Well, I was going to do my first squat today

[berfles]

But now I'm not sure. The joints in my hips are still sore from messing around, trying to get the squat form right over the weekend. Maybe my stance was too wide and put too much stress on my hips, unless it's normal to have slight joint pain after doing them for the first time ever.

Maybe I'll wait until next week, I struggled to even get 255x5 of deadlifting on Tuesday night and stopped early so I wouldn't aggravate it more. What do you think? It doesn't hurt just doing body weight squats, only certain ways I move my legs. I just not how crazy squats are and don't want to risk further hurting myself.

[drew]

If you're unsure, start with an empty bar and see how it feels. Stay with it for a few weeks before adding any more weight. Your body needs to get used to the mechanics of squatting and squatting right.

[berfles]

Yeah, I did start with the bar over the weekend, I felt like I had the form down fine so I added some weight. Maybe I'll just add a little less weight and see how it feels, if my hips feel bad I'll hold off.

[RedSpikeyThing]

Do you deadlift conventional or sumo?

[berfles]

Do you deadlift conventional or sumo?

Kind of in between, my legs are pretty far away but not as far apart as sumo. I can't get conventional stance to work.

I'm in progress with squats right now, and I worked up to the weight I tried last week that hurt my traps so much and it doesn't hurt at all now and I can rep the weight. Hips don't bother me right now doing it. My legs are tired as hell though, but I guess I'm good for now with squatting advice too. I'll take a video some time to check my form, but the only thing that bothers me right now is my knees a tiny bit, they pop a lot and I think they're a little screwed up from skateboarding for a few years.

EDIT: Is it normal to feel it where I put the yellow lines? I'm just afraid I may be squatting with my hip area a little more than my legs.



I don't want my hip joints screwing my deads up again.

[Chubrock]

With a wider stance, your hips and groin will come into play quite a bit. The key is too stretch, work on your flexibility and sufficiently warm up before pulling or squatting.

[berfles]

With a wider stance, your hips and groin will come into play quite a bit. The key is too stretch, work on your flexibility and sufficiently warm up before pulling or squatting.

I warmed up with about 4 sets of very light weight. I guess the flexibility will come the more I do more squats, so long as I don't go too fast and hurt myself with too much weight.

My stance really isn't that wide for squats, it's about what Sensei's videos recommended I think.

[Chubrock]

I warmed up with about 4 sets of very light weight. I guess the flexibility will come the more I do more squats, so long as I don't go too fast and hurt myself with too much weight.

My stance really isn't that wide for squats, it's about what Sensei's videos recommended I think.

I'd have to go back and look to see exactly what he called for, but as you progressively work your stance out, the hips and groin become much more involved. Also, four sets may not be enough. You may need to do some dynamic warmups, and very gradually increase weight over several sets so as to warm the groin up sufficiently.

[Con]

Id go with more sets.

Since you are new to squatting, the extra practice will reinforce form as well as serve as the warmup.

[Lumiel]

Yes, I am sore in the yellow line area as you are. It's pretty normal for me - goes away after three days. It's the connection point for all those leg muscles that are being engaged and it's also that your hips are learning to stretch out and become more flexible.

[berfles]

Yes, I am sore in the yellow line area as you are. It's pretty normal for me - goes away after three days. It's the connection point for all those leg muscles that are being engaged and it's also that your hips are learning to stretch out and become more flexible.

Cool, thanks.

So far my quads are fairly sore and my hip joints still feel a little odd, but no worse than before so I guess nothing went wrong. I'm more paranoid with squats than I was when I first started deadlifting. I'm just glad I can get the damn bar on my back without it killing my traps. I was flexing them to hard before, now I can get the high bar position no problem.

What's the benefit of having your elbows pointing down when you're squatting? Mine point back a little bit and if I try to make them point down it feels like I'm going to dislocate them. This happens with a wider grip and a closer grip. Maybe I'm keeping my wrists too tense, should they be bent?

[DanOz]

How are you stretching? Have you tried holding onto the squat rack with your hands while squatting down in perfect ATG form with your elbows pushing your knees out? I stretch in this position (from Rippetoes Starting Strength) before EVERY squat session and it is helping me to develope the flexibility I need for perfect form.

[berfles]

How are you stretching? Have you tried holding onto the squat rack with your hands while squatting down in perfect ATG form with your elbows pushing your knees out? I stretch in this position (from Rippetoes Starting Strength) before EVERY squat session and it is helping me to develope the flexibility I need for perfect form.

Nope, but I'll try that for my next session. Looking forward to doing squats again this coming week.

[DanOz]

Nope, but I'll try that for my next session. Looking forward to doing squats again this coming week.

Should have been a little more specific, squatting down into full ATG position and sitting there, holding the stretch. My area of issue is tight groins, and pushing the knees out with the elbows hits the spot. Make sure you are in perfect position with no lower back rounding. Hope it helps you.

[danmac]

Sorry to bring up this thread again, but did you figure out why you are having pain in the groin area when squatting?
I recently have encountered the same thing, took some time off to heal, but today it was back. It isn't overly painful but it is distracting. Any tips?

[OGROK]

But now I'm not sure. The joints in my hips are still sore from messing around, trying to get the squat form right over the weekend. Maybe my stance was too wide and put too much stress on my hips, unless it's normal to have slight joint pain after doing them for the first time ever.

Maybe I'll wait until next week, I struggled to even get 255x5 of deadlifting on Tuesday night and stopped early so I wouldn't aggravate it more. What do you think? It doesn't hurt just doing body weight squats, only certain ways I move my legs. I just not how crazy squats are and don't want to risk further hurting myself.

Squat in the low bar position, with the bar across your rear deltoids. The high bar position increases torque dramatically and thus increases the tendency for one to GM out of the hole. Don't go "ass to ground" unless you have the flexibility to go all the way down without rounding your back.

This is the way Rippetoe recommends doing it and since I took this advice to heart my squat has gone up and I no longer have problems with my back rounding during the lift.

[berfles]

My back doesn't round and I don't GM out so I'm going to stick with high bar for awhile, I just don't like the feeling of low bar and it always feels like I'm going to let the weight slide down my back. Plus it hurts my right shoulder which has a rotator cuff issue.

[drew]

Fix your shoulder issue and get a bigger upper back. The bar won't slide anymore.