Why can't I squat without falling over?

[Wide Guy]

Ok, I feel really dumb saying this but what the hell...

I can't squat. I have never been able to and I have lived without it. Every now and then I try again, fail and give up.

Now I don't want to give up and I need some advice.

My problem is that I fall over backwards as I squat down. I thought that maybe I was using too much weight, so I lowered it. No luck. So I tried just the bar and still fell over. In the end I just tried standing there, squating down on my own without any weight at all, and I still fell over. (I can just stay up if I hold my arms directly out in front of me to move my certre of gravity forward, so with weight on my back, I have no chance.)

My balance seems to be fine. I can stand on one leg with my eyes closed and all that crap.

My heels always come off the ground and it feels like my calf muscles are too short to allow my feet to stay flat as a go down. So I tried to do it with a block of wood under my heels and I can do that without falling over. I guess I could do that for my squats but it doesn't feel very stable, and I heard that it is not safe. Is this true?

And anyway, I want to be able to squat "properly". What can I do?

Help...

[Shocker]

i sometimes put two 5 lb plates under the heels

[Neil]

how tall are you?

[coolslug]

Try doing them sober.

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

[DaCypher]

Maybe you need to use a slightly wider stance with your toes pointing outwards to allow your torso to come between your legs a bit without forcing your back to compensate awkwardly.

Also, do you lose your balance on the way down or up?

You may need to work on your calf flexiblilty, do some calf stretches for a while and see if that helps...

[majsi98]

Way back when I started training I had the same problem, what I did to solve the problem is to put a piece of plywood under my feet. Till now every gym I trained had it. However by time youll learn to squat without it !

Keep trying ................

[W8_4_Me]

Try a Smith Machine!!

[mds_79]

Try what Dachyper said. Work on flexibility, take a wider stance and keep practicing. Do body weight squats until you got it right.

[mr_hand]

I had the exact same problem as you. Exactly. I tried, I practiced, but there was no way I could squat with a full ROM. I would keep falling over myself. I now use the Smith Machine, I believe someone mentioned that. Use it! All you have to worry about is going up and down, no balance problems. Dont let people tell you different, you can still rock your s**t using the Smith Machine. There's been many a workout where I can barely stand afterwards. Good Luck.

[SShadow]

this is going to sound a little stupid but....go to a martial arts class. preferably tai chi. there they will teach what straight is. how to align your spine and keep your balance in a natural posture. your problem probably is what your body thinks is proper form is no where near it in reality. in the class i took i learned to train muscles that i never knew i had by standing still.

[Tryska]

word.

[MarshallPenn]

I take it that you do not ski?

[Gyno Rhino]

I used to have problems with it, too. For a while, I squatted with a board under the heels. Then I adapted a wider stance, and just learned. Just keep trying, you'll get it.

[Neil]

I agree with Gyno, just keep practicing and you'll get it.

[mesmall]

this is a strange question but when you go for a s##t do your heels lift and do you fall back? ...serious

[millertime]

I would recomend a wide foot placing and just the bar, and try not going down too far.

[Wide Guy]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

Neil, I'm around 176 cm tall, which is, I think, about 5 foot 9 inches. Why? Does height make a difference? Seriously...

coolslug, I've always found that lifting slows down my drinking, rather than the other way around. After a decent arms/shoulders day, I can hardly get the glass of beer to my mouth. But I perservere. It's worth it.

DaCypher, I've tried the wide stance. If I do that and put my arms out in front of me, that is the only way I can stay upright. But with weight...no way. And I lose my balace on the way down.

I think that you are right about the calf flexability, it just never seems to imprve though...

W8_4_Me and mr_hand, I don't feel real comfortable using the smith machine. People often say it is no good and can cause injuries. Of course, I don't know if thay are right or not...

SShadow, I have a friend who does tai chi and yoga. I'll ask him a few quetions...

majsi98 and Gyno Rhino, it's good to know that others have overcome the same problem. At least I know it can be done. I'll keep trying.

[Budiak]

True dat.

[Adam]

Originally posted by mesmall
this is a strange question but when you go for a s##t do your heels lift and do you fall back? ...serious

Did you read that from one of Dave Tate's aricles? Its a strange but true quote.

[W8_4_Me]

Wide Guy-

I don't feel real comfortable using the smith machine. People often say it is no good and can cause injuries. Of course, I don't know if thay are right or not...

They aren't. I have been using mine for over 2 years now, 3 times a week. No injuries, excellent growth, no issues of balance, ability to workout alone... I have never been more pleased!

If you workout at a gym, what is the harm in trying it? Just about any gym has one. You never know. It may be just the ticket.

[mesmall]

Adam, that may have been where I read it, but it is the first thing that i have heard that makes sense...i have not yet met a person that has said to me i can't squat and i fall on to the toilet when i squat.