To all you deep squatters

[mu0n]

What is your warm-up routine?

I find my hips and hams, well, everything, is quite tight. So although I start on just 50kgs, I still seem to be getting some slight discomfort which prevents me full squatting. As my sets and weights progress, I can get deeper but my issue is that by the time I feel 'fully lubed up', my quads especially are quite fatigued from taking all the strain.

I assume you boys who go heavy have some sort of dynamic stretching beforehand? Can you lend me some tips?

I tend to finish my sets with a lighter weight and do some pause squats which I find great (no stiffness as I'm full warmed up), so it is just the fatigue of target muscles rather than awkwardness/pain/imbalance/tightness.

Cheers.

[chris watton]

I just use the barbell only and do a couple of sets of 12 squats with that. Seems to work for me, I go as far down as I can.

[hajaba123]

Don't forget your calves/ ankles, shoulders and thoracic spine

Probably just me getting old but Im spending more and more time on my mobility

[Animal]

What works wonders for me is wall squats (thanks Gym Jones!): hands, feet, knees and face touching the wall and squatting down to the point where you lose contact. This'll get deeper and deeper. Try 2-3 set of 5 reps. Sometimes I add in some goblet squats with a kettlebell and/or some bodyweight squats. Dynamic stretching after that.

[markcoznottz]

Don't get drawn into the macho usa deep squat heroics, go as deep as your body mechanics will allow using perfect form. Some people are more suited to deads than squats. If I had my time again I'd buy a trap bar.

[smiffy180]

From what I've seen in the past on a strongman group on Facebook.
Foam roller, stretches daily, in your spare time sit in a squat position for how ever long is comfortable.
Before your workout, stretch and foam roll.

As for me I just do it

[LordGrover]

I start with a few stretches, then simple body weight squats, then bar only before slowly loading bar. Reduce number of reps as I get nearer to working weight.
If you can't get full range of movement on working set, go back to warming up. No point risking injury.

[Mojooo]

Couple of body weight squats and bar only and work up in weight. I would never start on 50kg.

Jog on the spot and a couple of dynamic stretches such as kicks forward and butt kicks (job on the spot with heel kicking bum). Can also do one to warm up glutes.

[mu0n]

Thanks for advice - would warming up on a bike be beneficial do you reckon?

I've been stretching and rolling out my legs in gym sessions between doing legs now. I'm doing a lot of good mornings on a relatively light weight to stretch my hamstrings - I can almost get my palm on the floor without bending my knees which isn't too bad for someone over 6ft I guess! I just feel that hopefully stretching out my hamstrings regularly and rolling my ITB band and quads will help my mobility in the long run.

[LordGrover]

Not sure if it's what you're looking for but yoga, pilates, etc may be useful.

[didelydoo]

KB swings followed calf stretch works well. Most of the time things are tight because the glutes aren't working as they should, leading to hams/quads/lower back becoming tight. Get the glutes working as they should and everything slackens off.

I tend to avoid stretching much now and try to remove the cause of tightness instead.

[Mojooo]

You need to work on mobility but I don't think you HAVE to do it the same time as a weights session.

I tended to do some light jogging (and some very basic dynamic stretching just to get the msucles/joints moving).

The main warm up is doing the lifts you are doing but at a light weight.

If you are doing squats first for example a few sets of light weights should get the muscles warmed up.

[mu0n]

LordGrover said:

Not sure if it's what you're looking for but yoga, pilates, etc may be useful.

Yeah I have started looking into Pilates. I've done a couple of home workouts and will try n get to classes.

Why calf stretches? I don't find my calves an issue as my feet stay well planted.

I'll do some light static bike warm up and dynamic stretches. KB swings sound like a plan. The glute activation makes sense.

[hajaba123]

Different parts wiill inhibit different people. I'm no evangelical crossfitter but have a look at Mobility WOD on YouTube, Kelly Starrett's stufff is really good. I've got the Supple Leopard book and doing the work has made a huge difference to my mobility (20 years of rugby and weights made me pretty stiff and useless)

[Speed_Demon]

All sorts. Roll my legs with a rumble roller, then with a hockey ball, then banded distractions to open the hips.

That's all after rolling my back, shoulders, thoriac spine and pecs.