Almost passed out while squatting... WTF DID I DO WRONG!?

[user43770]

Yes, it is. If you need to lose your arch in order to go deep, you lack flexibility and need to work on that before squatting deep.

There is never, in any excercise, a time where I can say 'yes, you can round your back'. Pro powerlifters sometimes round their back in DL's, but they are pros. They know their bodies. Compared to them, we know nothing. So do not round your back. Keep a nice backward arch and you will be good to go.

Once you go past parallel, you naturally lose the arch.

 

[Caferacer]

Once you go past parallel, you naturally lose the arch.

Funny. I can almost sit down and keep my arch. So can the guys bigger than me that give me pointers.

Squatting correctly it is possible to almost sit down on the ground and keep an arch. I actually got up and tried it just now, and sure enough I can keep an arch.

Flyer: Reps do nothing for tone. It's an old myth.

A 5X20 squat workout is also called a widow maker or hell workout. Use a weight you can squat 15 times and go under you hit 20 reps. Doesn't have to be continuous, but just get them done. It's an amazing workout and I've gotten the largest size gains out of my legs by doing them every other leg workout.

 

[user43770]

Funny. I can almost sit down and keep my arch.

I doubt it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx0rjlNQEIk&feature=related

If you notice, once he goes past parallel, he loses his arch.

 

[Caferacer]

I doubt it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx0rjlNQEIk&feature=related

If you notice, once he goes past parallel, he loses his arch.

Funny how your reply includes no known power lifter or bodybuilder, but instead an unknown person from youtube who supports your own beliefs. And even then at the bottom there was STILL an arch; at least at one of the reps.

Then again; that video was to 'check his form'. Not to provide firepower.

There is also never a complete loss of arch in that video. Sometimes telling someone to keep an arch through the whole rep does more than actually KEEPING the arch. Lifting is, after all, mostly mental. Especially since the OP never posted a video of them squatting. Sadly, from the looks of it, you would rather tell people it's OK to arch your lower back than to tell them otherwise.

I would commend you, except I'm not a chiropractor.

 

[Flyer]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dehwang/256347439/

I see no rounding.

 

[user43770]

Funny how your reply includes no known power lifter or bodybuilder, but instead an unknown person from youtube who supports your own beliefs. And even then at the bottom there was STILL an arch; at least at one of the reps.

This was just the first video I found. That guy has pretty damn good form.

Then again; that video was to 'check his form'. Not to provide firepower.

There is also never a complete loss of arch in that video. Sometimes telling someone to keep an arch through the whole rep does more than actually KEEPING the arch. Lifting is, after all, mostly mental. Especially since the OP never posted a video of them squatting. Sadly, from the looks of it, you would rather tell people it's OK to arch your lower back than to tell them otherwise.

I understand what you mean. Your advice is solid.

I would commend you, except I'm not a chiropractor.

In bold.

 

[user43770]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dehwang/256347439/

I see no rounding.

I don't condone rounding the back. I was just saying that once you go past a certain point, your back starts to straighten up a bit.

 

[mrRuckus]

I am sure that i do lose my arch at the bottom of the squat and the lower back rounds, but I heard somewhere that its not a big deal if it happens when squatting deep(unlike with deadlifting). Or is it?

A little rounding is okay. A little bad form is okay. How can you push yourself beyond what you're capable of with perfect form? If you're in perfect form then you are not pushing yourself past anything.

I've seen Rippetoe cover this and he doesn't give much thought to a little rounding at the bottom of a squat. I know for sure my back bends a little at the bottom.

 

[mrRuckus]

No offense, but I think this is kind of stupid, on many levels. Alot of advancements have been made in the training field since Ahnold's days. Not to mention he could do things in the gym that even the best bodybuilders of today can't do.

He was the perfect combination of genetics and completely having a screw loose.

 

[speakeasy]

"That’s what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they’ll go through the pain no matter what happens. I have no fear of fainting. I do squats until I fall over and pass out. So what? It’s not going to kill me. I wake up five minutes later and I’m OK. A lot of other athletes are afraid of this. So they don’t pass out. They don’t go on.”

- A. Schwarzenegger (aka the Governator)

(note that i'm now giving this as advice, just something to ponder)

This made me LOL, ahahahahahaa! Not dissing the advice per se, I'm just visualizing him saying it in his accent. :crackup:

To the OP, I have gotten dizzy in workouts too and seen yellow stars and all. I've found that that's because I didn't eat properly that day and went into the workout without any fuel. That's me personally. Everyone's body is different.

 

[Cry For Love]

Hey fellas,

form video up. Now that I look at it, i dont completely straighten my body out between reps, possibly of fear that the bar wouldnt be supported by my back then. perhaps thats a form hazard? Anyway here it is, criticism appreciated(damn windowsill blocked the way of sight from the lower portin unfortunately).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HVFAurRJYQ

 

[Da Realist]

I've squatted 500 lb before and never passed out. It's stupid to say you're not a man if you've worked till you passed or ignore that sharp pain in your back. The problem is breathing and posture. Breathing keeps you from passing out and posture keeps the strain off your back. Sore muscles are fine, but anything else should be taken seriously.

 

[Cry For Love]

I've squatted 500 lb before and never passed out. It's stupid to say you're not a man if you've worked till you passed or ignore that sharp pain in your back. The problem is breathing and posture. Breathing keeps you from passing out and posture keeps the strain off your back. Sore muscles are fine, but anything else should be taken seriously.

Its pretty hard to put a large amount of air through your lungs when a set of 5 reps(and thus 5 inhalings) in 30 seconds. That means 6 seconds between every breath, while the body is using massive amounts of energy to make the weights move. Thats what i find hard to understand, how can you breath enough for it to make a difference, without taking breathing breaks between reps.

Id like to also ask how you guys are doing with recovery between squat sets. I find that it takes around 4-5 minutes to get my pulse down below 100 and breathing back to normal so i can squat again. Perhaps im not conditioned well enough for a demanding program like Rippetoes.

 

[Quiksilver]

I find that it takes around 4-5 minutes to get my pulse down below 100 and breathing back to normal so i can squat again.

It's perfectly fine to take 5 minutes between squat worksets. If your conditioning is an issue, address that with sprints or barbell complexes, and leave the good rest period between worksets for squats. Obviously don't waste your time, and try to keep a good pace going on warmup sets, but for your worksets the goal is strength, and if resting a good 5-10 minutes between sets boosts your numbers then do it.

 

[Da Realist]

Its pretty hard to put a large amount of air through your lungs when a set of 5 reps(and thus 5 inhalings) in 30 seconds. That means 6 seconds between every breath, while the body is using massive amounts of energy to make the weights move. Thats what i find hard to understand, how can you breath enough for it to make a difference, without taking breathing breaks between reps.

Id like to also ask how you guys are doing with recovery between squat sets. I find that it takes around 4-5 minutes to get my pulse down below 100 and breathing back to normal so i can squat again. Perhaps im not conditioned well enough for a demanding program like Rippetoes.

I'm not totally geeting what you're saying because it almost sounds like you're holding your breathe between reps. All I know is to breathe in as you go down and exhale as you go up. You get your rhythm and form right and you can breathe as much as you want.