I'm 6'5 and find squats extremely difficult.

LovingtoLift

LovingtoLift

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The only exercise that drives me nuts are squats. I feel extremely awkward on these, always have. Leg strength is not the issue cause I load 18, 45 pound plates on the leg press so wtf. But due to my awkwardness I can't squat more than 150. Should I just say **** squats altogether? Isn't that what Dorian Yates did due to the same problem he had with them? If I just want strong healthy legs I'm sure heavy leg presses with intensity will get the job done.
 
Jebrook

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The only exercise that drives me nuts are squats. I feel extremely awkward on these, always have. Leg strength is not the issue cause I load 18, 45 pound plates on the leg press so wtf. But due to my awkwardness I can't squat more than 150. Should I just say **** squats altogether? Isn't that what Dorian Yates did due to the same problem he had with them? If I just want strong healthy legs I'm sure heavy leg presses with intensity will get the job done.
I used to struggle with squats as well. I'm close to 6'3. I'm "top tall" meaning I have short compact legs in proportion to a long lean upper body. Are you of similar proportion? This makes for poor leverage for squatting and deadlifts. I've read that long legs and short torso are ideal for excelling at these lifts.

Regardless, I've built up a respectable squat over the years. Deadlift not as much but it's getting there. There are a ton of techniques which can be used to overcome genetic limitations. Box squatting, deficit training, ROM training. Try different variations such as front or goblet squats. For such a tall guy hip flexor mobility is also going to be a big factor. I definitely wouldn't abandon squatting completely. It's too effective to not be utilized in a fashion.
 
goodvibes

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I'm short but still have issues with squatting. I don't think height matters but like Jebrook stated some physique makes for a superior squatter/deadlifter. I hate it but I still do it, I find doing 5x5 helps a lot. Squatting 3x a week helped me get comfortable with it along with progressive overloading. I struggled doing 185 before but within a month on SL 5x5 I can rep out 245s comfortably. Maybe max out between 295-315lbs.
 
herderdude

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Boom, goodvibes nailed it. The more you practice, The better it will get. Analyzing what you're trying to accomplish and how you're doing compared to ideal technique is also key. Having someone who actually knows what they're doing watch you and help out, video critique whether it be from yourself or others, and learning more about makes a good Squat are crucial as well. Then, after and in between the bouts of analysis, you have to get back to frequent, voluminous practice.
 
Abraham67

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Tight hips, anterior pelvic tilt and weak dorsi flexion of ankles, extension of lower back, could all be your problem. I don't think it's a stength issue, I think you need to take some time to stretch and really foam roll those areas I stated above. You could also look up exercises to strengthen them.
 
KidIcarus

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Squats hit more muscles than leg press. Squats are really a full body exercise and are excellent for training core stability. I'm 6'3" and I had to work at squatting too. I can leg press about as much as you can. But, I had to swallow my pride when it came to squats, and start out light. I watched several videos about good form. I started out squatting 135lbs with full ROM. I slowly have worked my way up to squatting about 275 now. If you have that much leg strength, it shouldn't take too long before you're squatting at least 225. One exercise I found to help is super setting hip adduction and hip abduction. The hip abduction helps you push your knees out (and keep them from buckling in) as you come up. I also used to just practice body weight squats with a chair behind me to help me just understand the form better, so that when I got to the gym I was ready to go. Front squats and goblet squats are good too.
 
LovingtoLift

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Thanks guys. My flexibility on this area needs lots of work.
 
Gutterpump

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I'm tall as well, and what worked tremendously for myself was to widen my stance up a bit and turn my toes out. Working on opening up the hips, loosening them up and fixing anterior pelvic tilt is also a must. Something I'm always battling with since I work a desk job.

My 1RM is now over 300# (ATG) (and that's with 2 damaged discs including a herniated disc). I've always struggled with the squat, but things are going well now.
 
Gutterpump

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Was just thinking, another great tip that no one mentioned is to really strengthen your upper back so that the bar has a very stable platform to rest on when squatting. I've recently been putting in extra effort on my upper back, and find the bar to be MUCH more stable now at higher weights. The more stable you are, the more you will be able to squat. It really is a fullbody movement, not just limited to leg strength.
 
asooneyeonig

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a mistake of short and tall people when they say they cant squat, is they squat on top of their legs instead of in between them. the goblet squat and (dan john's) potato sack squat is great to help teach this.

also building your abs, lats and traps can help you stay more upright.
 
SaluteTheSig

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I would imagine foam rolling and other SMFR techniques like those using The Stick and a lacrosse ball would improve muscle tissue quality immensely. Also, dynamic warm ups and a few technique tweaks may also help.
 
SaluteTheSig

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a mistake of short and tall people when they say they cant squat, is they squat on top of their legs instead of in between them. the goblet squat and (dan john's) potato sack squat is great to help teach this.

also building your abs, lats and traps can help you stay more upright.
What does staying upright have to do with a Back Squat?..or are talking about a Front Squat?
 
SaluteTheSig

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Pretty sure he's referring to back angle...
Right, I understand that.

My question still stands mainly bc "upright" has not been widely agreed upon as the most efficient angle to perform the back squat. It may feel or one may believe the back is be maintained in an upright position when performing the squat, but it does in fact lean forward a bit to accommodate the bar positioning being over the middle of the foot.
 
napalm

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Right, I understand that.

My question still stands mainly bc "upright" has not been widely agreed upon as the most efficient angle to perform the back squat. It may feel or one may believe the back is be maintained in an upright position when performing the squat, but it does in fact lean forward a bit to accommodate the bar positioning being over the middle of the foot.
The correct back angle is the one that allows you to move the most weight w/o getting folded over, and is also influenced by stance width.

Highly individual...
 
SaluteTheSig

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I guess that could be debated with someone like Rippetoe lol :D
 
SaluteTheSig

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Decent video by Layne.

[video=youtube;QhVC_AnZYYM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhVC_AnZYYM&feature=youtu.be[/video]

More importantly:
[video=youtube;g2tyOLvArw0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2tyOLvArw0[/video]
 

Scottfalcon

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I'm 6'1 with long limbs.. after working on form and mobility the icing on the cake was a pair of oly shoes. As dumb as it may sound the little lift they give your heels changed up the comfort and strength of my squats big time.
 
SaluteTheSig

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I'm 6'1 with long limbs.. after working on form and mobility the icing on the cake was a pair of oly shoes. As dumb as it may sound the little lift they give your heels changed up the comfort and strength of my squats big time.
I'm glad you posted this. I've been considering investing in a good pair because right now I'm lifting in some Chuck Taylors.
 
Gutterpump

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Hey guys quick question. I used to low bar squat but now I find I'm more comfortable with a high bar (I don't like leaning forward so much with low bar because of a disc herniation). I still have a semi-wide squat stance though. Feels great, but this stance is normally used with low bar squat. Anyone foresee future problems with this?

Btw, I'm also tall with long limbs.
 
herderdude

herderdude

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Hey guys quick question. I used to low bar squat but now I find I'm more comfortable with a high bar (I don't like leaning forward so much with low bar because of a disc herniation). I still have a semi-wide squat stance though. Feels great, but this stance is normally used with low bar squat. Anyone foresee future problems with this?

Btw, I'm also tall with long limbs.
Nope, Bar placement can be independent of stance width. Actually, I can usually creep out an inch and still hit the same depth if I move the bar up.
 

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