I posted this somewhere else last night, but thought I would start a thread to get some more opinions out there? I am willing to go down in my squat weights if I am not going down far enough, but I feel like I am?? I am squatting 115# for now and this of course is challenging to me =)
As for the squatting.....
I thought about this whole going beyond parallel while working out tonight.....just to check my form. Since I can't video myself doing these....can I just give a visual reference as to where I am going down to? There is a top notch for the safety bar and my bar touches that bar (so I moved it down) in case it was prohibiting me, AND to actually be a safety should I buckle.
Does touching that bar qualify as beyond parallel? The only other choice is just to have someone from gym (or my sis) watch me and see if I am going below bc our mirrors stop at my waist level so I am can't see from there down anyhoo....
OH~ and I 5'8 if that matters?
Last edited by Nikster : 03-21-2008 at 08:40 AM.
Reason: to add my height to thread......
I saw this in a video once, I'm not sure where though. Is there a bench or step that you can put behind you that is just beyond parallel? You could use someting like that to judge how far down you're going. Asking someone to watch you is always a good option too.
I highly recommend reading 'Starting Strength' by Rippetoe for pages of great info on squat form. It helped me so much and once I put into practice all that Rippetoe preaches I realized I needed to really improve my flexibility and squat form and to do that I needed to drop back in weight and improve my depth.
In the meantime, I found this link to be informative:
There is a top notch for the safety bar and my bar touches that bar (so I moved it down) in case it was prohibiting me, AND to actually be a safety should I buckle.
Does touching that bar qualify as beyond parallel? The only other choice is just to have someone from gym (or my sis) watch me and see if I am going below bc our mirrors stop at my waist level so I am can't see from there down anyhoo....
OH~ and I 5'8 if that matters?
This information tells us nothing. Even though you've told us your height, and even if we knew the height of your specific safety support bars (which we don't), we still couldn't answer because limb lengths differ for each individual. You'll have to get someone to watch you or judge your depth by touching down to a box (as suggested above).
If you do the second one, find a box that makes your seated posture look like the picture Jane posted. Then take it to the power rack and squat down to that box. Don't sit on it (a box squat). Just use it judge depth.
__________________ Lisa Holladay, CSCS
Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.
--Thomas Carlyle
Ya, I thought about that later, that there are several different factors here that are not standard (i.e., squat cage styles,torso length, leg length, etc...)and would all come into play here.
Stupid question from me But thank you all for answering anyway. It will be helpful.
I read the link you provided - very helpful. I'm one of those who lacks the flexibility to do a narrow stance squat to parallel. Do you have any tips or links that would direct me in achieving that flexibility?
The Squat Rx videos are great teaching tools for the squat and for supplementary movements to assist the squat. He goes through many common squat problems, including lacking flexibility, and offers solutions to improve your squat.
__________________ Lisa Holladay, CSCS
Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.
--Thomas Carlyle
Squat question?
But thank you all for answering anyway. It will be helpful. 
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