Deadlift and Squats -- train safely and wisely - UK-Muscle Body Building Community

Peg · 18-06-2006, 08:09 PM

Deadlift and Squat Secrets

Good information to train safely and wisely.
Click on link for more information and execution of lifts.

Excerpt from Scott Cardell's Deadlift and Squat Secrets

AVOIDING KNEE AND LOWER BACK INJURIES
When you squat down and stand back up, you have one of two choices. You can stay flat on your feet, or you can do it on your toes. I'm going to teach you how to do it flat-footed. This will develop the upper thighs, lower back and gluteous (butt) muscles.

The "balance-on-your-toes" method will work your thighs (quadriceps), but will also grind your knees to dust. So why do people do it? I really don't know. As I said before, somehow our lifting techniques become corrupted just past the teenage years. Two other good knee-grinders are high-heel shoes and walking downstairs or hills.

Can squats hurt your lower back? Only if your hamstrings are too tight... because you can't squat down completely without your pelvis tucking in and your low back "hunching" forward. But then, tight hamstrings are gonna hurt your back anyway--whether you do squats or not. Solution: stretch your hamstrings every day. When you can sit on the floor with your legs straightened in front of you, ankles together, and you can put your forehead on your shins, you'll then be flexible enough.

Consider three groups of people who have very healthy knees and lower backs, yet they squat (and flat-footed, I might add) all the time: Olympic weightlifters; amateur powerlifters, and perhaps the best testimonial of all: little toddlers, who squat up and down constantly and never lift anything unless they can do it with leg power!

SIDE NOTE: Squats can be performed in many different ways, depending on what development you desire to emphasize. For years, I used the classic high-bar squat, with bar high on the traps, and feet fairly close. It focuses mostly on the frontal and lower (teardrop around the knees) quads. It also makes great demands on your spine.

After injuring and re-injuring my lower back years ago with sloppy deadlifts, I've finally dropped hi-bar squats. I now do squats patterned after the way infants do them (and interestingly, many successful powerlifters as well): medium stance (heels 15-18inches apart), knees thrust wide apart at the bottom, and a very deep descent. Also, I wear the bar lower now for additional spine safety (more about all these little details below). My current squats are excellent for balanced development of the quads, erectors, and glutes. No, they don't make my butt big. I honestly believe that "big butt" syndrome is largely genetic, or due to a little more bodyfat than we should be carrying. Barring a videotape, here's how I recommend squatting, with a few variations:

**hackskii** · 21-06-2006, 10:21 PM

Good post, I have tight hamstrings, I think this might be a problem, as I do seem to have a little plagueing back problem.

OnePack · 22-06-2006, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peg

Can squats hurt your lower back? Only if your hamstrings are too tight... because you can't squat down completely without your pelvis tucking in and your low back "hunching" forward. But then, tight hamstrings are gonna hurt your back anyway--whether you do squats or not. Solution: stretch your hamstrings every day. When you can sit on the floor with your legs straightened in front of you, ankles together, and you can put your forehead on your shins, you'll then be flexible enough.

i thought that u should never stretch without warming up. :confused:

Peg · 22-06-2006, 02:15 PM

Yes, you should warm up before stretching. Ths particular stretch can be done as part of the warm up, but first do some deep knee bends to warm up the muscles, then do this stretch.

18-06-2006, 08:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
Peg Getting HUGE! Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,468	Deadlift and Squats -- train safely and wisely Deadlift and Squat Secrets Good information to train safely and wisely. Click on link for more information and execution of lifts. Excerpt from Scott Cardell's Deadlift and Squat Secrets AVOIDING KNEE AND LOWER BACK INJURIES When you squat down and stand back up, you have one of two choices. You can stay flat on your feet, or you can do it on your toes. I'm going to teach you how to do it flat-footed. This will develop the upper thighs, lower back and gluteous (butt) muscles. The "balance-on-your-toes" method will work your thighs (quadriceps), but will also grind your knees to dust. So why do people do it? I really don't know. As I said before, somehow our lifting techniques become corrupted just past the teenage years. Two other good knee-grinders are high-heel shoes and walking downstairs or hills. Can squats hurt your lower back? Only if your hamstrings are too tight... because you can't squat down completely without your pelvis tucking in and your low back "hunching" forward. But then, tight hamstrings are gonna hurt your back anyway--whether you do squats or not. Solution: stretch your hamstrings every day. When you can sit on the floor with your legs straightened in front of you, ankles together, and you can put your forehead on your shins, you'll then be flexible enough. Consider three groups of people who have very healthy knees and lower backs, yet they squat (and flat-footed, I might add) all the time: Olympic weightlifters; amateur powerlifters, and perhaps the best testimonial of all: little toddlers, who squat up and down constantly and never lift anything unless they can do it with leg power! SIDE NOTE: Squats can be performed in many different ways, depending on what development you desire to emphasize. For years, I used the classic high-bar squat, with bar high on the traps, and feet fairly close. It focuses mostly on the frontal and lower (teardrop around the knees) quads. It also makes great demands on your spine. After injuring and re-injuring my lower back years ago with sloppy deadlifts, I've finally dropped hi-bar squats. I now do squats patterned after the way infants do them (and interestingly, many successful powerlifters as well): medium stance (heels 15-18inches apart), knees thrust wide apart at the bottom, and a very deep descent. Also, I wear the bar lower now for additional spine safety (more about all these little details below). My current squats are excellent for balanced development of the quads, erectors, and glutes. No, they don't make my butt big. I honestly believe that "big butt" syndrome is largely genetic, or due to a little more bodyfat than we should be carrying. Barring a videotape, here's how I recommend squatting, with a few variations: __________________ "21st century man is not conquered by guns, nor by oppression, but by seduction." "Pride to the human heart is like lard to the pig." Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn "The best punch is the one that is both first, last, and ends the fight."

21-06-2006, 10:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
hackskii UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Southern California U.S.A. Posts: 23,185	Good post, I have tight hamstrings, I think this might be a problem, as I do seem to have a little plagueing back problem. __________________ "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." - George Carlin Scott To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

22-06-2006, 02:15 PM	#4 (permalink)
Peg Getting HUGE! Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,468	Yes, you should warm up before stretching. Ths particular stretch can be done as part of the warm up, but first do some deep knee bends to warm up the muscles, then do this stretch. __________________ "21st century man is not conquered by guns, nor by oppression, but by seduction." "Pride to the human heart is like lard to the pig." Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn "The best punch is the one that is both first, last, and ends the fight."