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I had come across a stretching/warmup protocol for squats about a year ago, and sadly did not bookmark the site. It was called crazy 8 or something like that, and I cannot seem to find it via google. Does anyone know what this stretching protocol is called or have a good stretching protocol for squats? I really want to work on my form and depth of my squats before I try to go any heavier…
Here is a great article:http://www.catalystathletics.com/articles/article.php?articleID=127Lots of ideas in it.People tend to worry about stretching their hamstrings mostly when looking for squat depth, but if you look upstream and downstream, there is a lot of benefit. If you're looking for a good, deep (read: well below 90 degrees), my biggest suggestion is to really hammer on your calves and ankle flexibility. It's amazing how much it helps. After getting a bit warmed up, I will usually take an empty bar and put it across the tops of my knees while down in the bottom of a squat, and use that weight to mobilize the ankle capsule in various directions. Also, hip flexors can limit depth if they're tight, so couch stretches can help.To open the hip capsules, there is a stretch that Greg Everett calls the "Russian babymaker" that works well, also spiderman lunges.Thoracic spine mobility work will allow you a more upright posture, thus able to sink deeper into the hole. Arm swings/circles, and foam rolling can help this.Jon North recommends something he calls "tigger squats" where you basically load a barbell a little bit, drop into the hole and kinda bounce up and and down for a bit. But I wouldn't do those if you're having any sort of trouble getting deep to begin with.Hope that helps! 🙂
Yes, this will definitely help! Yeah, I believe it is related to ankle mobility and my hip flexors. I will review the article and see what I can use from that. And I actually like the idea of “tigger” squats, with light weight this may help to loosen my hip flexors and getting me used to dropping below 90 degrees.
Kelly Starrett has some awesome Stretches you can check out for just about anything and everything.http://www.youtube.com/blogs/mobilitywod
Kelly Starrett has some awesome Stretches you can check out for just about anything and everything.http://www.youtube.com/blogs/mobilitywod
^^^^ This too!KStarr is a mobility-god, ha. He's pretty keen on the whole calves/ankle thing too, I know.EDIT: Meant to also say.. re: the tigger squats.. I wouldn't really do them unless you have good mobility down low already. It's silly to be forcing your weight down like that if you're just rounding the lumbar every time. Will only cause excess wear and injury. If you AREN'T good in the bottom yet, do them at bodyweight. When I warm up, I usually do 5 BW squats with feet together, 5 with feet 12" apart, 5 with feet 18" apart, 5 wide stance, then reverse. And then I'll occasionally do some BW tigger squats where I drop into the hole, and every time I bounce, I increase the height a little bit until I'm doing full squats. Helps warm up my knees.EDIT x2: Just thought of another good one.. Pause squats. Squat down, sit at the bottom for 3-5ish seconds, then stand.
...When I warm up, I usually do 5 BW squats with feet together, 5 with feet 12" apart, 5 with feet 18" apart, 5 wide stance, then reverse. And then I'll occasionally do some BW tigger squats where I drop into the hole, and every time I bounce, I increase the height a little bit until I'm doing full squats. Helps warm up my knees...
^^^This. Yeah I intended to go very light on the tigger squats, so starting with BW is probably a good idea. Currently I do BW squats going very low as part of my warmup, usually do them for 30 seconds after a 5 minute dynamic warm up and then move into warm up sets with 50% and then 75% of working weight.Honestly, I think there is also a part of it that is mental, and I might be having some fear of being in the hole (after going very deep) with a shitload of weight on my back and not being able to rise up....
...When I warm up, I usually do 5 BW squats with feet together, 5 with feet 12" apart, 5 with feet 18" apart, 5 wide stance, then reverse. And then I'll occasionally do some BW tigger squats where I drop into the hole, and every time I bounce, I increase the height a little bit until I'm doing full squats. Helps warm up my knees...
^^^This. Yeah I intended to go very light on the tigger squats, so starting with BW is probably a good idea. Currently I do BW squats going very low as part of my warmup, usually do them for 30 seconds after a 5 minute dynamic warm up and then move into warm up sets with 50% and then 75% of working weight.Honestly, I think there is also a part of it that is mental, and I might be having some fear of being in the hole (after going very deep) with a shitload of weight on my back and not being able to rise up....
That's easy. Let go of the bar, and posture up a little. Bar will roll right off your back 🙂 Or just don't get stapled! 😛
I highly suggest the Hip Circle by Mark Bell @ Howmuchyabench.net.You will notice a difference right away in your flexability.
I don't really believe in direct stretching… but more or less, stretching through the rang of motion. Now hip mobility is completely different and if your at least squatting 225 you could benefit from basic hip mobility movements. Google that
I don't really believe in direct stretching... but more or less, stretching through the rang of motion. Now hip mobility is completely different and if your at least squatting 225 you could benefit from basic hip mobility movements. Google that
Yeah, I just reached 225 so I wanted to be sure my form and depth are on target before I start going heavier.
I had come across a stretching/warmup protocol for squats about a year ago, and sadly did not bookmark the site. It was called crazy 8 or something like that, and I cannot seem to find it via google. Does anyone know what this stretching protocol is called or have a good stretching protocol for squats? I really want to work on my form and depth of my squats before I try to go any heavier...
Agile 8 by Joe Defranco http://www.defrancostraining.com/ask_joe/archives/ask_joe_08-10-03.htmlDiesel Crew 4 exercise circuit <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3N59bw4yic/url%5DThe MWOD stuff is great too." class="bbcode_url">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3N59bw4yic/url%5DThe MWOD stuff is great too.
I had come across a stretching/warmup protocol for squats about a year ago, and sadly did not bookmark the site. It was called crazy 8 or something like that, and I cannot seem to find it via google. Does anyone know what this stretching protocol is called or have a good stretching protocol for squats? I really want to work on my form and depth of my squats before I try to go any heavier...
Agile 8 by Joe Defranco http://www.defrancostraining.com/ask_joe/archives/ask_joe_08-10-03.htmlDiesel Crew 4 exercise circuit <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3N59bw4yic/url%5DThe MWOD stuff is great too.
That's the one! And thanks to everyone else for suggestions!" class="bbcode_url">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3N59bw4yic/url%5DThe MWOD stuff is great too.That's the one! And thanks to everyone else for suggestions!
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