Squat Coaching Question

[Susie Rosenberg]

I have a friend, a woman in her 50s new to weightlifting, who is having trouble squatting properly.

She's very flexible from doing a lot of yoga, it's not a flexibility problem.

She can do air squats very nicely, but put even a pvc pipe on her back, and when she goes down, her weight shifts forward, as if she's trying to carry the weight on a flat back.

She's usually really good at kinesthetic awareness, she's got great balance and good flexibility. This looks like some mental block. Usual cues of "chest up" and "weight on your heels" aren't helping.

Any suggestions as to how to coach her through this?

Susie

[sarena kopciel]

Originally Posted by Susie Rosenberg

I have a friend, a woman in her 50s new to weightlifting, who is having trouble squatting properly.

She's very flexible from doing a lot of yoga, it's not a flexibility problem.

She can do air squats very nicely, but put even a pvc pipe on her back, and when she goes down, her weight shifts forward, as if she's trying to carry the weight on a flat back.

She's usually really good at kinesthetic awareness, she's got great balance and good flexibility. This looks like some mental block. Usual cues of "chest up" and "weight on your heels" aren't helping.

Any suggestions as to how to coach her through this?

Susie

My simple 0.02cents for what it's worth!

What about placing your hand on her lumbar curve and play with it from that angle. Have her feel your hand and use that as a guideline for her to come up. Another thought would be haing her squat barefoot since perhaps the sneakers she is using have too mush cushion or bounce to them

[Garrett Smith]

Start her with front squats, goblet squats, or wall squats.

[Justin Fricke]

what about having her face a wall with her feet like 2-3 inches away and do an overhead squat if she touches the wall she will have to keep her chest up butt down....if her knees hit the wall most likely a tight muscle in the calve....just my 2 cents there is video of this somewhere and since seeing i use it to help other learn the squat properly with out overkill terminology

[Susie Rosenberg]

Great suggestions, thank you all!

Susie

[Mike ODonnell]

Originally Posted by Justin Fricke

what about having her face a wall with her feet like 2-3 inches away and do an overhead squat if she touches the wall she will have to keep her chest up butt down....if her knees hit the wall most likely a tight muscle in the calve....just my 2 cents there is video of this somewhere and since seeing i use it to help other learn the squat properly with out overkill terminology

2nd the OHS facing a wall...can't go forward with a wall in front of you....also put a box behind her (or chair, etc) to sit back on...and keep lowering the box until she no longer needs one. Force her to activate her posterior chain (aka her hamstrings) like she is "pulling" herself down by flexing her hams...not just dropping.

[Susie Rosenberg]

Originally Posted by Mike ODonnell

2nd the OHS facing a wall...can't go forward with a wall in front of you....also put a box behind her (or chair, etc) to sit back on...and keep lowering the box until she no longer needs one. Force her to activate her posterior chain (aka her hamstrings) like she is "pulling" herself down by flexing her hams...not just dropping.

Thanks a million....these are great suggestions.

I tried squatting against the wall today to see how it works, and I think that will be an excellent aid; also the mental picture of pulling back and down into the squat will be helpful.

You guys rock! Thank you.

Susie