Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Spunky
I've done a more thorough reading of the "How to squat" article. I'm confused by this: "The shins should be a close to vertical as possible throughout the entire movement." If that is so, then what's my problem? They're verticle when I stand...flexibility of my ankle wouldn't affect it at all. In "squat.jpg" his shins don't look vertical, and I think shins in most pics of squats I've seen aren't...
|
If you're going to go A2G, as we call it, then your knees are of course not going to be completely vertical and will go a little past your knees. As long as you are keeping your heels planted then I wouldn't worry about it. If your toes point out a little, make sure that your knees stay in line with them. As far as stance, don't just do what someone suggests, experiment and find one that works for you. I wouldn't go extremely wide (like a powerlifter) or extremely narrow.
On a side note, I go low enough for my calves to rest firmly against the back of my thighs and my knees only go over my toes about an inch...and I have pretty long shins.
Bar position will play a role in how much you round our extend your back. If you are using a fairly low bar position, try a higher one. Just don't rest the bar on your neck. Your back needs to remain natural (when people say "arched" this is what they mean, your back has a natural curve, but don't exagerate it) and you avoid extending it forward or rounding the upper back as much as possible so that the forces are compressive and not shear forces.
One trick is to pay attention to the way it feels on the way up. If it feels like it's "all in the back" then this may be a clue so try to concentrate and notice whether the abdominals are engaging. (That's not fool-proof....if your back is relatively weak, then you're going to feel it) The back should not be taking on the entire job of stabilization.
The bottom line, though, is that this takes practice.