I can't squat!

[mrRuckus]

ATG is not literal. I go as far as I can go while able to keep my hamstrings tight. I'm not sure how low that is but it's well below parallel. I stretch my quads and hamstrings right after i'm done with all the leg exercises per day. I also stretch every time after cardio. My ham flexibility is much better than it used to be. I can *almost* put my palms flat on the floor without bending my knees now.

I've been box squatting a few inches below parallel lately. They feel wonderful with a decently wide stance and i'm really concentrating on the hip flexors and glutes doing their jobs. I'm not even really feeling the quads in the movement like i do in a normal squat.

I like the box because as the reps go up in normal squats i know i start to get scared and don't want to drop as low fearing i won't get back up. The box forces me to and it's easier to dump the bar if i can't. I failed the other day testing a 1RM and i was able to sit back down and easily set the bar on the pins.

 

[spesmilitis]

I don't think squat flexibility has much to do with hamstring flexibility. Or at least not the hamstring flexibility required to touch your toes. I can only touch the top of my feet. I can go pretty low on ATG squats though, the only think stopping my depth is my hamstrings and calves smushing each other.

There were some squats I had to bail outta of. Most of the time I just cheat by goodmorning it, but sometimes I have to drop and leg the power rack safty bars catch the bar.

 

[Kerpal]

Who here squats ATG then in the gym? If you do fair play. I know personally that I can't do it, couldn't over a year ago and can't now. It seems like it's a mechanics thing (ratios of various bodyparts, flexibility etc) in the main.

What kind of weights are you ATGers squatting anyway and how big are your thighs? I don't have a problem getting big thighs and I've had zero problems from day 1 so it's fair to say that squatting to parallel/just below is fine.

I always go all the way down, hamstrings to calves. I'm up to 285 lbs x 5 x 3 (3 sets of 5). My legs are getting pretty big, it's actually starting to become a problem because I've lost a lot of fat too, so it's hard to find pants that fit well around the waist but aren't too tight around the thighs.

 

[wolf116]

I can touch the ground with flat palms but if I keep my back straight I only get to 45 degrees! Stretching is not really helping much. Maybe I have to do it every day.
Has anyone used a fome roller to help iron out the knots?

 

[spesmilitis]

I can touch the ground with flat palms but if I keep my back straight I only get to 45 degrees! Stretching is not really helping much. Maybe I have to do it every day.
Has anyone used a fome roller to help iron out the knots?

I think thats how it is for everyone.

Foam roller is awesome, too bad everyone is selling it for 30 bucks around here

 

[mrRuckus]

They're $10 online.

I've been using one everyday ($40 professional grade) for 2 weeks. Some places the knots are already gone, others it just won't let up and there doesn't seem to be any progress. Some places are just PAINFUL to do, and funny enough it's not because of the pressure on the sore spot, it's because, for example, the ITB rolling pulls on my knee hard in some places so my knee aches and that's worse than the actual sore spots. I really bare down but i have a high tolerance for pain.. i know a lot of people fill fufu it and then say it doesn't work.

I've also been using softball and tennis balls to get my traps and rest of my upper back. My neck has been sore for a very long time and it's actually starting to feel better.

 

[wolf116]

I'll give a foam roller a try then.

What about putting a spacer under my heels?
Olympic lifters have heels don't they?
Good or bad idea?