been doin ‘starting strength’ for 2 weeks now, but am still improving my flexibility (hips, hams, ankles etc) so i cant squat below parrallel…
so what ive been doing is placing a plate under each heel, is that ok?? does it take any emphasis off my quads and place it more on my calves or what??
anyone know how long it will take to improve my flexibility???
A couple things:
Placing a plate under each heel will accentuate the quads even more. If you really want below parallel squatting, and don’t have the time to develop the real flexibility, this works.
To develop the real flexibility, practice going as low as you can with a light weight (50% 1rm or thereabouts). Hold the bottom position. breathe a couple of times. Go lower. Repeat until you’ve hit the absolute bottom. Come up and do it again.
Three sets of three reps should do it and in two weeks you’ll be squatting ass to calves.
Goblet squats are great for developing depth as well. A note on putting a plate under your heels: if you keep the weight back and push with your heels, then they’ll work as Otep said. However, I’ve found that unless you REALLY focus, having elevated heels causes you to lean forward, especially if you are having flexability issues, so if you decide to go that route, start with a light weight so you can keep your form tight.
I squat with a plate under each heel but that is because I have a tendency to lift my toes. The plates force me a little forward and give me a better drive through my heels.
Cool, cheers
watch the squat rx videos on youtube. Buying olympic lifting shoes will be better then plates. Most of the best ipf/usapl lifters use heeled shoes, they help quite a bit in stability and power.
Doesnt this eventually lead to ankle problems if done over long periods of time?
stronglifts.com/7-dynamic-stretches-to-
improve-your-hip-mobility/
I’ve started doing these stretches a few days ago to go lower in my squats and improve my form. It seems to be working quite fast for me actually.
If you are going to be squatting for a long time (which you should) dont just cover up the problem. Fix the problem. Rippetoe mentioned a stretch that seemed to help me some in the his book. I also liked to do more warmups than most people do to work on my form and flexibility.
When you get closer to your highest weight you cant do this without messing up your work sets but it really helped me to do several squats at lower weights and go down as far as I could.