Squats and hamstrings?

[omgitsrick]

I know squats are supposed to work the whole leg but I only really feel soreness in my quads after squatting for some reason. My friend maybe I'm not going deep enough but I do break parallel so I'm not sure why.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[Zerocrew1984]

i feel it in my hammies with wide stance squats.

 

[Klotz]

I don't really feel squats in my hamstrings. Do you do deadlifts as well?

 

[bluethree]

When I first started squatting, I didn't feel it in my hamstrings. But then I realized that although I was hitting proper depth, I was not initiating the squat correctly.

Rather than sitting back into the squat, I was letting my knees bend first, then sitting down. Changing into a "sit down first" squat seemed to involve my hamstrings more and I noticed a difference immediately. Could that be it? Is your form off?

 

[Ascendant]

When I first started squatting, I didn't feel it in my hamstrings. But then I realized that although I was hitting proper depth, I was not initiating the squat correctly.

Rather than sitting back into the squat, I was letting my knees bend first, then sitting down. Changing into a "sit down first" squat seemed to involve my hamstrings more and I noticed a difference immediately. Could that be it? Is your form off?

Aaaaaaand we have a winner!

 

[the_harbinger]

When I first started squatting, I didn't feel it in my hamstrings. But then I realized that although I was hitting proper depth, I was not initiating the squat correctly.

Rather than sitting back into the squat, I was letting my knees bend first, then sitting down. Changing into a "sit down first" squat seemed to involve my hamstrings more and I noticed a difference immediately. Could that be it? Is your form off?

What he said.

Imagine you're sitting back into an invisible chair. This will make it hard to hit depth at first, but with a little work on flexibility you'll be there in no time.

 

[ghostwipe]

I do close-stance squats and my hams rarely get sore. It doesnt mean they're not getting worked.

 

[dfoster]

I know squats are supposed to work the whole leg but I only really feel soreness in my quads after squatting for some reason. My friend maybe I'm not going deep enough but I do break parallel so I'm not sure why.

What am I doing wrong?

The hamstrings are used to extend your hips when you stand up in the squat (and negatively to control the lowering phase), so may be your butt doesn't stick out far enough.

 

[elbowsmash]

to activate your posterior chain (butt and hams)
keep bar lower on your back
move hips first before knees, squat lower, and when pressing up, put pressure on your heels

your knees will thank you.

 

[stylesbjj**]

my friend couldn't feel it in his hamstrings until he did glute hamstring raises..

 

[DEVILsSON]

you're not sitting back enough nor going low enough in all likelyhood. Post a video of yourself squatting anything in the 95% of your 1rm for a check.

 

[ciscokid1024]

Is there a good write-up/explanation of how to activate the posterior chain when squatting?
I notice that when I squat I usually only get sore in my quads also. I have been reading up and trying to practice good squat form and trying to go as low as I can with my flexibility, but I am having a hard time grasping when and how to fire the posterior chain.

I think this is my confusion: contracting the quads straightens a bent leg. Contracting the hamstrings bends a straight leg. Contracting the glutes and lower back straightens a bent back. Contracting the abs/upper thighs bends a straight back. <--- this might be greatly simplified, but this is how I understand it.

So, when I am in a full squat position my back is bent and my legs are bent so It seems that the quads straighten the legs and the posterior chain straightens the back. I feel like the quads are the prime movers in this action and the lower back and glutes are just straightening out the back as the quads push up. So it seems that trying to activate the posterior chain more would just result in doing a good morning, which I am pretty sure is not correct squat form.

Can anyone help me out understanding this? I feel like I am just missing some important aspect of what is supposed to be happening. The only thing I have found is an article that says to come out of the hole by forcing your chest up and your back into the bar first when you come up and not to think about pushing your heels into the floor,but I have heard the opposite also.

 

[flak]

I was just watching a PBS documentary on Mark Rippetoe, where he said that due to some astronomical forces (the relative orbits of Earth, Mars and Mercury), everybody is experiencing this phenomenon. Something about the gravitational forces pulling people forward, thus putting more weight on the front of the legs. The result -- more emphasis on quads, more stress on the knees, much greater risk of injury.

So, Rip says it's going to be totally unsafe to squat until early October this year.

 

[Donut62]

When I first started squatting, I didn't feel it in my hamstrings. But then I realized that although I was hitting proper depth, I was not initiating the squat correctly.

Rather than sitting back into the squat, I was letting my knees bend first, then sitting down. Changing into a "sit down first" squat seemed to involve my hamstrings more and I noticed a difference immediately. Could that be it? Is your form off?

Awesome post, no one could have said it better. Glutes back, then sit down. The closer your stance, the more "sit down" rather than "sit back" you will have going on, but still it will make a big difference to think in these terms. Chances are your hamstrings are relaxing at the bottom because the forward knee drift is so much.

 

[joshetc]

I know squats are supposed to work the whole leg but I only really feel soreness in my quads after squatting for some reason. My friend maybe I'm not going deep enough but I do break parallel so I'm not sure why.

What am I doing wrong?

Maybe you just have strong hamstrings. If you deadlift often, you probably wont feel it in your hammys.

To be honest, if I don't deadlift after I squat, my hamstrings don't even get remotely sore. It is nearly a strictly glute / quad / core only workout for me, because my deadlift and squat are so unbalanced.

 

[flak]

I saw that PBS documentary, too. Yeah, stop squatting right away, before it's too late.

I believe that's what you meant to say, fellow Skull Harvester.

 

[TrinitronMaximu]

I think this is my confusion: contracting the quads straightens a bent leg. Contracting the hamstrings bends a straight leg. Contracting the glutes and lower back straightens a bent back. Contracting the abs/upper thighs bends a straight back. <--- this might be greatly simplified, but this is how I understand it..

I'm not an expert, but I believe the hamstrings cross two joints (the knees and the hips). The hamstrings act to flex the knees and extend the hips. What the above posts are saying is that we want to perform the squatting motion by extending the hip joint. This will use the hamstrings and glutes. I believe the quads work in knee extension, and the primary function of the abs/lower back is stabilization (isometric contraction). So, while you could use your back to straighten up, it would be better to use your hamstrings and glutes, which were designed for the purpose.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Donut62]

I think this is my confusion: contracting the quads straightens a bent leg. Contracting the hamstrings bends a straight leg. Contracting the glutes and lower back straightens a bent back. Contracting the abs/upper thighs bends a straight back. <--- this might be greatly simplified, but this is how I understand it.

So, when I am in a full squat position my back is bent and my legs are bent so It seems that the quads straighten the legs and the posterior chain straightens the back. I feel like the quads are the prime movers in this action and the lower back and glutes are just straightening out the back as the quads push up. So it seems that trying to activate the posterior chain more would just result in doing a good morning, which I am pretty sure is not correct squat form.

Can anyone help me out understanding this? I feel like I am just missing some important aspect of what is supposed to be happening. The only thing I have found is an article that says to come out of the hole by forcing your chest up and your back into the bar first when you come up and not to think about pushing your heels into the floor,but I have heard the opposite also.

The important thing you are missing is the fact that the hamstring crosses two joints, and work in knee flexion and hip extension. You have to think in terms of the action of the hip extension in the squat to grasp the role of the posterior chain.

EDIT: FUCK YOU TRITON!

 

[Ted-P]

widen your stance and learn to sit all the way fucking back.

 

[BlondeWarrior]

Get your knees from coming over your feet. Sit back, and then everything that everyone else said.

Oh, post a video if you have a chance. That'll help.