Top 10 SQ tips

[Sonny]

Top Ten Squat Tips
By Chris “Ox” Mason
For www.EliteFTS.com

1 Proper Start
When unracking the bar, make sure that your head is up, your chest is up and your stomach is filled with air. Too many times lifters start screaming and grunting and lose I.A.P. This will make you lose tightness in the squat and start you off on the wrong track. This doesn’t mean that you can’t be intense, just learn how to channel it correctly.

2 Create a Shelf
Try to touch elbows together behind your back during the squat and especially when putting the bar on your back. This keeps your "shelf" tight and creates a large amount of space to put the bar on. Also, keep your elbows close to your body; don’t let them come up. This will cause you to fall forward.

3 Low Bar
Find a lower bar position. This will give the weight less leverage on you, and you more leverage on the weight. This doesn’t mean that you have to automatically become a low bar squatter, but try to find a slightly lower bar position if you are not already doing so. This will take some time to get used to, so don’t expect to feel comfortable right away.

4 Sit Back at the Beginning
Sit back as far as you can before you bend your knees. We have all heard the term “sit back” when squatting but it is especially important to start to sit back at the beginning of the squat. This will ensure that you start the lift correctly. The first motion of a good squat is pushing the hips/glutes to the rear, not bending the knees first. This will require that you have strong hips, strong hamstrings and a very strong low back. Remember that if you begin wrong, you will end wrong. If you begin correctly, you give yourself a better chance at ending correctly. Get started on the correct path at the beginning of the lift.

5 Squat without a Box
You must squat with and without a box. Rotate every 2-3 weeks. I squat with a dip and I can’t train that aspect with the box. This ensures that I improve my squat form and am still comfortable at a meet. But the box makes me work harder and makes me stronger. I believe that you need to practice your full squat form without a box.

6 Good Mornings
Do your good mornings, helps with #4.

7 Train your Abs
Train your abs, but don’t train them like a bodybuilder or a “regular” fitness enthusiast. You must train them heavy with sets of 6, 5 or even triples. You must gradually work up to this or you will tear something.

8 Go Raw
Rotate in a raw cycle. Don’t wear briefs or a belt and do this with and without the box. You will find out how much you rely on your gear. I do this for the 4 weeks prior to a 12 week meet cycle.

9 Move the Head First
When coming out of the hole, the head moves first, up and slightly back. The body follows the head, if the hip/butt comes up first, the head goes forward, then so does you and the weight.

10 Video Analysis
Make sure that you video your workouts and critique your form as if you were looking at someone else, then make necessary adjustments. Be honest with your training partners. If the squat was high, tell them. Then they will feel comfortable telling you the same. While some of your training partners are friends, you must be comfortable enough to give and get criticism.

[muad33b]

So, I'm not a powerlifter per say, but I do love to squat... so I thought I'd give some feedback... curious if some of my beliefs are misconceptions..

Originally Posted by Sonny Crockett

2 Create a Shelf
Try to touch elbows together behind your back during the squat and especially when putting the bar on your back. This keeps your "shelf" tight and creates a large amount of space to put the bar on. Also, keep your elbows close to your body; don’t let them come up. This will cause you to fall forward.

I think what this is trying to say "Try to touch your shoulder-blades together behind your back..." - anyhow if so, I agree... I do this, but didn't think to be extra conscious of it..

Originally Posted by Sonny Crockett

4 Sit Back at the Beginning
Sit back as far as you can before you bend your knees. We have all heard the term “sit back” when squatting but it is especially important to start to sit back at the beginning of the squat. This will ensure that you start the lift correctly. The first motion of a good squat is pushing the hips/glutes to the rear, not bending the knees first. This will require that you have strong hips, strong hamstrings and a very strong low back. Remember that if you begin wrong, you will end wrong. If you begin correctly, you give yourself a better chance at ending correctly. Get started on the correct path at the beginning of the lift.

Love this; I believe in it, and am constantly correcting folks at my gym on this one...

Originally Posted by Sonny Crockett

5 Squat without a Box
You must squat with and without a box. Rotate every 2-3 weeks. I squat with a dip and I can’t train that aspect with the box. This ensures that I improve my squat form and am still comfortable at a meet. But the box makes me work harder and makes me stronger. I believe that you need to practice your full squat form without a box.

With a box? I heard this was bad to put all that pressure on your spine when you "rest" your weight at the bottom... I could see going down and lightly touching the box (although I think it's dangerous as you may end up sitting on it?)...

Originally Posted by Sonny Crockett

6 Good Mornings
Do your good mornings, helps with #4.

Used to do these, now I do stiffs, and weighted hypers... didn't like this movement... is there a real difference between this and stiffs? Seems like the same movement with the weight held in a different spot...

Originally Posted by Sonny Crockett

9 Move the Head First
When coming out of the hole, the head moves first, up and slightly back. The body follows the head, if the hip/butt comes up first, the head goes forward, then so does you and the weight.

Great tip... I find that this becomes a big issue when you're tired!

Originally Posted by Sonny Crockett

10 Video Analysis
Make sure that you video your workouts and critique your form as if you were looking at someone else, then make necessary adjustments. Be honest with your training partners. If the squat was high, tell them. Then they will feel comfortable telling you the same. While some of your training partners are friends, you must be comfortable enough to give and get criticism.

This is interesting; guess you could apply this to any lift you really want to excel in...

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by muad33b

I think what this is trying to say "Try to touch your shoulder-blades together behind your back..." - anyhow if so, I agree... I do this, but didn't think to be extra conscious of it..

I believe you are right. The idea is you stay tighter and if you elbows drift forward so goes the body.

Originally Posted by muad33b

Used to do these, now I do stiffs, and weighted hypers... didn't like this movement... is there a real difference between this and stiffs? Seems like the same movement with the weight held in a different spot...

Any low back/erector work is good. I would guess the reason GM's are so popular in PL training is that is similar to the top end of the squat for many.

[Sonny]

Ok, here is another and similar.

Thompson’s 10 Rules for Squatting Big
By Donnie Thompson
For www.EliteFTS.com

Rule #1 – Clear your head

Get rid of all the numbers in your head. Sometimes they can be limiting factors. Only put a new goal in your head once you attain one. And that is your opener! Remember how Roger Banister was the first to break the 4 minute mile? Everyone thought that this milestone would never be shattered. As soon as people saw that Banister had done it, numerous people repeated his feat. Don’t get caught up in the numbers. What is good today, will be average tomorrow.

Rule #2 – Get a stance

Find what stance works for you. This takes a long time and will take some experimentation. Examine your squatting style and see what top lifter is similar. What stance do they use? Remember not everyone can squat like Chuck Vogelpohl or Steve Goggins. They have perfected their form and technique to suit them. You must do the same. Many people have jumped on the “wider is better” bandwagon when some people need to squat a little bit narrower. Everyone is built differently and has different strengths. It’s your job to find yours.

Rule #3 – Find your shelf

In order to be comfortable under the bar, you must find where you need to place the bar on your back. Having a bar too high or too low will result in failure. Not everyone can use a low bar position so if this feels uncomfortable, change it. You have to find what works for you.

Rule #4 – Learn to love the hole

Most people are scared when they reach depth. They are nervous at parallel because this is their weak point. Learn to be comfortable and strong in the hole. Don't be scared when you go low. Make it your strong point! This is where many lifters lose their air, their confidence and their squat. Instead of being afraid, embrace this part of the squat. Learn to love the pressure and the feeling of your head about to explode. If you learn to love this and expect it, you will do much better. If you are always scared, then your squat will reflect it.

Rule #5 – Have a big bag of tricks

Use every means necessary to get your squat stronger. i.e. boxes, bands, chains, weight releasers and combo of these. Find what works for you the best. Then attack your training cycle aggressively. Again, this is going to take some time to find out what works best. I advise any beginner to use basics but eventually you are going to become advanced and do something different. This doesn’t give you license to put every gadget and device on the bar either! Don’t dig your head in the sand. If you want to make progress you are going to have to use a number of different means. You are going to have to talk to others, read and experiment.

Rule #6 – Be at one with your gear

Try all the gear you think will work for you. See what the guys who are better than you wear. Ask them why they chose what they did. More gear does not equal better results. Better gear equals better results. But better means something different for every lifter. Use the gear that works for you and learn it. Get comfortable in it. ''A comfortable lifter lifts more weights!" I think Socrates may have uttered that on his way to the Monolift.

Rule #7 – Improve your form

Always work on improving your squat form. You are never as good as you think you are. There is always something that you need to work on. In this case, you had better have good lifting partners and honest lifting partners. This will make a huge difference. There are so many different aspects of squatting and your training partners need to be able to look at your squat and see everything! You must also be able to take criticism. If you do not have training partners, you may have to video tape your lifts. This will allow you to look at your squat and really examine it.

Rule #8 – A strong squat has a strong mind

To squat big, you need to think big. Have no limit on your end result. When planning your meet strategy, your opener is the only lift that is your limit. Don't plan your other attempts; let them happen on game day!

Rule #9 – Treat your lighter squats like they are heavy

Don't over-compensate your lighter squats. Always execute your squat with perfect form and make sure that your mind is “on”. Most people get injured when squatting light weights because they don’t treat them with respect.

Rule #10 – Squat big in the meet

It does not matter what you do in a gym. What you do at a meet reflects what you learned in training. Aside from judging, you are responsible for everything else. Any excuse you have is only your fault and your fault only.

[Bonus Rule -If you want to squat big, train with other guys who squat big. You need to train with powerlifters if you plan on being one.]

[RisingAgainst]

Right on bro, Squats have always been my strong point IMO... this is great info. Anyone up for some funny stories of kids at the gym trying to squat big?

[g_lee]

anything wrong with using the smith machine for squats as i do not trust the folks in my gym for a spot?

[RisingAgainst]

Originally Posted by g_lee

anything wrong with using the smith machine for squats as i do not trust the folks in my gym for a spot?

Go light with the free weights then.. I use the smithy all the time though, because sometimes I feel the same way, but it doesn't train your legs as hard as free weights... I can FEEL a difference.

[muad33b]

personally, I hate the smith, so I just raise the pins in the cage to the lowest point of my squat, and then go down and "touch the pins" at the bottom of the movement... at that point, if I fail to complete a rep, it's easy to lower the weight to the pins and de-load the bar a bit, and then crawl under it and raise it up...