Hey…I’m in no way educated or advancend on squatting technique, and how you can get hurt doing it wrong.
However, since I don’t go to a gym and workout at my house with no equipment really I’ve been having difficulty trying to add weight to my squat besides strictly my body weight. I’ve tried holding stuff, which didn’t really work, I’m not strong enough for one legged squats. Sooooo. I finally found something that works.
Have younger siblings piggy back you while you squat. I did this monday and it really seemed to work for me.
Ok…well the question is…does having somebody on your back pose any postural problems when squatting? Should I worry about it if the person weighs less than I do? I squatted with my little sister who is about half my weight. Well that’s my question. Am I at risk of getting injured or hurt really.
I didn’t think so but I figured I’d ask.
Ohh yeah another question. For somebody new should, what percentage of my bodw weight would be normal to be able to put on my back and squat for ten reps. I’ve heard your own body weight I think, but I don’t know if I could do that.
I don’t have a good solid answer for you, but I’ll try to give you a common sense answer. If it feels alright, do it, if it hurts, don’t. I can’t see a kid brother being any worse for your back than a heavily loaded bar.
As far as load goes, there is no answer. Whatever is challenging for you is a good weight to work with. Over time, that weight won’t be much of a challenge. I’ve heard that twice bodyweight is a decent number for singles, not great, but more than an average person.
Without a rack, I suggest you try front squats and lunges. Look them up at exrx.net, but for the front squat, you simply clean the weight then go to work.
Well, you haven’t given any idea of your size, weight, or body type, but here goes. Squats are good. Whether you are too young to be working out with weights or want to develop some sort of base strength before you work out with free weights, I don’t know.
However, squatting with your siblings on your back should be fine as long as you maintain good posture, though I don’t know how your little sister is half your weight
If you’re 16/have hit puberty, feel free to find a gym, but don’t succumb to the ego game where you see how much you can load on the bar. Use your head and read lots of T-Nation (especially the archives)
I also feel little siblings are great for conditioning work. My brother and I use our 8 year old little brother for cleans and presses. This is also great for agility as you have to chase the little bastard down first.
[quote]keysersozae wrote:
I also feel little siblings are great for conditioning work. My brother and I use our 8 year old little brother for cleans and presses. This is also great for agility as you have to chase the little bastard down first.[/quote]
I often refer to my children as “kidbells.” I have three different fun to lift sizes, and the progression is built in as they get heavier over time. My kids enjoy taking part in the workout, and I get to work out while spending time with my children. Everyone wins. I especially like kidbell swings and one armed kidbell presses.
I don’t know how well this would work for squats though, especially in the long run. It’s hard to get enough weight to make things really interesting. I tried doing squats with all three of my children hanging off of me and nearly dropped the 3 year old. She wasn’t hanging on tight enough.
I often refer to my children as “kidbells.” I have three different fun to lift sizes, and the progression is built in as they get heavier over time. My kids enjoy taking part in the workout, and I get to work out while spending time with my children. Everyone wins. I especially like kidbell swings and one armed kidbell presses.
[quote]Azuremonkey wrote:
So basically I shouldn’t really worry until a ton of people are on my back. Which probably won’t happen.
Thx a lot. I’d figure I’d ask.[/quote]
Keep in mind, how you load the other people on you matters. With a bar, it’s always going to be nicely centered over your center-of-gravity. With a sibling, they’ll be hanging more off your back, and pulling you backwards. Try to have them sit high on your back, not quite all the way on your shoulders.
