Someone else had posted about this recently, but I can’t find the thread.
Anyway, I’ve started working out consistently and doing more compound movements for about 2 months now (didn’t know that compound movements were better than isolation exercises). So far I’ve gained about 5 lbs, mostly muscle.
I’ve noticed that my midsection has increased by an inch and I wasn’t sure if squatting was contributing to this. I know that a larger midsection creates a more stable platform to squat, but is there a way to concentrate on keeping my waist small?
Also, I want to progress from squatting with dumb bells to squatting inside the rack, but I don’t want to embarass myself in case I can’t handle the olympic bar (not just the weight, but balancing the bar might be tricky for a newbie like me). Right now I’m easily squatting 3 sets of 12-14 reps with a 30 lb dumb bell held between my legs. Should I be able to handle the bar pretty easily? Or are there some other exercises that can help me build up my confidence/progress? (hack squats? front squats?)