Proper ATG Squat Technique (not a joke)

Erik Davis · 07-25-2005, 07:27 PM

This is an actual question and not a funny video. Today I was doing some squats, really focusing on going *** to grass on them. There are two things that I picked up on that concerned me. I had some safety bars on the power rack that I used to identify how low I was going and if need be, I could use them to bail out. Bailing out wasnt necessary with this weight, but I seemed to have a tendency to drop my right side down about an inch lower than my left, or so it seemed. Whenever I went really deep the right side of the bar would touch but the left wouldnt necessarily hit it.

A second thing I noticed was that my back was getting insanely tight. Like to the point that I would finish a set and after racking the weights I would feel temporarily unable to relax my lower back. I am positive that I wasnt rounding my back during the squats, and basically when I finished them I couldn't intentionally round it for 10-20 seconds. It was sort of weird, but I didnt notice anything beyond 'discomfort' so I figured the deep part of the squat must have been just really blasting my lower back to hell. But that still is a really weird feeling. And since I already messed up my shoulder I want to be very careful about form. I don't think the weight was too much to handle, since my form was consistant throughout the entire workout.

I think I may have been trying to go too low and as a result loosened up my torso and sunk my lower body down a bit during the bottom of the squat. This is really the only thing I can think of, I never had that sort of lower back stuff happening when I was doing slightly less than parallel box squats. Anyone have any ideas?

Erik Davis · 07-25-2005, 08:01 PM

Actually, after browsing the internet and trying a variety of bodyweight squats I think I was bringing my pelvis back too far. I still was probably going a bit too low, but the discomfort appears to be a minor lumbar strain and it becomes most noticeable if I bring my *** too far back and get some hyperextension action going on.

Does this sound right (my diagnosis)?

Veronica Carpenter · 07-26-2005, 12:12 PM

I think you've got it figured. ATG squats will hit your entire posterier chain better, IMHO, than parallel, PL squats.

As far as the bar hitting the right safety rail, you could just be holding the bar off-center or you may have some asymmetry from your previous shoulder injury.

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07-25-2005, 07:27 PM	#1
Erik Davis Member Profile: Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dallas TX Posts: 35	This is an actual question and not a funny video. Today I was doing some squats, really focusing on going *** to grass on them. There are two things that I picked up on that concerned me. I had some safety bars on the power rack that I used to identify how low I was going and if need be, I could use them to bail out. Bailing out wasnt necessary with this weight, but I seemed to have a tendency to drop my right side down about an inch lower than my left, or so it seemed. Whenever I went really deep the right side of the bar would touch but the left wouldnt necessarily hit it. A second thing I noticed was that my back was getting insanely tight. Like to the point that I would finish a set and after racking the weights I would feel temporarily unable to relax my lower back. I am positive that I wasnt rounding my back during the squats, and basically when I finished them I couldn't intentionally round it for 10-20 seconds. It was sort of weird, but I didnt notice anything beyond 'discomfort' so I figured the deep part of the squat must have been just really blasting my lower back to hell. But that still is a really weird feeling. And since I already messed up my shoulder I want to be very careful about form. I don't think the weight was too much to handle, since my form was consistant throughout the entire workout. I think I may have been trying to go too low and as a result loosened up my torso and sunk my lower body down a bit during the bottom of the squat. This is really the only thing I can think of, I never had that sort of lower back stuff happening when I was doing slightly less than parallel box squats. Anyone have any ideas?

07-25-2005, 08:01 PM	#2
Erik Davis Member Profile: Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dallas TX Posts: 35	Actually, after browsing the internet and trying a variety of bodyweight squats I think I was bringing my pelvis back too far. I still was probably going a bit too low, but the discomfort appears to be a minor lumbar strain and it becomes most noticeable if I bring my *** too far back and get some hyperextension action going on. Does this sound right (my diagnosis)?

07-26-2005, 12:12 PM	#3
Veronica Carpenter Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Oroville CA Posts: 2,709	I think you've got it figured. ATG squats will hit your entire posterier chain better, IMHO, than parallel, PL squats. As far as the bar hitting the right safety rail, you could just be holding the bar off-center or you may have some asymmetry from your previous shoulder injury.