I purchased some saw horses a few months ago. I was real excited, thinking that I could finally start squatting.
Anyway, I tried to squat using the sawhorses and I could not get set under the weight in a way that allowed me to lift the weight off the horses.
Is it supposed to be much more difficult when starting a squat from the bottom? Any pointers or tips?
It’s more difficult to lift from the bottom position. I’m thinking that it has to do with the stored kinetic energy you would gain if you lower yourself from the top position.
Maybe I’m crazy, but when I think of you trying to lift off of two saw horses, it sounds way too low. I think you’d almost have to be sitting on the ground to get under them…am I right?
I’d try jacking them up on something sturdy like sheets of wood (if you’re so lucky to have a bunch). Concrete blocks perhaps. Just make sure its stable man.
[quote]Tank53 wrote:
Maybe I’m crazy, but when I think of you trying to lift off of two saw horses, it sounds way too low. I think you’d almost have to be sitting on the ground to get under them…am I right?
I’d try jacking them up on something sturdy like sheets of wood (if you’re so lucky to have a bunch). Concrete blocks perhaps. Just make sure its stable man.[/quote]
I have sawhorses that can extend a little bit higher than the average saw horse, but it’s still too low for me and I’m short (5’7").
I can’t remember where I read about it, but some old time lifters (lifters like Eugene Sandow) would lift like that. And those guys had freaky strength.
It is a lot harder to squat from the bottom position because you don’t benefit from the stretch shortening cyle; there’s no stored kinetic energy obtained from the eccentric movement like in a normal squat.
I work off of saw horses to. I usually do zercher squats or hack squats. Or clean the weight up and do overhead squats which are muy difficult if you haven’t tried them.
Clean the weight, duck/press under the bar, and walk over to squat over the sawhorses, in case you fail.
If you’re squatting too heavy to get under the bar this way, good for you! You actually NEED a power rack, unlike me. I use the rack for tricep kickbacks and to hang up my little pink knickers.
[quote]richieY2K wrote:
Clean the weight, duck/press under the bar, and walk over to squat over the sawhorses, in case you fail.
If you’re squatting too heavy to get under the bar this way, good for you! You actually NEED a power rack, unlike me. I use the rack for tricep kickbacks and to hang up my little pink knickers.
[/quote]
I thought the power racks were for frat curls. Learn something new everyday.