Squatting advice

[sam_bellevue]

Just a few general questions about squats:

When squatting, how long should one stay squatted down before standing up and repeating?

Would it be safe to do (both with and without weights) squat exercises everyday?

Is squatting more effective when squatting lower than the point where the leg is 90 degrees?

Does putting your weight on your heels make your glutes work more?

Thanks!

 

[dswithers]

1. When squatting, how long should one stay squatted down before standing up and repeating?
2. Would it be safe to do (both with and without weights) squat exercises everyday?
3. Is squatting more effective when squatting lower than the point where the leg is 90 degrees?
4. Does putting your weight on your heels make your glutes work more?

1. come to a complete stop (usually 1 second is considered a complete stop), do not bounce
2. probably not, you need rest time to recover, muscle building occurs during the rest time, rule of thumb is at least 48 hours between exercise sessions for the same muscle group
3. depends on what you are trying to accomplish, but in general the larger the range of motion the more effective the exercise is in recruiting the maximum number of muscle fibers and assisting muscles as well as maintaining flexibility.
4. in general, yes, but it depends on your particular body mechanics and technique. I find it more beneficial to try to feel the muscle you are trying to emphasize than to try to put the wieght on my heels

 

[illiniphase4]

As a general rule for most resistance training, a 2-1-2 tempo is a good place to start. That's 2 seconds down, 1 second at mid-point, and 2 seconds back up.

Some people can do squats everyday. Giving yourself a full days rest though between weighted squat days is a good idea though. Also, it might be a good idea to mix in some other lower body exercises (dead lifts, split squats, lunges) to prevent acclimation and plateauing.

Squatting to 90 degrees is the ideal minimum range of motion. However, depending on what you are training for, a deeper squat may be appropriate. That really is an activity-specific item.

As for base of support concerns, you should be carrying your weight across the entire foot with your center of gravity typically just forward of the shin bone. Feet should be shoulder width (or slightly greater) apart, and your toes should point forward throughout the entire lift. How you move your hips during a squat is far more important to glut activation than how you are carrying your weight through your feet.

A couple major safety/form items include:

*When squatting, draw the hips back and keep your knees over or behind your toes. This effectively targets the gluts while preventing an unnecessary forward load force through the back of the patella.

*Start out in front of a mirror, and watch yourself at the knees. If your knees are buckling inward or outward then you are dealing with a biomechanical inefficiency that will likely cause problems down the road. Throughout the squat, you want to keep your hips over your knees over your toes (or slightly inside your toes if you choose a wider base). If your knees buckle inwards, your gluts are probably either tight and inhibited, or weak.

Hope this helps.

 

[Habib]

Cadence can be whatever you want. You can hold them isometrically if you want.
Your heels should never come off the floor, make sure you stay grounded. Only go as low as you can with good form.

 

[Karky]

I'd go for maximal mobilization in the concentric (lifting the weight up) phase of the lift. Do it as fast as you can.

90 degrees is fine if that is specific to your sport. you'll hit your glutes more if you go lower and it looks cooler , you don't need to use as much load on your back (you'll probably do twice as much weight with 90 degree squats than full squats). Beware, though, that most people can't do full squats without their lower backs flexing. Some technique and mobility work is usually needed.

Also, I'd point the toes in the same direction as your knees. If you're standing greater than hip width apart with your feet (which you should) then your knees will be pointing out a bit as you squat down (maybe even quite a bit) and your feet should be in line with your knees.

There's really nothing wrong with letting your knees pass in front of your toes IMO, your body will get used to it and if you really want to stress your quads (front of the thigh) it is necessary. The further forward you put your knees the more stress on your knee extensors (quads) and less on your hip extensors (hamstrings and glutes). If you have problems with your patella tendon or the underside of your patella, it might not be a good idea, though.