When squatting (overhead, front, back) are you suppose to contract your quads real tight throughout the movement? When I do squats, I just stick my butt out far (like I’m sitting down), go about parallel to the ground and push hard going back up. Sometimes I can get a good contraction (squeezing the quads very tight so they almost cramp) but I don’t get this every time.
Read Dave Tate’s article on box squats. Read Ian King’s Limping series. Over time you’ll see there are many different ways to squat. As for myself, I get a better lift by contracting my glutes and hams out of the hole,not my quads. After you read these articles (and all the rest you can find on this topic) You’ll see there is much more to it than sticking out your but and pushing hard on the way up.