I want to go deeper with my squats, I’m doing the 5x5 so the squat is important. Someone at the gym that I train at told me to elevate my heels. What’s your thoughts on this?
[quote]mudpro69 wrote:
I want to go deeper with my squats, I’m doing the 5x5 so the squat is important. Someone at the gym that I train at told me to elevate my heels. What’s your thoughts on this? [/quote]
It’s a crutch. It helps but it can be a bad habit.lower the weight and start going lower.
Well, if you simply do not have the flexibility, then you might need to elevate your heels.
Simply try this. With no weight on your back and with keeping good squat form, see how far you can squat down without elevating your heels or bending forward. If it is all the way, then you are just using to much weight.
[quote]ukrainian wrote:
Well, if you simply do not have the flexibility, then you might need to elevate your heels.
Simply try this. With no weight on your back and with keeping good squat form, see how far you can squat down without elevating your heels or bending forward. If it is all the way, then you are just using to much weight.[/quote]
what’s funny is besides myself I know maybe 2-3 guys total that can do this perfectly w/o elevating heels or falling forward/backwards. This is pretty important, if you can’t look for the “third world squats” article.
a problem might be that you have the bar too high or your too against bending over some with your back. OK OK nobody kill me, but you cant keep your back parallel, there will be leaning to get depth. Usually when people have a lot of weight, once they feel the strain of the weight on their back, they will immediately go back up, hence a high squat. I suggest to open your feet a lil bit, drop the weight and just go down…make sure you can see your nipples through the mirror (if you have one in front
[quote]zephead4747 wrote:
ukrainian wrote:
Well, if you simply do not have the flexibility, then you might need to elevate your heels.
Simply try this. With no weight on your back and with keeping good squat form, see how far you can squat down without elevating your heels or bending forward. If it is all the way, then you are just using to much weight.
what’s funny is besides myself I know maybe 2-3 guys total that can do this perfectly w/o elevating heels or falling forward/backwards. This is pretty important, if you can’t look for the “third world squats” article.[/quote]
Wow, I never knew that this was actually that hard. I might be using myself as too much of an example. I can squat down all the way without weight and without elevating my heels, but if I don’t go down on heavy squats, then its jsut too much weight.
Well, sorry about that, but apparantly my tip doesnt work that well since is more toward the flexible.
But, still, I think you should just work on getting your flexibility up.
[quote]mudpro69 wrote:
I want to go deeper with my squats, I’m doing the 5x5 so the squat is important. Someone at the gym that I train at told me to elevate my heels. What’s your thoughts on this? [/quote]
What the others have said is true.
Generally the need to elevate your heels has to do with ankle flexibility. If you can go ATG with elevated heels, but not without it, then you need to work on your ankle flexibility.
Be careful! Third world squats often result in plumber’s crack.
I don’t really think that elevated heals are bad. It depends on what you are doing. I started olympic lifting training and the oly lifting shoes have 1.5 inch heals. The heals help keep your hip and back position. I have started doing my regular leg workouts in the shoes. I didn’t have a problem going deep with squats before i just feel more comfortable in ths shoes.
Front squat for a month, It really helped me go ass to grass on my back squats. Likely it was because I strengthened my ankle and worked on flexibility.
Thanks for the advice everyone. I should be a squat expert in no time.