yeah i bet it’s a flexibility thing. anything to stimulate release would be a good thing. similarily i was away for awhile and my squat was messed up. i was very unstable just from being so tight. stretching alone didn’t help much. a friend suggested overhead squats to loosen me up. wide snatch grip bar overhead . to my surprise i was so tight with the bar overhead i could barely squat 30kilo without leaning forward or lifting my heels ! three weeks of overheads did wonders for me. really loosened up and strengthened all around back, hips, calves. i still do them as part of my regular routine. give it shot and good luck.
[quote]StrongMan wrote:
Also, forget the weights…if squatting is that unconfortable for you start with the broomstick (as suggested) and work up to the empty 45lb bar.
Some additional cautions:
STAY AWAY from the SMITH machine…I didn’t make any gains until I went with freeweights.
STAY AWAY from the leg press/hip sled…it only leads to muscle imbalances.[/quote]
I am going to have to disagree and agree with StrongMan on this one. While I don’t feel you’ll make substanstail gains using the Smith Machine, you will improve your form since you can do extremely deep squats while using it. I would actually give it a try for a few sessions and squat as deep as you can without hurting yourself, and then try real squats.
I would not recommend the abdominal hollowing technique to any athlete. Chek’s theory’s are very flawed and don’t hold water in real-world situations. As stated above, read up on McGill’s work, as he is the world’s foremost researcher in spinal biomechanics.
As well, I always teach a slightly toed-out position with athletes. This is a more natural position as it allows the hips, knees and ankles to track properly and the athlete to squat deeper.
If you are always coming up on your toes, it could be that you are tight, or it could also be that your back side isn’t strong enough. Heavy posterior chain work will allow you to sit back properly and be comfortable “in the hole.”
On a final note, I wouldn’t recommend squatting in the Smith machine. Not only will it lock your body into an un-natural groove, but it also doesn’t provide the kinesthetic benefits of free squatting. Start off light and learn proper technique of the free squat; it will be the best thing you ever did for your training!
Stay strong
MR