is saying, your coach should not make everyone train the same way. Everyone is different and some will benefit from some methods of training that others will not.

[Saurian]

A good plateau breaker is an occasional HUGE boost in reps. For example, with bench going and doing a couple of 50-rep sets is a really shocker to your muscles/body.

That said, I'd probably give the rest thing a try. Keep in mind that you only BUILD muscle while resting.

[Adonis]

Your coach is an idiot. Have him send me an email, and I would be more than happy to give him some pointers.

mod.adonis@gmail.com

[Swole06]

Thanks guys for all your help. FRiday, when we lifted, i took a wider stance. I got my 4 x 275 up easily. I prolly could of done 295 by 4. I was so proud lol.

[flooman]

to take this thread onto a tangent
right now for my lower body work, i do leg presses, leg extensions, and heel raises on a machine. (prolly gonna add lying leg curls...)
should i do more free weight exercises vs. machines?
e.g. should i do squats vs leg presses?

if so, what weight should i start out with? on the leg press machine, last time i did it, i started with 45 lbs, 10 reps, then 65, 7 reps, then 85, 5 reps, then 105 5 reps. (i think, don't quote me on that :P)

since i never did squats before, should i practice my form with a broomstick or something like mr. stone said? or can i start out just practicing with the bar?

any help is greatly appreciated

[Adonis]

Originally Posted by flooman

to take this thread onto a tangent
right now for my lower body work, i do leg presses, leg extensions, and heel raises on a machine. (prolly gonna add lying leg curls...)
should i do more free weight exercises vs. machines?
e.g. should i do squats vs leg presses?

if so, what weight should i start out with? on the leg press machine, last time i did it, i started with 45 lbs, 10 reps, then 65, 7 reps, then 85, 5 reps, then 105 5 reps. (i think, don't quote me on that :P)

since i never did squats before, should i practice my form with a broomstick or something like mr. stone said? or can i start out just practicing with the bar?

any help is greatly appreciated

Choose freeweights over machines in almost every situation
start with the broom stick