Getting down in the hole, when squatting

[Emil Nielsen]

Hey

I have a problem regarding my squat form, im unable to get deep (breaking parallel) when squatting. I know i have the flexibilty in hips and hams. When i sit all the way down supporting with my hands behind my back i get down with no problem. But when doing it freestanding i get stuck around parallel leaning very much forward. It really bothers me, I have a friend teaching me the o-lifts but i cant progress without being able to squat properly.

Hope someone has some ideas, i have been stucked like this for 3 months. In the start i was unable to deadlift as well but that is no problem now.

Best Regards
Emil

[Brian DeGennaro]

Try a counterbalance: hold a 5lb-25lb plate in front of you while you squat, focusing on staying upright and going ass-to-ankles. Other than that, just force yourself into the hole while holding onto a pole, chair, door, etcetera, and sit there, opening up the hips and ankles.

[John Filippini]

I'm still a super-rookie too, so take this for what it's worth, but how is your calf flexibility?

The way I'm picturing what you're talking about, it sounds like when you do free-standing squats you're leaning really far forward to compensate for the fact that your knees aren't coming far forward enough. With your knees staying back and your shins staying relatively verticle, your hips would stay farther back than you want for an olympic squat. Keeping your back upright might then cause your balance to be way too far backward, unless you could lean on something. The shear angle of your torso when you compensate and the position of your knees would however get in the way of you getting deeper into the squat.

Does this sound familiar, or am I way off base?

[Emil Nielsen]

About holding weight, I have tried that and im still stuck.

It could easily be ankle flexibility. Im also considering missing muscle activation.
When i Zercher Squat im really tight in the core section which helps a bit. Any ideas for stretching and maybe som muscle activation work?

[Steven Low]

Sit down in the hole with a rounded back. Make sure you have a pole in front of you, grab it and then go into good squat form position. Will rape every muscles in your hip area if you're not flexible. (what Brian said.. that you didn't do)

Basically a forced "asian"/deep squat.

Also, watch all of the "squat rx" vids on youtube.

[Emil Nielsen]

I will try working the asian squat and some ankle flexibility maybe thats the problem. I will get back with the progress.

[Chris H Laing]

I read somewhere (dont really remember where-it might have been t-nation, so take this for what its worth) that sometimes when people can't get into the bottom of a squat, its not because of flexibility, but because of instability.

I'm not really sure how to work on stability, but you could probably do the forced asian squat thing, and then try to let go of the pole or whatever, and hold the position for as long as possible, or hold onto the pole and keep perfect form going up and down to get more associated with the movement.

I had a lot of problems with airsquats a while back, but then i did SS for a month and a half, and now I no longer have those problems, so im thinking it might have been strength that was holding me back.