Topic: 17 and squatting

[Intern]

As the title says I'm seventeen. I did starting strength, weigh 170 and squat 340. My school gym however does not have the rack that is seen in starting strength with the bars to pick the weight off of so I've always used the machine which has two padded bars that rest the weight directly on my shoulders. Vie always know it doesn't give the same range of motion using free weights would and there's none of the arm and back strength required to physically grip the bar but I'm really worried it might be actually damaging to just have the weight resting on me like that. Am I worried about nothing? I know if I should stop I won't be able to squat 340 because I don't have enough upper body strength but if I do have to redraft how should I do it? How do I get the bar up on my shoulders without it already at that height on a rack?


If this doesn't make sense I can take a picture of the thing tomorrow btw

[FastGuppy]

Range-of-motion problems are fairly straight forward doing the squat. If you can't do full-squats then you should probably not do squats at all.

Smith-machines or whatever the hell your gym teacher has is shit. Find a real squat rack. Your max might go down 40-20 pounds, but 300-320 isn't bad for someone your weight anyways.

The only suggestion I will give you, and this perhaps will be true with the majority of people on this forum is to find a squat rack. That probably means find a different place to workout, which may or may not be a pain in the ass.

[Intern]

Hmmm by range of motion I simply meant that my back alignment might not be the same. my legs are definitely parallel to the floor.  I hear you though. Ill start looking for a new place. I tried before. there's a crossfit 40 minutes away, would they have it? the closest thing is our local version of a YMCA but they just have isolation machines or whatever the heck you call the standard workout thingys that are designed to isolate a specific muscle.

[Steven Low]

If you can't do squats do deadlifts and power cleans instead.

Smith machines are good for a couple things like inverted rows.... not bench press, not squats. not overhead pressing.

[Intern]

Yeah I am doing PC's and DL's.

[Andy Animus Tran]

I'm pretty sure what he's talking about is a hack squat machine, not a smith machine.



In which case... you probably don't squat anywhere near 340.

You can start doing heavy goblet squats (and double-goblets) as a sub for awhile.

[Mr.WWII]

I'm pretty sure what he's talking about is a hack squat machine, not a smith machine.



In which case... you probably don't squat anywhere near 340.

You can start doing heavy goblet squats (and double-goblets) as a sub for awhile.

Dude, I was thinking the EXACT same thing. Cause he said two padded bars that rest on the shoulders

[Joe Brock]

^^Squat.  +a bench= Bench press.  When you get rid of the silly machines, an angel gets its wings.

Edit: (Added actual help):  There is NO substitute for a bar IMO.  Unless it is determined by the above bar, then really you don't squat 340 at all.  Don't let numbers guide your training so much as actual improvement, and I promise that having to control Olympic weights will be better for you in the end.  Mow yards to go buy a good bar, and it will pay off for a long, long time.

[Intern]

Noooo that's not it at all. This isn't it but it's the exact same concept. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://s1.hubimg.com/u/2775252_f520.jpg&imgrefurl=http://hubpages.com/hub/leg-fitness-exercises-on-equipments-roman-chair-leg-curls-squats&usg=__t2_WIoDJs5A2n9-KTKgY09vTDc0=&h=640&w=520&sz=30&hl=en&start=27&zoom=1&tbnid=Ju0HQNZ_qqNccM:&tbnh=149&tbnw=135&ei=wTV6TZbrHcGCtgf32by6BQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtypes%2Bof%2Bsquat%2Bmachines%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D981%26bih%3D632%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C1099&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=567&vpy=1279&dur=4646&hovh=249&hovw=202&tx=127&ty=255&oei=tTV6Te-RK6bh0gGWpLDPAw&page=3&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:27&biw=981&bih=632  how is that? Until I can would I be okay just doing DL's with more leg involvement then usual?

Edit: that looks like it supports some of the weight for you you whereas mine definitely does not, there's a pin to sto it while you load the weights but it's on a guide pole that doesn't support any weight.

[Andy Animus Tran]

Yeah, nix that whole thing.  Replace with goblet squats until you can find a bar.  If you don't have a rack to back squat, sub with front squats for awhile.

[Mr.WWII]

Noooo that's not it at all. This isn't it but it's the exact same concept. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://s1.hubimg.com/u/2775252_f520.jpg&imgrefurl=http://hubpages.com/hub/leg-fitness-exercises-on-equipments-roman-chair-leg-curls-squats&usg=__t2_WIoDJs5A2n9-KTKgY09vTDc0=&h=640&w=520&sz=30&hl=en&start=27&zoom=1&tbnid=Ju0HQNZ_qqNccM:&tbnh=149&tbnw=135&ei=wTV6TZbrHcGCtgf32by6BQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtypes%2Bof%2Bsquat%2Bmachines%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D981%26bih%3D632%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C1099&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=567&vpy=1279&dur=4646&hovh=249&hovw=202&tx=127&ty=255&oei=tTV6Te-RK6bh0gGWpLDPAw&page=3&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:27&biw=981&bih=632  how is that? Until I can would I be okay just doing DL's with more leg involvement then usual?

Edit: that looks like it supports some of the weight for you you whereas mine definitely does not, there's a pin to sto it while you load the weights but it's on a guide pole that doesn't support any weight.

it's still supporting it, you're not actually holding a free moving object, you're just pushing against a lever

[Intern]

Yeah and the stabilizer muscles I'm not developing are rather important. Is a front squat just dead lift except your legs? Or is it holding it like at the top of a power clean?

[Brian O'Neil]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=front+squat+tutorial+

[mark w]

Speaking of Squats, I was doing around 180lbs (ass to grass) last year around this time but was unable to keep training throughout the year and maintain that.

I recently jumped back in and can manage over 100lbs but am still far away from my earlier high. Originally I was doing them for core strength/stability. Would it be worth building up again (I was doing around 10-15lb progression per week) or are there other excercises that are better for core and stability?

[David M.]

Stop using that. Clean and then do front squats until you can get a power rack somewhere.

[Mr.WWII]

Speaking of Squats, I was doing around 180lbs (ass to grass) last year around this time but was unable to keep training throughout the year and maintain that.

I recently jumped back in and can manage over 100lbs but am still far away from my earlier high. Originally I was doing them for core strength/stability. Would it be worth building up again (I was doing around 10-15lb progression per week) or are there other excercises that are better for core and stability?

Squats, Deadlifts, Power Cleans = the bread and butter of making a strong/powerful body. Squats are absolutely one of the best things you can do for your core and stability, add in deadlifts also. No other isolation for the core is really necessary unless it applies to goals of yours. Like if you want to do planche and lever progessions or l-sits, you'd want to do more than just squats

[Intern]

Okay I hear what everyone is saying and that what I'm doing is not the best solution so I'm going to do front square now however no one has actually said f what. Was doing was actually damaging.

[Steven Low]

It's not as effective as free weights

[Intern]

Bit that's the real issue not that I'm damaging myself

[Mr.WWII]

Bit that's the real issue not that I'm damaging myself

Yes, did anyone say you were damaging your self?  Using machines and not training stability may lend itself to injury later on in actual movement when your body needs the stability tho...