I'm helping a buddy of mine learn to lift. Small and weak wants to get big and strong. He's taken to benching and deadlifts just fine, but he cannot squat. Even just trying to do a bodyweight squat, he absolutely can't sit back or even between his legs. He rolls onto his toes and falls forward, and can't stop it. What exercises, stretches, and layout of progression can we use to get this guy squatting?
Box squats. Get him used to sitting back onto something instead of sitting straight down. Hip and hamstring stretches should help loosen him up as well flexibility wise.
That's a tough one... At first I was going to say he should do less weight, but then I saw he was having trouble with bodyweight. I'd say the box squat idea is pretty good, and/or also maybe have him start with quarter-squats then gradually start going down a little further and further over time as he start getting it. Another idea is giving him something to hold and steady himself with like a chair or whatever.
Have him start in a seated position with only his but on the chair. A regular height chair to start. Have him practice standing up with flat feet, not using his hands or arms to push off the chair. As he gets better at the movement, slowly lower the height of the chair.
Sounds like he might have some seriously tight ankles too. There's some stretches you can YouTube for those as well.
Ankle mobility and goblet squats. Goblet squats produce deep squats with good posture very quickly with light weights.
I'd try to work bottom-up bodyweight squats. Work into the position at the bottom of the squats, maybe hold onto the corner of a power rack, or a door frames or something to help stabilize. Then move to arms arms straight out in front to stabilize. Then stand up with weight on hills to mid-foot.
Definitely have him do box squats. And start with at least the bar. Bodyweight squats are very different from barbell squats. It's hard to "sit back" into a BW squat because you don't have the weight as a counterbalance.
Box squats. Start as high as you have to, gradually lower. You can try goblet box squats (to teach him to keep his chest up) and the "keep toes raised" cue (to get him to put the weight more towards his heels).
