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Old 05-06-08, 11:04 AM  
bfit
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Sometimes I do "partial squats" using either a chair or the stability ball. With the chair I squat back (sticking my rear end out like others have said) but actually sit down lightly on the chair and then come back up again. You can do the same thing with the ball, but it's a little easier with the ball because there's a little "bounce" when your rear end touches that helps you get back up again. I've found that this allows me to go a little deeper than I might otherwise because I have some "help" getting back up again. Karen Voight does squats this way on the chair in her Personal Best workout, and that's where I got the idea.
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Old 05-06-08, 11:36 AM  
Kathryn
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Another safety tip: do the squats in front of a mirror and make sure that your knees don't buckle in (especially tough on them) or bow out when you do the move. Knee buckling can happen on the way up or the way down.
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Old 05-06-08, 11:57 AM  
stacy4ft9
 
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This topic is interesting because I thought I had read somwhere, via a link from this forum, that it was actually better to go deep with squats, ala the squats with kettlebell training. I'll have to search around for that link and post it.

I'm now full force into kettlebell training and am hoping that the deep squats will help my lower body.

Edited to say I found the topic and the link -- it's from September of last year:

Link to topic: http://forum.videofitness.com/showth...ht=deep+squats

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dena
Keeping your legs parallel is actually hurting your knees, deep squating isn't. Here's an article that may help:


[Full article removed by moderator for copyright reasons. Please follow the link below to read the article]


http://www.t-nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=1023821
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Old 05-06-08, 01:23 PM  
yoni
 
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you can also do wall squats with a foam roller.
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Old 05-06-08, 02:00 PM  
Peggy T
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Quote:
Originally Posted by glavtx
Why the ball? Is wider (or more narrow) dangerous?
Thanks.
It keeps your knees in the correct position. Some peoples' knees turn inward or outward and the ball helps keep them straight.
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Old 05-06-08, 02:44 PM  
ladysaraii
 
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I'm another whose knees have been helped by squats. I can't go all th eway down to where my quads are parallel (unless I go really slow) but I work within my range of motion.

Thanks for pointing out the back info, sometimes my low back hurts from squats, can you say hover squats, and i think it's from arching my back instead of pushing my hips while keeeping the back straight.

But to the OP, I started doing wall squats and it really helped tremendously.
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Old 05-06-08, 02:50 PM  
turbo1
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carol_is_fit
I found that to be true as well, spotted_zebra. When I concentrate more on sticking my bum way back, I don't have to worry about my knees tracking too far forward, because they literally can't in that position.

Carol

I agree, however frantic paced squats of some homeworkout DVDs plays hell on my knees so I do them at half speed. Even Cathe I use a 2-2 count when she does her "singles"....I prefer a slower, more controlled move for squats. Of course what I consider a frantic pace, will not seem frantic to others.
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Old 05-06-08, 02:54 PM  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by turbo1
I agree, however frantic paced squats of some homeworkout DVDs plays hell on my knees so I do them at half speed. Even Cathe I use a 2-2 count when she does her "singles"....I prefer a slower, more controlled move for squats. Of course what I consider a frantic pace, will not seem frantic to others.
I agree. I don't do fast squats or pulses. And on the rare occasion when I do, I don't go very deep. On workouts like some of Cathe's or Jari Love's, where they do pulses or what I consider fast squats, I often don't do them at the same pace they do. I slow them down so I can go deeper and concentrate on form instead of reps. One of the reasons I'm enjoying the kettlebell work so much is that you can just go at your own pace, doing what you personally can do, and you still get fantastic benefits and results. It feels more natural to me to workout this way.

Carol
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Old 05-06-08, 04:21 PM  
Libby
 
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Where do you place the foam roller when doing wall squats? I just placed my back flat against the wall and went down into a chair position and held it there. Is that bad for my knees?

Libby
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Old 05-06-08, 05:51 PM  
videofit
 
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I am convinced I ruined my knees back in high school gym class by doing all those deep knee bends. Over time, the cracking in my knees got louder and louder and pretty soon my knees would lock up and I'd be in agony. I haven't bent my legs past 90 degrees for most of my adult life. Quadriceps stretches, where you grab your foot and bring it to your butt, are impossible, as are any deep squats. I still do lunges, dips and squats but know when to quit because I start to feel that familiar twinge.

You can strengthen your quads by sitting in a chair and putting on ankle weights and raising and lowering your legs. You can also sit on the floor, folding one leg up and holding onto it for support, while raising and lowering your other leg outstretched in front of you. I imagine bike riding would be another good quad exercise.
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