I'm not really sure without having you in front of me, but it might be a combination of bad posture (exacerbated by sitting for long periods of time if you have a desk job) and poor shoulder mobility. If you have access to bands, here are a couple of exercises that have helped me with both. Posture correction Band pull aparts for shoulder mobility.
So I wrenched my doing squats on Tuesday and strained some lower back muscles. After a day or and a half it has subsided quite a bit. I went to see my doctor anyway sense it was time for some prescription refills. He said that I had hurt or strained or aggravated my Sacroiliac joints in my pelvis based on what he saw. He pressed on some knobby spots on my lower back, that have given me trouble before, and said indicated where the bones were connected at this sacagawea joint. I told him that when it happened there had been a flash of pain that went through my tailbone, or muscles covering my tail bone but that the strain seemed to migrate up later on to the small of my back. I am wondering what type of stretches and exercises could be done to help loosen it up a bit down there? Any tips on squat form that would help putting undo strain on it? Thanks.
Pretty happy. Hit a front squat at 315 for a double. Spotter was close but actually didn't touch the bar, the second one felt heavy but at no point did I not think I was coming back down.
I have a few questions: A guy who works out at my gym told me that I was doing my squats incorrectly. He had me switch from using a free barbell to one that is in a rack, and told me that I needed to do them with my feet all the way out and kind of leaning back on the barbell (but still keeping my back straight and knees only slightly bent, and still breaking parallel), instead of keeping my feet under my shoulders. The exercise feels good this way (though I can't do nearly as much weight), but I can't find any instruction on the Internet that tells you to do squats this way. I also can't see how you would use this from with a free barbell, though it could just be something that I need to work up to. Does anyone hear do squats this way? The guy who showed me this is ripped and seems to know his stuff, but I still thought that I would ask. Also, on my bench presses I have kind of leveled off. When I started I could barely lift 10 pounds, but I was able to work up to 50-60 pounds pretty quickly. I generally do 4 sets of 5-12 reps, increasing the weight and decreasing the number of reps with each set. Does anyone know anything that I could do differently to build up to more weight? Thanks!
Wait, did he just have you switch from regular back squats to squats in a smith machine? If this is the case next time he comes up to you, you backhand him. Immediately. Then warn him to stay the fuck away from you.
A smith machine will do zero for your form and is terrible as far as biomechanical posture. I think this has been posted before, but it bears repeating. Smith machines are terrible.
First off I'm with Freecorps that the Smith machine is terrible. But the rest of the advice sounds legit assuming you had a narrow stance and your were knees coming too far forward*, it's kind of hard to couch this without seeing a video of the technique you had and the technique he is suggesting. *you want to think of your knee as a hinge and should prevent them from coming forward as much as possible.
I think it was Rippetoe who said that fucking a cat in a closet is closer to squatting than using a Smith machine. Or something like that, whatever fuck you Anyway, what helped me the most was realizing how much my knees came forward/ how much i wasn't sitting back. You're going to need flexible hamstrings, and you're going to feel them everytime you go down. If you don't feel them in the back as you"re forcing your hips back, push your hips back more. Keep the bar low on your back (probably lower than you think), and you want to keep the actual bar in line with where all the weight is on your foot, all the way down and all the way up. Your feet are just about shoulder length apart, toes pointed out, and push your knees out hard. RCGT has posted a good stretch for squats a few times, work through that, get used to keeping your knees out SO- hips back BACK PUSH THEM BACK IT IS LIKE SITTING, knees out, keep the bar low. oh, and never listen to anybody in your gym ever (just to be safe)
Go back to your barbell. That guy is an imbecile. Smith machines are definitely not what you want for your squats. ^^^ hips back, butt down, chest up, knees out.
Man whoever said that going from the SL 5x5 back to MBP was not kidding. I found that I felt really strong for two sets, but usually just crapped out on the third setting in terms of hitting within my rep range. I am doing a funky little hybrid where if I hit all 3 sets at max reps for that week then I will add 5 lbs the next time I am in that range. If the sets were really easy I would add more. So I had a lightbulb moment on my ride back from the gym and throw it out to the group and the mods: do we think it's time for a separate section in the Sports Board for the workout folks? I would like to have a spot to start logging workouts and I don't frequent any other full on fitness sites beyond this and the Whole9 forums. We could keep this thread, the paleo thread, add a workout log thread, and then add some other topics like a dedicated crossfit thread, an RKC kettlebell thread, or what have you. Let's make puppy dog eyes at DCC and see if this will go down.
Head over to instrength.com. It's workout logs, general discussion, sports, and mma, with nutrition / form / whatever subtopics. Quite a few of us are on there.
^^ What he said. You'd get better feedback on your log there than you would here. Also, anyone can post a thread topic in the Sports forum. But don't post a log topic, cause instrength already has you covered.
He's not the one who has had this happen. I was also told this, and DID this, until people in this forum told me to STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT. What is that, some sort of practical joke to tell guys to use a Smith for squats? 25% of gym-goers say it's for proper form and therefore "necessary", the other 75% say people who do that approach dangerous levels of retardation. I now go with the majority on that opinion.
So I went after some 20 rep squats yesterday (the first time I undertook it, I only got through about a set and a half, I was exhausted), and I started to get some significant lower back fatigue/soreness in my last 5-7 reps. Now obviously lower back is engaged via stabilization in the squat, but I normally wouldn't get it when I was doing a 5x5 for example. So without having video of me squatting, is this a function of the higher reps or is it likely my form is breaking down? My thighs are also way more sore than my ass which is a new thing post squat.
If you want to up the challenge, do dips with your feet off the ground. Also, you can start doing more challenging variations of pushups. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have someone check your form if you're just getting back into the game. It would be better to catch bad movement patterns before they set in. I would add in some stabilization work for your legs, i.e. single leg stuff and balance (if you aren't doing it already). Also, keep in mind that while planks aren't horrible, you can do much more for your core.
Yes, your lower back will be sore from this. Usually, my people complain about being sore at the TOP of their ass, kind of like where love handles would be, moving into the middle of their back. It's likely a combination of the fatigue and the reps breaking down. Also, keep firing off your ass. You're getting some quad dominance there you shouldn't have.
Invest in a backpack and some weight plates, and you'll be able to progressively load your bodyweight exercises. I have the Iron Gym, I basically just use it for parallel-grip pull-ups when I can't be bothered to get out of the house. Keep in mind that if you run a lot, you're going to have to up the calories to build muscle.
Why are you doing multiple sets of 20 reppers? That should be a one-set, all-out workout. You hit it and quit it. 20 reppers should be as much of a mental challenge as they are a physical challenge requiring every ounce of will power and horse power you possess. If you're able to do anything other than roll around on the floor in a whimpering ball of hurt when you're done, you didn't go heavy enough. Don't do another set, though. Just do some assistance exercises and remember to bump up the weight for next time.
I had no clue what it was when shimmered brought it up, so I googled it, and one of the articles I saw said pick a weight you could do 10-12 reps comfortably with, get through those, take a deep breath, pause, and work your way through the last reps with appropriate pauses. Then do 2-3 sets, so I did. If its only 1 set of 20, then I'd definitely added another 25-35 lbs or so. I also think I've been uneven in driving up through the squats related to my hip issue I mentioned awhile back and evidenced by my uneven glutes. I think as an attempt to balance out a bit I was a bit too far forward, cheating with my quads a bit as shimmered said.