argument with my dad about squats led to an interesting phone call

[djeclipse]

lol I remember reading that.

Also, check out a 2 year old when they pick something up from the ground. What do they do? A perfect squat below parallel! It's funny to see that most people actually lose the ability to perform a squat correctly once they get older. I believe it's from sitting and improper posture?

It's due to inflexibility as you get older. Most babies can pull their feet over their head like it is nothing. As we get older things get tight, and if we don't stretch we loose all that flexibility.

 

[oso0960]

It's due to inflexibility as you get older. Most babies can pull their feet over their head like it is nothing. As we get older things get tight, and if we don't stretch we loose all that flexibility.

Yes, but people should never have stopped squatting to pick things up. We get lazy and bend over because it's less effort lol

 

[FunFun]

Yes, but people should never have stopped squatting to pick things up. We get lazy and bend over because it's less effort lol

Squatting to pick things up is far too inefficient. I think the only people who squat to pick things up are people who have read somewhere that this is how it should be done. They say it's to protect the back, but the back will eventually become inflexible if it is never flexed.

Damned if I'm going to squat my bodyweight (260 lbs) to pick up a light object from the floor when a quick bend forward can achieve that at a fraction of the energy expenditure (and the resultant wear and tear on bodyparts).

 

[oso0960]

Squatting to pick things up is far too inefficient. I think the only people who squat to pick things up are people who have read somewhere that this is how it should be done. They say it's to protect the back, but the back will eventually become inflexible if it is never flexed.

Damned if I'm going to squat my bodyweight (260 lbs) to pick up a light object from the floor when a quick bend forward can achieve that at a fraction of the energy expenditure (and the resultant wear and tear on bodyparts).

How do you know squatting has more wear and tear on bodyparts than bending over? We both don't have evidence to back up our claim, so both of our opinions are just that..opinions. My opinion comes from this: it just seems that why would a baby have ingraved in their brain to squat to pick something up. It's their instinct, like it should be that way and that's why they do it. It's instinct to cry, etc. Humans weren't supposed to sit around for 8 hours a day and grow to have inactive glutes with tight hip flexors, we were supposed to be up and around searching for food for our family. That's the way I think of it. Our bodies evolve to become the fittest it possibly can be to our environment.

Yes it may be easier to bend over, and you may only use a fraction of the energy to bend over, but the "easier" way is not always the best way... for example.. Why squat below parallel when you can squat above parallel since it takes less effort? But then the easier way puts more stress on the knees unlike the safer, "harder" full squat.

Also, think of it as repetition. Do body weight squats to continually pick something up. then bend over to continually pick something up. Your back will start to hurt from the bending over. I can relate to this because I used to have a job where I had to pick things up all day. You can only bend over so much but squat all day.

 

[SaiBoT]

To me doing squats and taking a dump in the wild it's the same, if I don't go ass to the grass on both it doesn't feel right...

Now to JDid, I live on NJ too, maybe we could all go and have lunch together, take pics and stuff. You caused quite a stir up in here uh?

 

[moya]

How do you know squatting has more wear and tear on bodyparts than bending over? We both don't have evidence to back up our claim, so both of our opinions are just that..opinions. My opinion comes from this: it just seems that why would a baby have ingraved in their brain to squat to pick something up. It's their instinct, like it should be that way and that's why they do it. It's instinct to cry, etc. Humans weren't supposed to sit around for 8 hours a day and grow to have inactive glutes with tight hip flexors, we were supposed to be up and around searching for food for our family. That's the way I think of it. Our bodies evolve to become the fittest it possibly can be to our environment.

Yes it may be easier to bend over, and you may only use a fraction of the energy to bend over, but the "easier" way is not always the best way... for example.. Why squat below parallel when you can squat above parallel since it takes less effort? But then the easier way puts more stress on the knees unlike the safer, "harder" full squat.

Also, think of it as repetition. Do body weight squats to continually pick something up. then bend over to continually pick something up. Your back will start to hurt from the bending over. I can relate to this because I used to have a job where I had to pick things up all day. You can only bend over so much but squat all day.

great post... i agree with your view on the subject...

 

[JDid23]

To me doing squats and taking a dump in the wild it's the same, if I don't go ass to the grass on both it doesn't feel right...

Now to JDid, I live on NJ too, maybe we could all go and have lunch together, take pics and stuff. You caused quite a stir up in here uh?

haha my bad i didn't mean to

I live in bergen county and i think my dad was planning on meeting him in montclair if you have any idea where that is... My dad actually went to school in Newark (Rutgers) but yeah it'd be cool (funny/weird, and a lot of other shit too).

 

[FunFun]

How do you know squatting has more wear and tear on bodyparts than bending over? We both don't have evidence to back up our claim, so both of our opinions are just that..opinions. My opinion comes from this: it just seems that why would a baby have ingraved in their brain to squat to pick something up. It's their instinct, like it should be that way and that's why they do it. It's instinct to cry, etc. Humans weren't supposed to sit around for 8 hours a day and grow to have inactive glutes with tight hip flexors, we were supposed to be up and around searching for food for our family. That's the way I think of it. Our bodies evolve to become the fittest it possibly can be to our environment.

Yes it may be easier to bend over, and you may only use a fraction of the energy to bend over, but the "easier" way is not always the best way... for example.. Why squat below parallel when you can squat above parallel since it takes less effort? But then the easier way puts more stress on the knees unlike the safer, "harder" full squat.

Also, think of it as repetition. Do body weight squats to continually pick something up. then bend over to continually pick something up. Your back will start to hurt from the bending over. I can relate to this because I used to have a job where I had to pick things up all day. You can only bend over so much but squat all day.

Mine is a bit more than opinion. I always bend over to pick stuff up, including 20 kg plates at the gym. I'm 50 years old and back is rock solid. Never have any hint of a back ache and it's strong.

I've noticed that my Asian gf (20 years old) and all her young family also pick stuff up by bending over too. They don't live in the US and have never read any books on how they are supposed to pick stuff up. They do everything instinctually, and instinct dictates that bending over is the way to go. It's so obviously the way to do it I cannot believe anyone started squatting to pick stuff off the floor.

I haven't watched babies pick stuff up, but do a study on kids who haven't been brainwashed yet and I'm sure you'll find they all bend over.

The back is designed to bend and the problem is westerners are constantly brainwashed into believing that they should keep their back straight and not bend. If nature dictated squatting to pick stuff up, then why did humans evolve with a very flexible back? A flexible back is something you will never have if you keep it straight all the time.

You'll end up being the old man with a sore back, not me. It's better you start using commonsense now before it's too late.

 

[ready2rumble]

my brother has a snake...

 

[SaiBoT]

Mine is a bit more than opinion. I always bend over to pick stuff up, including 20 kg plates at the gym. I'm 50 years old and back is rock solid. Never have any hint of a back ache and it's strong.

I've noticed that my Asian gf (20 years old) and all her young family also pick stuff up by bending over too. They don't live in the US and have never read any books on how they are supposed to pick stuff up. They do everything instinctually, and instinct dictates that bending over is the way to go. It's so obviously the way to do it I cannot believe anyone started squatting to pick stuff off the floor.

I haven't watched babies pick stuff up, but do a study on kids who haven't been brainwashed yet and I'm sure you'll find they all bend over.

The back is designed to bend and the problem is westerners are constantly brainwashed into believing that they should keep their back straight and not bend. If nature dictated squatting to pick stuff up, then why did humans evolve with a very flexible back? A flexible back is something you will never have if you keep it straight all the time.

You'll end up being the old man with a sore back, not me. It's better you start using commonsense now before it's too late.

What about sumo wrestlers? Do they squat or bend? They squat until hams touch the calves that's what they do... that's a comfortable position for these superheavyweights in fact their matches start with a deep squat, does it mess their knees? Apparently no... Powerlifters, oly lifters, the most successful weightlifters apparently are all wrong, why? Because some jackass who doesn't even know what a barbell is said so, but it doesn't really matter because the ones of us who do ATG squats won't stop doing them. And those who do half-assed squats will always feel embarrassed near us. And me... I will just make sure that these guys will feel bad everytime I'm under the squat bar.