[quote]GoOrange wrote:
Most people can leg press a lot more than they can squat. [/quote]
Ahhh, the truth has been revealed…I sincerely hope that everyone reading this website already knew that.
I’ve never weight trained in my life except for the past 7 weeks and my max squat is around 280lbs. Anyways, I was extremely afraid to do squats so you know what I hit? Smith Machine.
Technically, if you want to have a stronger squat, Smith machine squats are the best. I don’t care how pussy someone thinks they are, the smith machine isolates the quads the most compared to a free weight squat and you’ll up your squat much faster. Once you’ve got your squat to a place where you want it switch to free weight squats and reap the benefits of the free weight style.
I personally prefer a smith machine squat. I’m not getting the full compound effect though so you’ll have to weigh the pros and cons yourself.
With the smith machine I could focus on my technique. I could load up heavy weight and not worry about losing it. I could look at my feet, check where my back is at certain points, etc.
Squat at first was a scary thought but it’s my favourite exercise now and it’s something I have to do. There are so many ways to do squats too but a normal one… just feet shoulder width a part. Place higher on your back for a athletic squat and lower on your back for a powerlifting squat (Utilizing Squat Variations! includes all squat variations too). Also, don’t let your knees overlap your toes. That’s one big thing I learnt from my sisters boyfriend. Big no no.
I think my progression is so quick because I dead lifted. One weak area in your squat may actually be your back and not your legs.
Just happened to see this post. Not sure if you’ve gotten enough help yet (didn’t bother reading all the other posts), but here’s how I teach people. Laugh all you want but this method works every time.
Get a flat bench and put it just behind the squat rack. Unrack the bar and back up so that you’re about a foot out from the bench. Put your feet just outside shoulder width.
Now, pretend you’re in the bathroom in the middle of the night. It’s dark and you’re not quite sure where the toilet is (laugh all you want, my clients do too, but they all learn how to squat!).
The reason for this is that it keeps your butt back, fishing for that toilet seat, or the bench in this case. When your butt just touches the bench, pause slightly and “explode controllably” back up. Watch your knees coming in. They should be over your feet through out.
Practice makes perfect, so I say to do under 6 reps per set, but do 6-8 sets.
Your leg press usage my actually be hurting you in learning to squat because you’re strengthening your legs (in a supportive pattern) and when people have trouble executing a squat, it’s usually (if not always) their stability muscles (and often times, lower back) that’s lagging.
I’m sure you know that squats are worth learning so hang in there!
Dear jackasses,
Help the OP with constructive comments or links, or shut your pie holes.
warmest regards
A couple of other options to consider:
- if your supporting muscles are the limiting factor in your squat, then do heavy leg extensions first, so your quads are pre-exhausted. That way you get good quad stimulation using less weight on your squat.
The other beneift of this is if you have bad knees like I do your knee joint can be thoroughly warmed up with a few sets of leg extensions and/or leg curls before you start to squat heavy.
- do heavy leg presses and/or good mornings or SLDL immediately after your squats to further strengthen your quads and/or lower back to help your squat. I find when I do one or both of these immediately after my squats, the next session my squats seem much easier.
As stated earlier, the legpress is simply an ego-driven useless device. If/when you decide to squat, try to ignore the smith machine narrow stance bar way up on the neck squatters. Seek advice from serious strength trainers here. Use a lower bar position, wider foot position, feet traveling over the knees, sit back into it, seems quite natural to me. Good luck.
[quote]RaferAlston26 wrote:
I’ve never weight trained in my life except for the past 7 weeks and my max squat is around 280lbs. Anyways, I was extremely afraid to do squats so you know what I hit? Smith Machine.
[/quote]
First red flag. After 7 weeks of lifting, you are ready to start handing out advice?[quote]
Technically, if you want to have a stronger squat, Smith machine squats are the best. I don’t care how pussy someone thinks they are, the smith machine isolates the quads the most compared to a free weight squat and you’ll up your squat much faster. Once you’ve got your squat to a place where you want it switch to free weight squats and reap the benefits of the free weight style.
[/quote]
This isn’t true. You aren’t learning how to squat, you are learning how to do a smith machine squat. The two exercises are barely related. And there is a reason most people think it’s a pussy exercise WHEN it is done in place of a real squat.[quote]
I personally prefer a smith machine squat. I’m not getting the full compound effect though so you’ll have to weigh the pros and cons yourself.
[/quote]
You aren’t getting much from a smith machine that you couldn’t get from a leg press.
How are you focusing on technique. You don’t have to do anything right, other than stand up, to do a smith machine squat. You don’t have to worry about losing it because the machine guides you. You lose SO much benefit from doing a squat by using a smith machine.
Finally some decent advice.
[quote]
I think my progression is so quick because I dead lifted. One weak area in your squat may actually be your back and not your legs. [/quote]
Then how is using a smith machine, which takes focus the away from the posterior chain and moves it to the quads, going to help?
[quote]jp_dubya wrote:
Dear jackasses,
Help the OP with constructive comments or links, or shut your pie holes.
warmest regards[/quote]
Someone woke up on the wrong side of the squat rack 
He’s already gotten some good advice and good links. I think he knows that he just needs to buckle down and work on the squat if he wants to improve it.
For the record, my smart ass comments are always reserved for people giving either bad or blatantly obvious advice, and never towards the OP for asking a question.
Dude!!! Just watch the Dan John video that was posted here earlier and you are set. He says it and explains it all.
Thanks again for the tips,and for the record its not that i have weak legs i have just allways hada hard time getting the form down,Im 6’4"about 215 12-15%BF and decently strong.250 bench 280,300 dead,I can curl and skull crush 120 for reps,and not in the squat rack.Nothing phenomenal but alot more than some guys at my gym.
[quote]horsepuss wrote:
Thanks again for the tips,and for the record its not that i have weak legs i have just allways hada hard time getting the form down,Im 6’4"about 215 12-15%BF and decently strong.250 bench 280,300 dead,I can curl and skull crush 120 for reps,and not in the squat rack.Nothing phenomenal but alot more than some guys at my gym.[/quote]
Are those weights in kilos?
[quote]Radjxf wrote:
As stated earlier, the legpress is simply an ego-driven useless device.[/quote]
Useless device? Hardly.
As good as a full squat? No.
Consider trying box squats if form is an issue…it’s something you do naturally everytime you sit down in a chair.
[quote]horsepuss wrote:
Check this out,Ive been lifting off and on (more on)for 10 years and i cant squat shit.I can leg press 500 plus lbs for 10+ reps but can barely squat 135 for 8 good reps.I cant seem to get the form and teq down.
What can i do? I WANT to squat.[/quote]
a wiseman once said you are what you repeatedly do …so if I were you, consider doing them twice a week. If you already do squats twice a week then do it 3 times a week. I’m sure there’s one body part (if you do splits) that can stand less attention…