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I’ve been wanting to try low bar squatting for a while, since my posterior chain is pretty dominant. I tried it yesterday and moved more weight more easily than I normally can while still hitting slightly below parallel. From what I’ve read Low bar isnt as effective in building quad strength, so do I need to start doing front squats in my workout if I switch to low bar?
My high bar squat stance is fairly wide from whats considered normal due to the way my hips are aligned. A narrow squat is pretty much out of the question for me, so I figured why not switch to low bar because it would fit my natural stance more. Here’s a video to go with this, please critique my form. This was my last set of 4 sets of 6 of 245.
Do you need to build more quad strength?
I think my quads are very strong. Will I build muscle imbalances if I switch to lowbar completely?
[quote]SirTroyRobert wrote:
I think my quads are very strong. Will I build muscle imbalances if I switch to lowbar completely?[/quote]
Only if you let yourself. I would say, if your quads eventually get weak, train to make them stronger, but otherwise, training to fix problems you don’t have yet is going to mean spending a lot more time NOT training to fix the problems you DO have.
Just get stronger at them all. Maybe not all three styles at once though. For what its worth working on my high bar always raises my low bar number. My past two meet cycles I’ve used it to build strength and then switch back to low bar 3-4 weeks out to get used to it again. I include front squats as volume work after whatever squat I’m focusing on.
You are nowhere near parallel. You are wayyyyyyy high. You need another good 4cm or more.
In powerlifting parlance, “to depth” is not “parallel”. A proper squat depth is where the crease at the hip is below the top of the knee. Your hip joint is barely getting down to your knee, Above your hip joint is the crease, so you got a long way to go.
Just look n the mirror when you are “in the hole”. You should see that the crease is below your knee. You will also feel it. When you are at depth you can feel your hams and glutes fire to get you back up.
You are far better off dropping weight on the bar and getting every single rep to proper depth. Do that for a month or so and you will be back up, and past, your current weights.
Even if you never compete as a powerlifter, your leg strength and development will be so much better when you do the squats properly.
This is a crappy video but you can pause it and see clearly what “to depth” really is.
[quote]SirTroyRobert wrote:
I think my quads are very strong. Will I build muscle imbalances if I switch to lowbar completely?[/quote]
(1) Your forms looks fine.
(2) Your quads are not very strong.
(3) Raw “Low-bar” squatting will ALWAYS involve quads heavily. People saying otherwise are ignorant.
Is there a reason he has to hit proper depth?
[quote]infinite_shore wrote:
[quote]SirTroyRobert wrote:
I think my quads are very strong. Will I build muscle imbalances if I switch to lowbar completely?[/quote]
(1) Your forms looks fine.
(2) Your quads are not very strong.
(3) Raw “Low-bar” squatting will ALWAYS involve quads heavily. People saying otherwise are ignorant.[/quote]
how can you tell my quads arent strong?
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
Is there a reason he has to hit proper depth?[/quote]
Develop strength throughout entire range of motion for lower body?
Be prepared for powerlifting contest?
Because it’s a step towards being more awesome?
There’s no reason any HAS to do anything. But, there are plenty of reasons a person would want to squat deeper than a curtsey
[quote]drewc64 wrote:
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
Is there a reason he has to hit proper depth?[/quote]
Develop strength throughout entire range of motion for lower body?
Be prepared for powerlifting contest?
Because it’s a step towards being more awesome?
There’s no reason any HAS to do anything. But, there are plenty of reasons a person would want to squat deeper than a curtsey[/quote]
I am curious about your usage of question marks. Are you asking me these questions, or unsure of your own answer?
The TC recently posted a video of himself competing well in a powerlifting meet, so I feel he most likely has a handle on how to squat for said events. I personally only ever squat to depth in meets, and it has worked well for me. Training above depth has also allowed me to develop this strength in the entire range of motion. I imagine others could get a similar benefit.
I am just curious if there is a need for him to do it in order to accomplish his goals. I see a lot of emphasis on squat depth on the net, but to me, the way he is squatting looks like it will do a good job of making him bigger and stronger.
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
Is there a reason he has to hit proper depth?[/quote]
I personally train at proper depth because I think it makes you stronger and its hard to hit depth in a competition if you don’t train there, but I respect that you have a different training philosophy on partials. Regarding the OP, he at least needs to know where proper depth is so he can make that decision. His OP indicates he’s below parallel but he’s not.
I appreciate all the help and input, but some of you are very condescending. I get that I’m just a kid. But that’s the reason I’m here asking. I’m just here to learn.
[quote]infinite_shore wrote:
(2) Your quads are not very strong.
[/quote]
Just to follow this up, I’m not sure if this was what InfiniteShore was getting at, but don’t let yourself get bogged down thinking that one set of muscles is stronger than the other. Way too many people worrying about being “quad dominant” when really they just need to focus on training the movement, then strengthening all the muscles involved.
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
[quote]drewc64 wrote:
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
Is there a reason he has to hit proper depth?[/quote]
Develop strength throughout entire range of motion for lower body?
Be prepared for powerlifting contest?
Because it’s a step towards being more awesome?
There’s no reason any HAS to do anything. But, there are plenty of reasons a person would want to squat deeper than a curtsey[/quote]
I am curious about your usage of question marks. Are you asking me these questions, or unsure of your own answer?
[/quote]
The questions were rhetorical. There is an assumed answer. (Yes). Except maybe the 3rd part. That one my fall under satire.
[quote]drewc64 wrote:
The questions were rhetorical. There is an assumed answer. (Yes). Except maybe the 3rd part. That one my fall under satire.[/quote]
It appears we will have to disagree then.
[quote]SirTroyRobert wrote:
[quote]infinite_shore wrote:
[quote]SirTroyRobert wrote:
I think my quads are very strong. Will I build muscle imbalances if I switch to lowbar completely?[/quote]
(1) Your forms looks fine.
(2) Your quads are not very strong.
(3) Raw “Low-bar” squatting will ALWAYS involve quads heavily. People saying otherwise are ignorant.[/quote]
how can you tell my quads arent strong?[/quote]
Because your are squatting what you are squatting. If you meant relatively speaking, then I refer you to the poster above me.
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
[quote]drewc64 wrote:
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
Is there a reason he has to hit proper depth?[/quote]
Develop strength throughout entire range of motion for lower body?
Be prepared for powerlifting contest?
Because it’s a step towards being more awesome?
There’s no reason any HAS to do anything. But, there are plenty of reasons a person would want to squat deeper than a curtsey[/quote]
I am curious about your usage of question marks. Are you asking me these questions, or unsure of your own answer?
The TC recently posted a video of himself competing well in a powerlifting meet, so I feel he most likely has a handle on how to squat for said events. I personally only ever squat to depth in meets, and it has worked well for me. Training above depth has also allowed me to develop this strength in the entire range of motion. I imagine others could get a similar benefit.
I am just curious if there is a need for him to do it in order to accomplish his goals. I see a lot of emphasis on squat depth on the net, but to me, the way he is squatting looks like it will do a good job of making him bigger and stronger.
[/quote]
I feel you are pushing “your stuff” way too much. Give it a break once in a while, will ya? Whatever “works” for you is fine and all, but don’t play daft and dismiss what the majority of actually accomplished lifters do and have done for ages.
Shit, I just saw he’s got a 3x BW deadlift. He sure as shit must be doing something right. Lol. Nice work on the meet, SirTroyRobert.
