squats

[Manton]

I am going to stick with dumbells for now. Maybe I will get some more equipment later. I already dropped several hundred this year on weights and stuff.

 

[thekunk07]

^how much do you spend on clothes? your body > clothes

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by thekunk07

^how much do you spend on clothes? your body > clothes

Well, I have enough stuff to exercise now. Maybe not optimally but enough.

 

[thekunk07]

it's an investment. it has cost me thousands of dollars of drugs and equipment to get this mediocre body that is creaking towards middle age.

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by thekunk07

it's an investment. it has cost me thousands of dollars of drugs and equipment to get this mediocre body that is creaking towards middle age.

Definitely not doing that.

I have a nice bench, dumbells, a barbell, a chin up bar, and superbands. It's working OK. I am a beginner and don't really ever expect to be any great shakes. Not fat, not dead, not too spindly is good enough.

 

[Johnny_5]

Originally Posted by skitlets

The few times I've had to abandon a squat, I keep my core contracted into the hole and just let the bar roll off my back onto the safety pins.

Also, video comparing high bar vs low bar squats.



Just watched this the other day and I can see how I was messing up my form. As others have mentioned, low bar squatting doesn't go as deep as high bar. Probably the cause of my hip pain.

Thanks for posting this video. I watched the low-bar portion today and it really helped me clean up my form and take care of some points I was having issues with. Today I was much more comfortable under the bar and "sitting back" properly. Before watching this video I was not leaning forward enough and trying to sit back simultaneously almost causing me to fall backwards.

 

[stylenooob]

Originally Posted by pebblegrain

I like the cage just fine, but how do you dump it if you are stuck at the bottom? wouldnt it fall in your lap?

Am I just overthinking all this? Does the human body tend to have enough force to push the bar away before it falls on your foot, ankle, etc?

The only failsafe I can think of is if you have dumbbells, there is no you you can dump those without pushing them away from you
Yeah, you're over thinking it a bit. You can definitely push a bar away from you and step/hop back long before it hits the ground.

Originally Posted by Manton

Definitely not doing that.

I have a nice bench, dumbells, a barbell, a chin up bar, and superbands. It's working OK. I am a beginner and don't really ever expect to be any great shakes. Not fat, not dead, not too spindly is good enough.
If you have weights to go with that barbell, you have more than enough to get a good start. Especially if basic fitness is your goal. A rack or squat cage is the next piece of equipment you need, but you can do plenty without it.

What you really need is someone to teach you how to use all that stuff effectively. You can teach yourself a lot if your willing to devote time/energy to it. But a good coach makes it all much easier.

 

[A Y]

You can also do this:

Originally Posted by why

Put your car in neutral and push it around.

--Andre

 

[pebblegrain]

If I owned a house with space for a cage or rack (unfinished basement type ****), I would definitely buy one. It simplifies all the exercise **** you own. You can get rid of your bench rack, chinup bar, etc.

 

[fuji]

Originally Posted by pebblegrain

I like the cage just fine, but how do you dump it if you are stuck at the bottom? wouldnt it fall in your lap?

Am I just overthinking all this? Does the human body tend to have enough force to push the bar away before it falls on your foot, ankle, etc?

The only failsafe I can think of is if you have dumbbells, there is no you you can dump those without pushing them away from you

If you hold the bar in the clean grip instead of a cross grip you can just drop it and it will go forwards.

 

[Crat]

At the gym I usually skip squats as I run 6-7 times a week and somehow feel it might be too much for my legs. Also, due to the running my legs are already quite muscular even without training them at the gym.
Now however I do want to start doing squats more often but don't want it to interfere with my (long distance) running. Would high reps - low weight be the way to go?

 

[Oasis]

Originally Posted by stylenooob

I just reset my program yesterday and switched from a straight 3x5 to 2x5/1x5+, ala Greyskull LP.

First time I've done more than 5 reps of squats in pretty much forever. Got to eleven reps and felt like I'd just completed a hill sprint. On a big hill. Had to sit down. I'm on a reduced lifting volume for the summer, but doing this every week is going to get brutal.

Last leg day I did 100kgx15, 110kgx10 then 90kgx20. Almost died/10.

 

[Lagrangian]

Originally Posted by fuji

If you hold the bar in the clean grip instead of a cross grip you can just drop it and it will go forwards.

Compared to the alternative (lazy) grip, having a good rack position is crucial in the front squat to maintain the bar over the middle of the foot. It might take some getting used to but the clean grip is a necessity.

 

[Manton]

I'm not sure I can fit a cage in my bunker. Low ceiling among other problems. Some sort of rack I can probably fit. But I won't be in the market for a while. Dumbell squats are plenty hard at this point, so there must be some value to them.

 

[fuji]

How are you doing dumbbell squats, if your just holding them by your side then thats pretty much just a deadlift.