Squatting with rounding of the LB

[Czar87]

Hey guys, i dont wanna box squat anymore, but flexibility issues tend to round my lower back when doing regular squats and going below paraller.

Not much though but it's visible. Should i go with it or stop little above paraller ?

 

[Kabeetz]

I am not a lifting expert by any means, keep that in mind... but I can tell you for sure that you should never decrease depth to above parallel... it will put too much stress on your knees and also will prevent strengthening so much of the supporting cast muscles necessary for true development of squat strength.

Lower the weight, focus on form (feet planted shoulder width, 30 degree angle, CHEST UP AND OUT throughout the entire squat motion, drive up from your hips not your feet), and focus on strengthening your core with a lot of core exercises after your workouts.

takes time, but it will be worth it. It is a process I am going through myself.

 

[Cynical Simian]

CCJ should be along at some point with his batch of flexibility links. The bottom line if you're like most people and didn't think much about flexibility until you started lifting, you'll need to work at it. Particularly crucial, IMO, is to stretch your hip flexors regularly.

 

[fuufjj]

I had the same problem of rounding my lower back, aka rotating my pelvis posteriorly, on the bottom of my squats, due to a lack of flexibility. I agree that you should stretch your hips and hamstrings to improve flexibility. However, I don't think there is anything wrong with going below parallel. Olympic squats are supposed to go below parallel. I would suggest going as low as you can without rounding your lower back.

I also noticed that my lower back tended to round more when I was very concerned with keeping my shins as vertical as possible throughout the lift. However, according to many sources including some members of this forum, there is nothing wrong with allowing your knees to travel forward the same distance your hips travel backward. Again, squatting below parallel and allowing your knees to travel past your toes a little are not bad for your knees, contrary to what conventional wisdom may dictate. Rounding your lower back on the bottom of your squats, however, will give you lower back problems, as I experienced firsthand before improving my form. I have found that allowing my knees to flex forwards more helps me maintain good lower back posture. Also, concentrate on keeping your back slightly arched (as opposed to rounded) and tight throughout the squat, and especially concentrate on keeping your lower back tight and arched in the hole. As mentioned before, core strength is very important in maintaining proper positioning of the torso during squats.

Here are some useful links:
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBFullSquat.html
http://www.exrx.net/ExInfo/Squats.html
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=332299

The second and third links conflict as to how far your knees should be allowed to travel, but I believe that the more popular belief now is that your knees can be allowed to flex as far forward as your hips flex backward.

Hope that helps.

 

[myfault]

Hey guys, i dont wanna box squat anymore, but flexibility issues tend to round my lower back when doing regular squats and going below paraller.

Not much though but it's visible. Should i go with it or stop little above paraller ?

whatever you do, dont squat if you are rounding your lower back, even a little bit. you *may* be able to get away with it, but its just not worth the risk.

 

[Czar87]

fuufjj what kind of problems did you encounter ?
How long did it took to get the rounding out ?

 

[fuufjj]

fuufjj what kind of problems did you encounter ?
How long did it took to get the rounding out ?

i just noticed that my lower back tended to round as i was going into the hole. i think its a pretty common problem, as it has to do with how flexible your hips and hamstrings are. after a few months of squatting with rounding of my lower back, i noticed a constant pressure feeling in my lower back, as if a nerve was being pinched or compressed. it definitely wasn't muscle pain, actually it wasn't really pain at all as it did not really hurt, more of a pressure feeling. i figured it must be from the squats and i checked my form, noticed a slight posterior pelvic rotation at the bottom of my squats. i have tried to stretch my hips/hamstrings and really concentrate on keeping a tight back especially at the bottom of my lift, and i think my form has improved. other things you can try are slightly widening your stance and making sure your toes point outwards slightly, as these things can help you go lower without rounding your back. either way, just go as low as you can without rounding, even if it is not as low as you could go before with the rounding. thats my 2 cents.

 

[coolcolj]

hehe

see my post here
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=533011

add in this stretch http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.d...05E457B919A1.hydra?id=459539&pageNo=-1#bottom
and paused good mornings and your golden!

 

[muscelove]

You must spread some Karma around before giving it to coolcolj again.

you consistently have good shit to say