Your favourite gym exercise

[mdc]

So, yeah, any tips on how to get started with this exercise? Most significantly, how does it "feel" when you're doing it right?

Some things I concentrate on when squatting;
- Keep all your muscles as tight as possible, with particular emphasis on glutes and abdomen.
- Eyes straight ahead.
- Try to push your head into your neck (if that makes sense?).
- Keep the bar as low on your back/shoulders as possible.
- Breathe in before each descent.

I also have problems with hip/ankle flexibility, so I employ a wider stance (feet just under a meter apart). I've found this is also better for my knees.

I've got very little experience with belts (don't find they do much for me), so maybe someone else can chime in on that.

 

[AG]

Some things I concentrate on when squatting;
- Keep all your muscles as tight as possible, with particular emphasis on glutes and abdomen.

That's the key imo.

 

[mdc]

That's the key imo.

Definitely, and good breathing definitely helps with this.

But for me, my biggest "non-standard" gain in both deadlift and squat came when I learnt to really tighten my glutes, and keep them tight all the way through the motion. Added 20kg to 3-max deadlift and 15kg to 5-max squat in one week on the back of that.

 

[AG]

^I'll try that. I've never really thought about the glutes when lifting.

 

[Fire Storm]

Yo, dudes, I've recently added squats to my routine, and need some advice.

I'm noticing that, as I get down near parallel, I really feel like my lower back is doing a bit of weight-bearing, and I'm often a bit stiff in the lower back after doing them. Also started getting a bit of pain when I sit down at work for long periods.

I've had a look at my form, and I don't notice a whole lot of rounding, but I can't be certain. I may start bending forward from just above my hips the further down I get.

Trainer at the gym said my form seemed ok, but I've just got this niggling feeling that it doesn't "feel" right when I'm doing it. I'm built like a rail, and have a proud family tradition of back problems, so it's not an exercise I'm inclined to take any risks with (I've been keeping it very light at the moment - just the bar or with 10-odd kilos on it) until I'm confident in my form.

So, yeah, any tips on how to get started with this exercise? Most significantly, how does it "feel" when you're doing it right?

Warm up with 50 reps of reverse hypers. Warm down with 50 as well and work up to 100 over the weeks.

Try and add some Good Mornings to your workout somewhere. Having strong lumbers can only help at every level. A good goal is 1/2 of your squat for 10 reps. If you squat 100kg, then try and move your Good Mornings up to 50kg x 10.

Do 4x10. As an example - 35, 40, 45 then 50kg x 10. And try and keep that relative to your squats. Squating 150kg? Make 75kg your goal.

Much easier to start now then wait 'till your squat is 150 and you need to use 75 in the GM.