squats - Page 15

goblet squats are a good alternative if you dont have barbells. they work your upper body some too just holding the weight in place...
if you are doing for first time, starting with about 25% of bw is a good barometer i think....for more experienced lifters try at least half your body weight or more....

Yes, that is what I do. Feels totally different than a deadlift and works the legs MUCH harder.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...s/DBSquat.html

^I just tried that movement (at work, so w/o actual dumbbells) and can't see how it could possibly be performed comfortably. Thighs get in the way of the dumbbells, and with my long arms I think the weights would hit the floor at full depth.

There are half racks if you have a low ceiling.

OTOH dumbbell steps can be used in place of squats. Not perfect but what is. It's basically a one leg workout so dumbbell size is less of an issue.

I don't have this problem and I have gorilla arms.

I don't either. Much better to clean the dumbbels to your shoulders and rest them there. I tried that way once and it just killed my shoulders and back trying to let them hang. It's like trying to halfass incorporate farmers walks into your squats. Since Manton isn't really concerned about gaining mass though, dumbbells will surely be fine. I'd add lunges and pistols to it too though for variety. Really though, with what he said his goals were, he may just be better off doing burpees....lots and lots of burpees.

Well, if it works for you that's all that matters. FWIW, I have low ceilings in the basement and have a cage down there. Prohibits me from using it for pullups, and the ceiling is too low to perform a standing press, but it's just fine for squat and bench. If you end up wanting one I'm sure you can find something that will work with your ceiling height.

initial incorporation of the squat will take a few days of recovery, so you may want to plan your running schedule around it. the first day after, you will be sore, but the second is where the pain comes in. high rep-low weight won't really help much - go with medium reps for as high a weight as you can do with good form (12-15 reps). legs usually need higher reps than upper-body muscles for proper response, but not much more. after a 2-3 weeks, you should have a gauge of how much time your body needs to recover.

When you start to squat, the form will seem odd, and the actual movement might be counter-intuitive. pland your feet at shoulder-width apart, maybe a little wider. it's important that you drop your hips first instead of bending at the knees first - your knee will not move too much if doing it correctly. a rep is completed when the top of your thigh should be parallel to the floor (most people judge parallel from the hamstring, but this is not correct). just like the leg press, if you go lower, you will incorporate more glutes for stability. if you do less, you are cheating yourself.

some tips: look up as you drop - it will keep your back straight. also, tense your core throughout the movement. don't forget to breathe.

my apologies if you already knew how to squat properly - i just assumed you didn't.

Er....looking up at any point in the squat not only seems counterintuitive but flat out dangerous. I feel most stable, and safe when looking down 3 or so feet in front of me, exactly as instructed in Starting Strength.

looking down makes it much more likely for a beginner to round the back. i don't mean look straight up, but look up at a 45 degree angle. i'm not familiar with starting strength, but it looks like a legit book. i learned to lift from a competitive powerlifter and former mr. universe competitors. i'm not saying that validates my advice because many competitors are just genetic freaks that know very little. i only mention what worked for me because i believe it's the best way. just like financial advice, everyone has a system that works. i think looking up is less risky.

FWIW, i have never had a problem with my stability, nor did the handful i taught to successfully squat in a day or so. i also think that my way is safer considering the many trainers that also advise to look up.

books also tell people terrible advice like putting weights under your heels to get that initial balance down, too. the book doesn't mention the extra stress this puts on the knee tendons.

You shouldn't breathe during your reps
Also 12-15 reps is high rep,
Medium is like 5-8
/obvious.

as to your first comment, i hope you are joking. otherwise, you have single-handedly disproved darwin.

as for the reps, i would agree if you were talking upper body. legs respond better to more reps because of their higher level of activity. i believe 10-15 is a medium range for legs.

You have obviously never lifted heavy weight.

When you breath your core relaxes and thus your back bends. I suppose on high rep stuff like you suggested you would be able to easily counteract the bending, but on high weight low rep stuff not breathing is very important.

i suppose a 635 deadlift, 515 squat, and a 405 bench isn't too heavy at a 245 bodyweight... i have a bulging disc from a car accident so i can't lift too heavy anymore. if i can figure out how to post it, i have a video of the dead on my old cellphone. you have to purposefully stay tight, inhale on the way down, forcefully exhale on the extention/way up. powerlifting is a completely different animal. for bodybuilding, however, breathing is very important.