Keeping your heels down on Squats!?

[KeyserSoze]

Tonight I did my leg workout, which I tried a set of 5 overhead squats with just the barbell, which I was having problems with keeping my balance with this (first time trying it). Then I did my 5x5 on Full/ATG squats at 165 and while I finished the workout no problem, my heels kept coming off the floor. Any suggestions? Unfortunately I don't have a trainer or anyone really experienced to watch me squat, and I don't have a video camera to show you my form. Very limited info to go on, but any help will be very appreciated.

 

[toucher]

the squat is more about dropping your hips back and down than moving your legs... practice that with like a broomstick or no weights for awhile until your form is really good, you don't want to fuck around with that stuff when your form is shitty.

just visualize and focus on hip movement.

 

[graedy]

the squat is more about dropping your hips back and down than moving your legs... practice that with like a broomstick or no weights for awhile until your form is really good, you don't want to fuck around with that stuff when your form is shitty.

just visualize and focus on hip movement.

Bingo!

 

[Alon]

Just keep working on your hip, calf (and general) flexibility. I suggest to people that they only go as far down as their heels are still on the floor, as time does on this seems to get closer and closer to ATG.

The only other reason I can think of for your heels coming off the floor would be that you might be leaning over too much (although a bit of lean is good, don't go down vertical).

 

[KeyserSoze]

Good advice, I might try going down only as far as my heels stay down. I'm also thinking that maybe I'm just not using enough weight and that is making my form crappy and not keeping me held down properly. I only say this since the workout really felt easy to finish, which is odd because it was a fairly regular increase to the weight which has worked before.

*Adds more weight*
*quits being a sally*

 

[Dreameater]

Good advice, I might try going down only as far as my heels stay down. I'm also thinking that maybe I'm just not using enough weight and that is making my form crappy and not keeping me held down properly. I only say this since the workout really felt easy to finish, which is odd because it was a fairly regular increase to the weight which has worked before.

*Adds more weight*
*quits being a sally*

You should be able to keep the same form with nothing but bodyweight 'pretending' you're actually lifting, because if you screw the form with even a light weight, it is easy to pull something and then you really won't be lifting anything. Don't underestimate form or you will eventually end up in a lot of pain trying to 'learn the hard way.' and yes, you may need to work on flexability, which will come with practice. If you're a big guy, it may be difficult, but I'm sure if you look around, you will notice a lot of experienced people posting about injuries from 'simple' mistakes... it can happen to anyone and I wouldn't wish it on any of them. If you have to do half-squats to make sure you're doing it correctly, then do half squats. If you need to do body squats (or hold some weights, wear a backpack filled with sandbags, etc) until the flexability is there, then do what it takes. You WILL be able to do it, if you are willing to work for it, you will make it where you want to be, shortcuts often lead to pain. Goodluck.

(BTW, love the name :icon_twis )

 

[Stonebreaker]

Is it the squats that you're having trouble with your heels on, or the OH squats?

I can't recommend the 'more weight for better form' line of thinking, either; if your form is suffering because you aren't concentrating when doing light weights, you just need to focus more. If your form is just poor in general, I'd say that throwing more weight on top of it is more likely to cause injury than improvement.

 

[JimJitsu]

Not to hijack your thread or anything, but I have a question about squats too.

When I squat, I go all the way down (ATG), but when I'm coming up, I feel like I'm rounding my back a bit when i'm lifting heavier weight. It almost seems like I'm pushing up with my legs a bit first, but not moving the weight. Rather, it feels like I'm sort of going into a good morning.

Any tips on how to fix my form?

 

[JPC]

Keyser, widen your stance a little and make sure you flare your toes and knees out and squat between the knees, trying to keep your shins as verticle as possible. If you are squatting ATG its very hard to keep your heels down without rounding your lower back. Thats why olympic lifters wear shoes with wedge heels in them.

JimJitsu, that is a common thing. Your quads are the weak link, thats why you lean forward to take some of the work off them and let your hips and back do more work through the sticking point. Focus on leading with your shoulders on the way up and look up slightly.

 

[TDonovan]

Yeah ATG gets my heels up a little bit. Then again, I was going so far down that my calf was squishing against my hamstring was physically preventing me from going any further. I just try the best I can, and as long as I don't feel like I'm on my tippy toes, or like my back rounds out, I'm good.

If you're just starting, progress slowly. I only went up in weight when my form was good. Once you get the form and the movement mastered you can start to put on the big weight and grunt away.

Things that help me are...
1- drive feet through floor
2- try to be explosive when I come back up
3- look up
4- maintain a good pace (dont stall to long at top, and definitely dont rest at the bottom -lol)
5- concentrate on keeping the feet planted (not on tippy toes)
6- maintain a stiff core to prevent my back from rounding and hurting myself

 

[iamdiesel18]

Is it the squats that you're having trouble with your heels on, or the OH squats?

I can't recommend the 'more weight for better form' line of thinking, either; if your form is suffering because you aren't concentrating when doing light weights, you just need to focus more. If your form is just poor in general, I'd say that throwing more weight on top of it is more likely to cause injury than improvement.

Sounds dead on to me. When I got in with a serious trainer, they broke down my form to the absolute basics. I wasn't allowed to squat with weights for like the first month that I worked out with him, and even when I was finally allowed to lift, I was forced to start off at 95 lbs. Throwing on more weight on top of poor form will only lead to injury. If I were you, I would suck it up and go back to basics with body-weight squats with flawless form.

 

[KeyserSoze]

Is it the squats that you're having trouble with your heels on, or the OH squats?

I can't recommend the 'more weight for better form' line of thinking, either; if your form is suffering because you aren't concentrating when doing light weights, you just need to focus more. If your form is just poor in general, I'd say that throwing more weight on top of it is more likely to cause injury than improvement.

I couldn't do anything right on the OHS. It was the first time I tried it and I couldn't keep my balance. The weight (45lbs. barbell) was fine if not too light, I just had zero form and kept falling forward or backward so I had to step forward or backward.

The ATG squats were where I had the heel problem. I am a little hessitant to say it was much of a problem since I still got the reps and sets done just fine, but I know my heels should be down. I think that my toes were pointing directly forward and my feet were parallel, which sounds like that was wrong. I also remember my stance being shoulder width, so I need to widen that. Next time my stance will be a couple inches wider, and I will point my toes out slightly. I really think that will help a lot. I'm going to up the weight, because I think what my problem was my stance and foot position.

 

[Lusst]

I couldn't do anything right on the OHS. It was the first time I tried it and I couldn't keep my balance. The weight (45lbs. barbell) was fine if not too light, I just had zero form and kept falling forward or backward so I had to step forward or backward.

Make sure your arms are directly overhead at the beginning. Hell, you could even move the bar back behind the head on the descent.

 

[ENTROPY]

Tonight I did my leg workout, which I tried a set of 5 overhead squats with just the barbell, which I was having problems with keeping my balance with this (first time trying it). Then I did my 5x5 on Full/ATG squats at 165 and while I finished the workout no problem, my heels kept coming off the floor. Any suggestions?

As a result of years of incorrectly squatting / crouching to pick up objects off of the ground, the average individual has hardwired his CNS to squat in a biomechanically inferior manner, whereby the knees are brought too far forward and the balance is placed on the toes because of inflexibility (among other reasons), thus requiring the individual to lift his heels.

Interestingly, in children who first begin to walk, I’ve observed proper biomechanical squatting technique which evidently deteriorates as the child grows and develops greater balance on his toes, thereby increasing the likelihood that he’ll crouch while balanced on his toes as opposed to remaining flat footed.

Any trainer with experience teaching “proper” squatting form to new lifters, has encountered the heel lifting dilemma. In the commercial setting, certain trainers remedy the problem by placing a plate under the heels. It goes without saying that this exhibition of remedial logic defeats the very purpose for which it was intended.

There are multiple reasons and rabbit trails which one could chase in discussing heel lifting while squatting, however the 3 primary reasons are as follows:

1. Your leg placement is simply not wide enough…If you’re squatting ATG, I can guarantee you that this is one of the culprits of your heel lifting given that a wide stance prevents ATG.

2. Your toes are not turned out to the side enough, because it they were, you would not be able to physically lift your heels without performing a bent knee calf raise.

3. You are sitting down, as opposed to literally sitting back in the descent which prevents you from shifting your weight forward.

 

[Stonebreaker]

I couldn't do anything right on the OHS. It was the first time I tried it and I couldn't keep my balance. The weight (45lbs. barbell) was fine if not too light, I just had zero form and kept falling forward or backward so I had to step forward or backward.

The ATG squats were where I had the heel problem. I am a little hessitant to say it was much of a problem since I still got the reps and sets done just fine, but I know my heels should be down. I think that my toes were pointing directly forward and my feet were parallel, which sounds like that was wrong. I also remember my stance being shoulder width, so I need to widen that. Next time my stance will be a couple inches wider, and I will point my toes out slightly. I really think that will help a lot. I'm going to up the weight, because I think what my problem was my stance and foot position.

I feel for you on the OH Squat; I'm working on my balance far more than my core with the OHS, and I've started keeping track of false starts and reps I overbalanced on in my training log. The pointer that's helped me the most is keeping the bar slightly behind your head if your shoulders are flexible enough to keep it there comfortably. It seems to keep the weight from pulling me too far forward or backward on the descent.


OverheadSquat.html

Toes out on the full (ATG) squats, too.

You might want to keep the weight the same until you're comfortable with the form and feel like your heels are staying put; overbalancing with a full squat weight on your back has a good deal more potential for injury or embarassment than with just the bar on an OHS.

 

[glebster_inc]

yup u dont fuck around with squart nor dead lifts.

 

[Lusst]

Interestingly, in children who first begin to walk, I’ve observed proper biomechanical squatting technique which evidently deteriorates as the child grows and develops greater balance on his toes, thereby increasing the likelihood that he’ll crouch while balanced on his toes as opposed to remaining flat footed.

I will make it my goal to teach my 1.5year old son to keep squatting flat-footed like a china-man.

 

[fad3r]

I started olympic weightlifting and was told my squat was shitty. My heel automatically lifts up when I start squatting down. I attribute it to walking around on my tiptoes since a kid and lack of general flexibility.

What exercises/stretches can I do to stretch out whatever it is that's keeping my heel from lifting while squatting?

 

[MASShole]

Record bump?



You need better ankle mobility, and daily stretching of your gastroc/soleus/achilles.

How to Improve Your Ankle Mobility | StrongLifts.com

 

[scoopj]

I started olympic weightlifting and was told my squat was shitty. My heel automatically lifts up when I start squatting down. I attribute it to walking around on my tiptoes since a kid and lack of general flexibility.

What exercises/stretches can I do to stretch out whatever it is that's keeping my heel from lifting while squatting?

You've been walking around on your tiptoes since you were a kid, tinkerbell?