***Gym Exercise Guide, and Form Discussion/Feedback***

[Somnambulist]

It's a bit of a fallacy that women can't build muscle that easily; they'll build it slower but the lower height/bodyweight is usually why they lift less than men, although generally there's a bigger disparity between upper/lower strength in terms of things like competitive squat/deadlift numbers but less so in the bench compared to the equivalent male at a similar height/weight.

Still, without 'supplementation' they'll never get hooooooge although obviously bigger muscles and women's propensity to store fat in the hips/legs will make for fun jean/trouser shopping, especially if they're not pretty lean. (Pro-tip don't end up like a super-heavy).

 

[FrenchTart]

True. I guess my point was that with the cycling they're probably more likely to lose fat before they build up crazy amounts of muscle - especially as they're "dieting" (I'd say cutting, but they're not following a proper diet/kcal restriction) and the end result is that their thighs would get smaller.

 

[Cookeh]

Paused Squats.

Concerned about stance width? Is my ankle position ok in the bottom or should I narrow my stance a bit? Any other form tidbits that need addressing?

 

[mrthingyx]

Don't sink so low because your hips clearly are not built or mobilised for it as you really dump your lumbar out below parallel.

For the deep squat, stick some 2.5kg plates under your heels to simulate better ankle mobility. Or just cut it short just below parallel.

 

[Cookeh]

I'll play around at dropping just beneath parallel. Any suggestions for improving hip mobility so that I don't have the butt wink?

 

[Somnambulist]

Most people aren't as anywhere near as flexible as weightlifters, but they all still wear weightlifting shoes to enable them to sit upright at the bottom of a squat during the snatch/clean (or just squatting). Chances are, unless you're heavenly blessed with the right levers and mobility, bottoming out a squat without your lumbar going places/being able to stay very upright will require heels, since - excluding core bracing and sufficiently open hips etc - the lower back WILL tuck in unless you are able to keep your hips close to your ankles, which requires forward knee travel, which is where ankle range becomes rather important.

http://www.biomechfit.com/2013/03/05/squat-neutral-spine
https://coachdanbell.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/heel-height-and-position/

 

[mrthingyx]

Get a cordless drill and go nuts with both acetabulum.

Practically, you need to work out where your end ROM for your femoral head and hip sockets are by scouring your hips and doing some horizontal squat testing.

In addition, work on your ankle mobility as this is where most people lose out... A substitute for this is weightlifting shoes that have a wedge at the back, so simulate better ankle mobility.

Finally, rack the bar up front.

 

[Cookeh]

Front squats? How exactly would I go about scouring hips by myself?

Thanks for the link Somnabulist, some interesting reading

 

[Delvis]

Google things like hip openers

 

[mrthingyx]

Front squats? How exactly would I go about scouring hips by myself?

Thanks for the link Somnabulist, some interesting reading

Scouring hips is just rolling your femur around inside your socket to find out where it bumps into your acetabulum, I.e where you don't have any more ROM left and - when squatting - your bum will start tucking. This will help you understand where your stance needs to be, as well as where your knees need to go (forward, outward, whatever).

Horizontal squats are a good check for this, too...

 

[Repta]

Figure these will probably get more views here, think I have a fair bit of work to do

80kg Squat

Need to get lower


97.5kg Squat

Need to get lower and stop rocking


60kg Deadlift

Bar path wasn't straight and think my hips were too low so tried to fix on the others.


80kg Deadlift

Bar path still not quite straight


105kg Deadlift

Back rounding

I will have missed loads from this videos so any advice is appreciated!

 

[mrthingyx]

Squat...

Are you low bar squatting? Because everybody should get to depth on low bar because of the mechanics of the lift. So get to depth. If it means dropping the weight, then drop it... Otherwise you will just be screwing your hamstrings and back over.

Second, sit back as you squat: not before. Imagine pulling your knees up and out, whilst trying to crimp off a rock hard battler in the process.

With your deadlifts, your setup is wrong. Brace up and try and point your bum to the ceiling as you reach down to grab the bar. Keep your shoulders and back tight (crimping one off) and push down through your heels, keeping your elbows tight to your body.

 

[Repta]

Squat...

Are you low bar squatting? Because everybody should get to depth on low bar because of the mechanics of the lift. So get to depth. If it means dropping the weight, then drop it... Otherwise you will just be screwing your hamstrings and back over.

Second, sit back as you squat: not before. Imagine pulling your knees up and out, whilst trying to crimp off a rock hard battler in the process.

With your deadlifts, your setup is wrong. Brace up and try and point your bum to the ceiling as you reach down to grab the bar. Keep your shoulders and back tight (crimping one off) and push down through your heels, keeping your elbows tight to your body.

Thanks, yea low bar squatting, depth shouldn't be a problem now i realise im not going low enough, ill find out tomorrow.

Loads to work on with deadlift so will do a load of 60kg until i get it right!

 

[mrthingyx]

I should have suggested the bar was in the wrong place and you looked you were doing a good morning...

 

[Repta]

I should have suggested the bar was in the wrong place and you looked you were doing a good morning...

I think i may have given up if that was the case!

 

[iBSOD]

For a while I've been squatting with probably slightly wrong form. I usually have a just insider shoulder width stance. I can squat 85kg for 3 like this. With my legs slightly further apart I can barely squat 75 for 5, and my form breaks down as well

Gonna stick to 1 plate until I've nailed this wider stance

 

[mrthingyx]

For a while I've been squatting with probably slightly wrong form. I usually have a just insider shoulder width stance. I can squat 85kg for 3 like this. With my legs slightly further apart I can barely squat 75 for 5, and my form breaks down as well

Gonna stick to 1 plate until I've nailed this wider stance

No: stretch your adductors and quads and do some glute med exercises because your glutes and hamstrings are probably weaker than a Starbucks coffee.

With your feet close together, you push a lot of the weight through your quads - which isn't necessarily a problem provided you are doing it right... And I suspect you are not.

And besides, 75*5 and 85*3 isn't THAT different - the issue is that your brain is used to squatting with your feet close together and - probably combined with a weak core and glutes - cannot stabilise your thorax where your posterior chain is actually asked to do something.

Take a video from the back and side, please!

 

[Jon33]

No: stretch your adductors and quads and do some glute med exercises because your glutes and hamstrings are probably weaker than a Starbucks coffee.

With your feet close together, you push a lot of the weight through your quads - which isn't necessarily a problem provided you are doing it right... And I suspect you are not.

And besides, 75*5 and 85*3 isn't THAT different - the issue is that your brain is used to squatting with your feet close together and - probably combined with a weak core and glutes - cannot stabilise your thorax where your posterior chain is actually asked to do something.

Take a video from the back and side, please!

Slight hijack here but if you're attempting to work the quads and using a high bar squat is it acceptable to have your feet slightly closer together?

 

[mrthingyx]

Slight hijack here but if you're attempting to work the quads and using a high bar squat is it acceptable to have your feet slightly closer together?

Wrong question.

You should be asking:

"How wide/narrow should my stance be, and where should my knees go to enable full ROM without compromising my bracing or core integrity, whilst keeping the bar close over my heels?"

The answer will be:

"It depends."

Happy to walk you through the process of finding out, but...

 

[Jon33]

Wrong question.

You should be asking:

"How wide/narrow should my stance be, and where should my knees go to enable full ROM without compromising my bracing or core integrity, whilst keeping the bar close over my heels?"

The answer will be:

"It depends."

Happy to walk you through the process of finding out, but...

Suppose my question was pretty pointless as slightly closer together could still be really wide depending on where you started from!

My slightly closer together would still be at least shoulder width. Would love to hear drills to find optimum stance width however!