How to fall when you bork a squat.

Jumpy

Almost almost bent myself in half today when one of my legs gave way. Through supreme effort and grunting noises I stopped myself getting snapped in half, however I realised I dont know how to fall if I screw up a squat. The squat rack has a bar across it at about knee level, but that wont help me at all if i fall.

Jumpy

Yeah I know, it sounds like a silly question, but I am a little nervous with these now, since I thought of what would have happened if I actually fell.

smellslikeshoes

I think the simple answer here is don't fall, whatever way you fall its still a very bad thing and you might hurt yourself badly. How is your form? It sounds a bit like you're getting more off balanced than you should be.

Jumpy

Its not balance, today was my leg giving up the ghost and turning to jelly. That one has always been a small bit weaker since an injury years ago.

Malteaser!

If you're falling over then chances are the weight is too heavy for you altogether.

If one leg has always been weaker why not do some single leg work for a while to try and strengthen it. Chances are, with the normal squats your stronger leg is compensating for the weaker one so it isn't gettting a whole lot stronger.

You could continue doing your normal squats as well, just not as heavy until both legs are on par.

Vegeta

Yeah i get what you're saying

I am frigthened of squats as well as I don't have a spotter most times and cannot give it my all on them

Same with benching with no spotter but squats are much more dangerous

I suppose if you know you're going training close to failure get a spotter.

I suppose hte question is "What do you do if you fail a rep squatting and have no spotter?"

Jumpy

I thought "bork" summed it up

rubadub

Simple answer is do not go anywhere near failure, know your limits. I squat alone with no rack. I can only get onto my back what I can press onto it. So I can get 60kg up. I do 2 sets of 20reps like that, really deep and nice & slow, and I can have DOMs for 4 days after that!

It might sound like a relatively low weight, as I can deadlift 130kg, and do military press of 45kg for 10reps, I do not bench but reckon it would be 80kg 1RM. But squatting low and slow really kills you and I never have come close to messing up.

I also use a dipping belt, so I can add weight to that alone, but find a combination is best- e.g. 40kg up and on my back and 40-60kg on the dip belt (it is a good ironmind one so it can handle it).

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Leon11

If your in a squat rack I'd imagine you'd just fall forward? Suppose it's a gut reaction thing, wouldn't go with a weight that I'd know I'd have a problem with unless I had spotters.

Hanley

Just dump it.

Release your grip and step out forwards http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=9on7wwk2mrA

If you losing it to the front just duck your head and step back http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=OwLd39dn1sc

Dumping wil absolutely THRASH the bars so don't make a habit of it. It's really a lat resort. And if you're dumping forwards then you're probably gonna take a shot to the back of the head by the bar so that should be incentive not to do it again.

PeakOutput

Jumpy wrote: »

The squat rack has a bar across it at about knee level, but that wont help me at all if i fall.

is that adjustable? i know the one in my gym is so it can be moved up to any level although the only time i see people moving it myself is when they are using the rack for deadlifts and seem to want to bar farther off the ground

Malteaser!

Jumpy wrote: »

The squat rack has a bar across it at about knee level, but that wont help me at all if i fall.

If you fall then those bars should catch the bar for you so you don't end up crushed by the weight.

BossArky

The squat rack in my gym has the safety bars built into the frame about 6 inches under waist height. This is fine safety wise, but awkward when squatting low because when I squat down the bar often touches off of these safety bars, breaking my rhythm.

Shrimp

I'd recommend you start lighter, and build up little by little, 2.5/5 kg a week, after 10 weeks u'll be up 25/50kg, then go from there.

Jumpy

Shrimp wrote: »

I'd recommend you start lighter, and build up little by little, 2.5/5 kg a week, after 10 weeks u'll be up 25/50kg, then go from there.

I have gone from 40kg to 90kg in around about 2 months. Its not that its too heavy, its my form if I am a little tired, I just went too low for how wrecked I was.
I usually do squats/deadlifts first, but there was someone on the rack.

Jumpy

Hanley wrote: »

Just dump it.

Release your grip and step out forwards http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=9on7wwk2mrA

If you losing it to the front just duck your head and step back http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=OwLd39dn1sc

Dumping wil absolutely THRASH the bars so don't make a habit of it. It's really a lat resort. And if you're dumping forwards then you're probably gonna take a shot to the back of the head by the bar so that should be incentive not to do it again.

AH! *feels pain for the guy who copped it to the back of his head*

Jumpy

This is pretty much what is in my gym, minus the bench. It only has the top three bar prongs too.

Hmm.. pic is redexing. Maybe a link


http://www.promaximamfg.com/files/CPB00000/722.jpg

Roper

Take this from a man with Naomi Cambell legs who has failed with manys a squat!

The space down the bottom, right underneath the bar the guy is lifting is for failures. Presumably the problem is in the bottom of the squat. If you're in the bottom of the squat, you should be able to fall back safely and only drop the bar 12" or so onto the rack. If you miss the rack, you'll hit the ground with the bar behind your head.

Or, do something else, tape it and put it on youtube for people to laugh at, there are some comical squat failures on there!

Roper

Hanley wrote:

If you losing it to the front just duck your head and step back http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=OwLd39dn1sc

Was I the only one who was pissed off with that spotter for not just spotting the bar? Also, there were 2 guys in the room why not spot the guy properly!

Vegeta

Roper wrote: »

Or, do something else, tape it and put it on youtube for people to laugh at, there are some comical squat failures on there!

some really gross ones too of lads breaking legs and the likes doing squats, they freak the crap out of me

Roper

No I just want comedy not grossness!

Hanley

Roper wrote: »

you should be able to fall back safely and only drop the bar 12" or so onto the rack. If you miss the rack, you'll hit the ground with the bar behind your head.

Or, do something else, tape it and put it on youtube for people to laugh at, there are some comical squat failures on there!

Sorta like this..? http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=OXfGxK_vses