
Learning to Squat - jseliger
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/learning-to-squat?mbid=social_twitter
======
euroclydon
I started StrongLifts a couple months ago. Can't recommend it enough. Starting
each exercise with an empty bar helps me to hear my body. As I go down for
those first couple empty squats, I can feel which muscles are tight, then take
a couple minutes to loosen them up before adding weight.

I wasted years of time in the gym doing leg extensions and leg curls -- single
joint exercises and seeing no results before I embraced squats.

Before StrongLifts (which eased me into squats with the +5lbs ever lift day,
of which there are three per week) I was squatting on the Smith machine. That
was bad for my jointsbesause it restricted my range of motion. Also, I through
I needed the bar pad, but it turns out I can bear a lot of weight with the bar
across my shoulders.

Because I have poor join flexibility, I only squat to horizontal thighs, not
deep squats like some people can do. Maybe the biggest difference I can tell
from the squats (plus the other four exercise) is that the ROI on my
metabolism is huge! I used to have to run to keep the weight off, but that was
bad for my knees.

I'm about to level off at my first set of eight goals, and start incorporating
the rowing machine for cardio into my weekly workout. StrongLifts recommends
to eat a lot of protein, and not to do any other exercise while on the
program, so you can keep progressing through the weight increases by giving
your body all the rest it can get between workout days.

~~~
CalChris
I like StrongLifts a lot. Mehdi has a ton of great form beta. However, you
will plateau. You can't do +5 everyday for ever. And that's ok! Then you need
to study Greg Nuckols [1] and people like that. I do wish his iPhone app was a
little more flexible and could handle different programs than 5x5.

The one thing that StrongLifts beat into my tiny brain is that nothing worked
before squats and everything got better after squats.

[1] [https://www.strongerbyscience.com/](https://www.strongerbyscience.com/)

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krishicks
I like Rippetoe's book (mentioned in the article), but I also think anyone
just getting into it should get a personal trainer that knows what they're
doing to teach them how to squat.

Squatting correctly is hard. It's a complex movement that involves the entire
body and requires you to do things you probably are not used to doing, and
mobility you probably do not have.

~~~
jghn
Also many personal trainers _don 't know now to squat_ either, so just
grabbing the nearest or most fit looking one one won't help. If one goes down
this path and the trainer tells you things like to not go down all the way,
find another trainer. Ideally your butt is touching your calves at the bottom
of your movement.

~~~
stinkytaco
Thighs parallel to the ground is a competition squat. Indeed, your but
touching your calves often means you are curling slightly to make that contact
and that can lead to injury.

~~~
x0x0
Most people will not have the flexibility to go atg without serious butt wink.
Look at all the stretching the oly people do.

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ethan_g
If I could go back in time to my teenage self and give one piece of advice, it
would be to do heavy squats. They're that good.

Though I'm not athletic by any competitive standards, being physically active
has always been important to my health and well-being. I've tried a pretty
good variety of sports and activities, and of everything I've tried, strength
training--squats in particular--have had the best cost/benefit. Doesn't bother
my joints and very few (if any) injuries. Doesn't take much time to get an
intense workout done. Good for maintaining flexibility, especially after
programming at a desk all day long. Fills my body with youthful hormones.

YMMV, but for me, squats are the best thing I've ever discovered for exercise.

~~~
brogrammernot
Agreed but you gotta get the form down. I'd say start with air squats, kettle
bell squats, then work your way up. Plenty of ways to build up your stamina
without putting heavy weight on your shoulders.

~~~
0xbear
Air squats and kettle bells won't really prepare you for low back squat, as
they do not develop tight upper back. Squat with an empty bar instead.

~~~
brogrammernot
Should've specified. Meant more around the lines that you can build a strong
lower body without back squats, and that you can learn proper form (keep chest
tight, don't round your back etc) without putting a barbell on your shoulders.

For me, I hit a PR of 405 for one rep on squats in my early 20s with likely
bad form. Couple weeks later, did a warmup set w/ a quality belt and felt a
pull in my back.

3 years later, I'm foam rolling/modified yoga every morning and night to keep
the 3mm separations on every disc from causing me massive pain.

Tl;dr version - don't gotta jump into heavy back squats and don't ego lift,
slow and steady or you will pay the price.

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karmelapple
I started doing squatting and deadlifts - very carefully and with very light
weight - about five years ago. There seemed to be many potential upsides, and
doing it with much care about my form and going too heavy, I found it's helped
me in many ways.

In the last year, I've been doing Bodypump classes at my local gym. There's a
good amount of squatting and lunges in this, and with good music and fun
instructors. If you're looking to try it out and have this at your local gym,
try it out; it's a good hour-long class that will get you sweating, and you
can set your difficulty level to whatever you want, light to heavy weights.

The music is pretty catchy, too! Here's the latest playlist:
[http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8gGCsYhXV4RSJ_kJft_cs...](http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8gGCsYhXV4RSJ_kJft_csg-
jupYHbZ4w)

P.S. The author of the piece said start squatting at the beginning and you'll
be hurting by the time you finish reading. Thanks to my squats on my own and
in classes, I was in a squat for the whole article and for the minutes it took
to tap out this message on my phone. Squatting is good and can be learned!

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jghn
I've had chronic knee problems since high school, I'm now in my early 40s. I'm
an on again off again exerciser, but in those 25ish years the only time my
knees aren't constantly grouchy are when I'm doing heavy squats ass-to-grass
over a period of time. It's amazing how supposedly the "don't do that you'll
hurt yourself" exercise is the one which fixes me.

~~~
beagle3
If you haven't tried a couple of weeks of barefoot (Vibram Five Fingers, Vivo
Barefoot or any of that kind), I highly recommend it.

With regular cushioned shoes, you get in the habit of putting all your weight
on your heel in one strike, which -- even with the cushioning -- sends the
impact through your knees.

The first couple of days with my Vibrams felt very weird and impactful on the
knee (I went all in, you might want to ease in at a couple hours/day first if
you do) - but then your body gets used to walking on the balls of your feet,
using the heel joint as a spring, and basically saving all impact from your
knees -- it makes a huge difference, even if you don't do it all the time; I
find I lose the spring action after a few months without them, but then a
couple of days are enough to jog the muscle memory.

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wheresvic1
I've been squatting and deadlifting for around 12 years now and can't
recommend them enough. Most of my gains cam from these compound exercises.

When I hit the gym I pretty much just organise my routine around the squat
rack. It is barely used (everyone is busy doing bicep curls in front of the
mirror) so it works out for me :)

PS: shameless plug - I recently created a workout tracker in react/redux. If
you're looking for a simple app to track your progress check out
[https://ewolo.fitness](https://ewolo.fitness) !

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z3t4
To learn good form, have a long stick and hold it against your upper and lower
spine, standing up. Now bend your knees and hips, but without the stick ever
leaving your spine. Go as low as you can to increase flexibility. When you go
go down, breathe in and trigger your abdomen muscles. Try different stances,
like wide or narrow between your feet, to something that feels natural to you.
When you start using the bar, don't use any protection, just find a position
that feels nice, usually on the shoulder blades. You'll get used to it!

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maaksool
I develop the Official Starting Strength app.

Happy to answer any questions about the app or starting strength in general
(although I'm not an SSC, I have done the seminar and been strength training
for about 5 years).

Here's a bunch of free resources to help people get started:

Starting Strength youtube channel, check out the DVD section which has Rip
coaching people through each lift.
[https://www.youtube.com/user/AasgaardCo](https://www.youtube.com/user/AasgaardCo)

Get your form checked by a starting strength coach -
[http://startingstrength.com/resources/forum/forum171/](http://startingstrength.com/resources/forum/forum171/)
(read the sticky first about how to a useful video)

Starting Strength sub-reddit - Scott Hambrick (a starting strength coach) is
active on there and will do form checks and give advice on general questions.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/StartingStrength/](https://www.reddit.com/r/StartingStrength/)

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borne0
tangentially related, but this reminded me of The Iron by Henry Rollins

[http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/strength-articles/iron-
henry...](http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/strength-articles/iron-henry-
rollins)

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gumby
> In parts of the world where squat toilets are common, the pose is used for
> resting or waiting, a regular sight on train platforms or at bus stops.

My mother didn't like us squatting because she associated it with Japanese
occupation. The soldiers would squat like that to eat a meal or have a
meeting, and in the latter case it was generally a sign you should make
yourself scarce.

I find this interesting because, being almost 30 years younger than she, and
having heard this a few times (like when my sister and I would try to "sit
squat" I just cannot adopt the same opinion. Thank goodness!

------
mrbonner
I feel that if I do weight training that involved the squats or dead lifts I
would crave for food insanely. I don't have that crave after a run or rowing.
That's the reason I'm staying away from weight training. Does anybody
experience the same?

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NautilusWave
I know from personal experience that more than just "people with vaginas"
squat for sex. Reads like a bad attempt at trans-inclusivity.

------
peterwwillis
Squatting is great if you need to lift a felled tree, but not to escape a big
cat chasing you. Learn to squat, but please also learn to jump.

~~~
toasterlovin
FYI, vertical jump more or less cannot be trained. It is almost entirely
genetic. Either you can jump high or you can't.

Also, I think many people underestimate how useful strength is in most aspects
of life. From picking up groceries, to home improvement projects, to wrangling
kids, to getting yourself up off the toilet (a serious problem for older
people). Strength makes all of these easier.

~~~
reckoner2
How is this possibly true? I've increased my vertical jump by nearly two
entire feet through years of training in volleyball. Everyone can increase
their vertical just like they can increase their squat. It's a full body
compound movement.

~~~
e9
I think he is referring to method NBA teams select newcomers. They take well
trained young person and they have them do vertical jump. Because they are
well trained, their vertical jump will not improve much because there is
genetic component to it. But if you are average then of course it will improve
with time as you do training, for example if you lose weight you can jump
higher or if you practice and improve nerve-muscle connection that will
increase your power output it will also improve your jump. But at the end of
the day there is genetic limit for the most part, but just like with
everything there are probably exceptions...

~~~
z3t4
Kinda like IQ test, if you train specifically for it, you can get better.
Vertical jump is a good measure of power, same as a IQ test is a good test of
intelligence.

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olivermarks
Mark Ripttoe's DVD is very good, he illustrates form with a wide variety of
body types, pointing out issues different people have

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booleandilemma
_" People with vaginas squat for sex or when peeing outdoors."_

You mean, "women"?

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esaym
Ok, but how do I do it??

~~~
didibus
[https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https:/...](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://stronglifts.com/squat/&ved=0ahUKEwij0Oq6gZ7VAhVNyWMKHa8cDM4QFghgMAw&usg=AFQjCNEYq9ols7dlC_D6UHrU6jkKvA5BXg)

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bluedino
>> Three times a week, for five sets of five reps

I would recommend doing 8 sets or 6 or 8, increasing the weight each set. 5
sets of 5 isn't enough to do more than get warmed up.

~~~
huac
The point of StrongLifts is that you increase weight every time. Doing too
many reps makes that harder, which in turns make building the habit of lifting
consistently harder.

~~~
bluedino
You also don't stay on StrongLifts forever.

