Squats

[TheHipHopBillGates]

What's a ratio to figure out what a normal amount to be doing in relationship to your weight or something.

[TecHnO JesUs]

I dont think there is a ratio. Its what you're comfortable with and basically your form. Once you start getting sloppy with your form or cheating by bending your back too forward, you're doing too much. Start with a comfortable set of 12 as your first set. second set, increase it till you can push out a clean set of 10. third, i go for most weight that gives me proper form for a clean 8. I was doing 315 lbs a few months ago for 6 reps but then started gettin sloppy beyond that, so I dropped it down to 295. Now I've plateued so I should prob bump it up again to see if i can handle the weight again.

[TheHipHopBillGates]

Originally posted by TecHnO JesUs
I dont think there is a ratio. Its what you're comfortable with and basically your form. Once you start getting sloppy with your form or cheating by bending your back too forward, you're doing too much. Start with a comfortable set of 12 as your first set. second set, increase it till you can push out a clean set of 10. third, i go for most weight that gives me proper form for a clean 8. I was doing 315 lbs a few months ago for 6 reps but then started gettin sloppy beyond that, so I dropped it down to 295. Now I've plateued so I should prob bump it up again to see if i can handle the weight again.

ok, also is there a difference between doing it with the bar, and then doing them on a machine?

[Doge]

yep.. form is definitely the most important w/ squats cuz they're putting tremendous stress on almost your entire body. as soon as you start throwing weight on there where ur rep count drops to below 5 or 6, i'd say back some weight off. conversely, once ur doing a weight that allows you 8-10 reps, i'd say you can stack on a few more lbs.

only other thing i can add to what ray said is you should really make sure you have a strong mid-section (both abs and lower back) which does the bulk of stabilization and support of the weight. oh and keep that head, and consequentially ur spine, straight!

[Doge]

Originally posted by TheHipHopBillGates
ok, also is there a difference between doing it with the bar, and then doing them on a machine?
like almost every other exercise.. i think the biggest difference b/w the 2 is all the stabilizer muscles that come into play when u go from machine to free.

i've never doen them, but u'll see ppl laying on a ball doing dumbbell presses. your max weight will drop some, but u'll feel all those "inbetween" muscles that got tweeked the next couple days. kinda the same thing for moving from a straight bar (e.g. flat bench) to dumbbells.

1 thing i like that's diff w/ squats on a machine is that u can really put your feet forward and get the full "squat" motion.. really hit your hams and glutes.

[assfreely]

I am a fan of doing them on a Smith machine. You can stand regular or Sumo and go down passed parallel without worry of getting stuck.

Now front squats are the tough ones...

[TheHipHopBillGates]

Originally posted by assfreely
I am a fan of doing them on a Smith machine. You can stand regular or Sumo and go down passed parallel without worry of getting stuck.

Now front squats are the tough ones...

this isnt even the smith machine I think, this is a machine strictly for squats, the rest I ask is because I believe me and ray are in the same range as size, he may even be built be bigger then me, and I've been blowin out ridiculous amounts of weight on this machine, last week I did 810(9 45's on each side) for 8 reps, comfortably, and probably would have tryed more, but no more plates will fit on the machine, and I know I'd never be able to touch this on a bar.

[assfreely]

I am curious about this machine.

What does it look like? Like a blocking guard for football? A Hack squat? Are you lifting straight up and down or on an angle?

[TecHnO JesUs]

this might be seated leg press machine right? thast the only machine i know that can hold that many plates. A vertical squat machine/ smith machine wouldnt have the capacity for that. YOu're still depriving yourself of the ancillary muscles as dogekid said when you use machines. You're moving in a linear format and not using your supporting muscles for balance, etc. Try freeweight squats in addition to the leg press you're doing. You'll nail your glutes and hammies more than the machine alone

[TheHipHopBillGates]

Originally posted by assfreely
I am curious about this machine.

What does it look like? Like a blocking guard for football? A Hack squat? Are you lifting straight up and down or on an angle?

you step up on a stair, and then your have to bend under and put your shoulders into two grooves, and there are handles on each side, then u push up, to pop the safety off and do your squats. First time i've ever seen the machine in 7 years of working out, NYSC.

[TheHipHopBillGates]

Originally posted by TecHnO JesUs
this might be seated leg press machine right? thast the only machine i know that can hold that many plates. A vertical squat machine/ smith machine wouldnt have the capacity for that. YOu're still depriving yourself of the ancillary muscles as dogekid said when you use machines. You're moving in a linear format and not using your supporting muscles for balance, etc. Try freeweight squats in addition to the leg press you're doing. You'll nail your glutes and hammies more than the machine alone

you don't find that doing it with the bar hurts your neck? not a seated machine, if I can I'll get PhuckU to snap a picture of it, since he works there.

[TecHnO JesUs]

def hurts my neck.... i used to get indents in my traps for days after doing a heavy leg workout but i found that wrapping a towel around the bar helps alot. If you dont have a towel, try getting one of the small rubber gym mats and throwing that around the bar.

now i know what machine you're talking about... dont have that at my gym but i've seen it before.

[assfreely]

Some gyms supply a rubber support that goes around the bar, like a BMX bike pad, but the towels definitely helps a bunch.

My last gym had the safety squat bar that basically supports itself on your shoulders. Although it made squatting much easier, I found this uncomfortable...


I think I know the machine you are talking about. It kinda looks like those blocking sleds we used at high school football practice.

[vman]

Originally posted by assfreely
I am curious about this machine.

What does it look like? Like a blocking guard for football? A Hack squat? Are you lifting straight up and down or on an angle? I bet hes talking about hack squats.

[TheHipHopBillGates]

Originally posted by vman
I bet hes talking about hack squats.

yeah i guess it kind of does look like a football machine.

[joeyjoey]

I use the squat machine and my gym and I still can't squat heavy weight. I can leg-press a lot, but my asthma kicks in on squats :(

[TheHipHopBillGates]

the amount i can leg press varies on the machine i'm on, some of them you can bring the thing you put your feet on in closer, on those ill bring it up to where my knees hit my shoulders I can hit 310 for a clean set of 8-10, but on one of the ones where u cant slide the base i can push more. I've really only been working my legs since sept though.

[evolution]

If I could only do one exercise, it would be squats. As for reps, I believe in the old school way to train, pyramid up and go so heavy that you have to puke when you're done. (Sometimes if my knees are feeling good I max out with a spotter)

A good measure of strength is when you can squat 2 times your bodyweight. And if you think about it, not too many 200 lbs guys can squat 400 lbs (4 plates).

[kroms]

sp speaking of squats...

im in the gym earlier and theres a couple guys doing Smith machine squats....this guy has 3 plates on and hes making al this noise and moving about 2 inches up and down...oh and in between sets these shmos are sining loudly to the music on the PA system...

it amazes me sometimes....

just anouther reason why i like the gym at 1 am....

[Doge]

mike.. i remember that machine when i used to go to NYSC, never seen it anywhere else. it's kinda similar to the smith machine in movement. if you wanna make it harder, turn yourself around so your back is against the padding... that's the equivalent of doing front-weighted squats.

kroms.. hate them more than cell phone using gym rats

[TheHipHopBillGates]

Originally posted by dogekid
mike.. i remember that machine when i used to go to NYSC, never seen it anywhere else. it's kinda similar to the smith machine in movement. if you wanna make it harder, turn yourself around so your back is against the padding... that's the equivalent of doing front-weighted squats.

kroms.. hate them more than cell phone using gym rats

i will thanks

[jameznyhc]

Originally posted by TheHipHopBillGates
ok, also is there a difference between doing it with the bar, and then doing them on a machine? the machine is better in my opinion because you can not risk injury....the bar after many years does damage so it depends on age and how long you been lifting ....my knees are shot and my shoulders are wrecked from overtraining in my early 20"s i use mostly machines for both those bodyparts

[berniec]

Originally posted by TheHipHopBillGates
you step up on a stair, and then your have to bend under and put your shoulders into two grooves, and there are handles on each side, then u push up, to pop the safety off and do your squats. First time i've ever seen the machine in 7 years of working out, NYSC.

they had one of these down @ workout world by rutgers i used to love it!