I can't fucking squat to full depth. I either have to lift my heels off the ground or not reach full depth. Also, if I squat wider I can get more ROM but it feels like my abductor is going to pop. Front squats suck too because they give me trap imbalances from holding the bar.
western spy
>Heels off the ground
How's it feel to get mogged by every slav ever
just don't go to full depth. your legs will still get stronger even if you aren't impressing IST form nazis
But then I'll have inconsistent ROM
Unless you’re training to compete in powerlifting you’re overthinking things. Do what you safely and comfortably can. You will get gains. Everyone’s body is different. It’s about hip joint mobility and the way the bones are shaped. I have to squat wide stanced with my toes slightly pointing out.
Basketball players and sprinters will mainly do half squats, because it supports what they train for.
If you’re training to build your physique, then form doesn’t matter as long as it’s safe AND optimal. So if you cannot squat to depth, then do what you can. Add a set or two of box squats if you’re that worried about it, or do a whole extra set of squats at the end.
Wear elevated heels & if that's insufficient just do hack squats. Your quads will thank you.
Problem is that if OP gets decently strong he'll be squatting serious weight for half reps which has a terrible stimulus to fatigue give & take. Plus inconsistent ROM.
Work on your ankle mobility and in the meantime get som squat shoes
I've worked on ankle mobility for over a year. Made improvements but not enough. I squat barefoot
Stretch your calves immediately before squatting. Changing your long-term ankle mobility is very hard, it's much easier to loosen them up just long enough to do your workout. If all else fails there's no shame in just squatting on a wedge.
>Stretch your calves immediately before squatting
don't do this. it creates mustard gas in your ankles
Do low bar. Some people just cant high bar squat to depth no matter how much they stretch their shit.
Low bar makes it worse because I have to bend over more to stay balanced
Bullshit, everyone can highbar, it's a flexibility issue, play around with narrow to wide stances, it's hip socket related. Do reverse Nordics and leg raises
nah, front squats and high bar are way easier.
Low bar I have to bend over more.
What I do is rotate my feet outwards, and let my knees track forwards and outwards.
If my 67 year old dad(obese) can do an ATG bodyweight squat you can too.
low bar is an absolute meme and abomination. I do squats to work my legs, mainly my quads. Not my hip flexors and lower back.
Look in to zero-drop / minimalist footwear. It's the only thing I've ever actually seen cause a meaningful improvement in ankle mobility.
I'm in similar boat as you, can't even get to parallel on back squats because my femur:torso ratio is ridiculous. Tried front squat for a while which felt much more natural but never had the wrist flexibility for them and got tired of bruising up my front delts trying them the other way, eventually I got to a certain weight where the bruises would not heal by the time I was ready to train legs again. Eventually I abandoned squat altogether and am just doing leg press/extension/curl and dumbell lunges, not ideal but I guess better than doing dogshit quality squats. On the plus-side my deadlift is going great, I'm at 300 lbs 3x5 and adding 10 lbs to it every other week.
It's not anything to do with flexibility, it's squat form. Rippetoe has talked about this, he's never coached a single person where flexibility was the limiting factor in reaching depth.
Rippetoe also teaches how to stretch for abductor flexibility in his book
Where can I find Rippetoe talk about this
I think I heard it on his podcast but you could probably search flexibility on his forum
do more squats until you don't have to
do stairmaster
stretch
Put two 5lb plates on the ground and put your heels on them
you gotta wear high heels man. it's the only hope for squatlets.
Widen foot stance
Point toes out at a shallow angle
Increase ankle dorsiflexion
>Front squats suck too because they give me trap imbalances from holding the bar
Explain what abomination of a technique are you doing to achieve that?
Try a hex bar zercher squat
same issues OP. ive started recently just doing deep knee bends/hindu squats instead of flat footed. Ive spent years fixing my bad ankle, stretching, chiro, pt, etc and its made a noticeable difference, but still isnt enough to squat properly even with lifting shoes. Trying to just squat anyways and hope it works out doesnt help, just caused me imbalances and my numbers capped really fast cuz form issues (weight would fall forward cuz hips shoot back since knee cant track over front of foot)
Fags in this thread arguing over how to squat.
moron its not hard, rest the bar on the shelf on your back, unrack, step back, deep breath so your core is engaged and your upper back isnt rounding, then just fucking go down and keep the bar over your mid foot.
Its not hard, stupid cunts.
stop being a pussy and train on form.
squat with empty bar or nothing but try to achieve perfect form.
A good exercise is to squat like 20 cm from a wall... keep trying until you can squat like this without leaning forward and with opening your hips completely while remaining upright.
Your squat will improve notably
So I was doing pause ATG squats yesterday and completely fried my lower back. What gives?
you round your back in the deepest part.
train abs and form.
(keeping your abs tight will prevent rounding)
also ease up on the atg. make sure your form is good first.
Hex. Bar. Zercher. Squat
It's not rocket science.