I have very weak squats (less than I bench) and I was wondering if you guys have any ideas thoughts, etc. I just started squats about a month and a half ago but I have been doing leg press for a long time and can do much more weight than I can squat. Is my bum just weak or something? [:D]

The strength will come if you stick to a progressive program and keep STRICT form :)
Many people avoid squats due to fear of injuring...training smart can help you avoid that from the begining. I have a small hairline fracture between l4 and l5 but could still move 365+ for reps...not as much as some but more than many.

Keep increase the weight in small increments, Ricky...the strength will come with good training and a good diet.

Take Care,

Rob

lunges,yes/no's,deadlift's.
all three of the above will help increase your squat.
i've been doing deep squats for 8 months and have only come up 20#,and from what i've been told it takes time.
i can deep squat 205#,i weigh 175,i can go 310# if i go parallel.
do weighted lunges,i do these as a finishing excersize after squats,if you can find a 6-8" step to do these on so much the better.
yes/no's work hip abductor/adductor muscles these are important squat muscles,doing these on machines isolate and strengthen quicker.
deadlift,stiff leg to work the lower back and strengthen it.
are you resting the day before you squat?
josam

Hello!

What tires out first?  Legs, Back, Glutes?  

How is your posture when you squat?  Does your pelvis shift forward when you unrack the weight on your shoulders?  

Where is your balance--on your heels while extended and no further forward than just behind the balls of your feet at the bottom of the rep?

Does your back and shoulder musculature "collapse" at the bottom of the rep?

Where do you place the bar on your back and are you using a pad?

James

greenmountain - I am talking very little weight: 140-150 pounds, and I weigh about 190, solid.

joesph_samuel - I always rest the day before, no exercise at all. What are yes/no's? Are they the sissoring motion? I don't do any exercises like that, that might be the problem.

James4 - I don't really have any part of my body that tires out first, I just feel so exausted all over that I can't do any more. It's almost like my body could do more but I can't tell it to do any more if that makes sense. I usually feel light headed afterwards. As far as I know I have good form, the "trainers" at CU looked it over and they said it was fine. They could be wrong though. I can't really tell where my balance is but my feet stay flat on the ground the whole time and don't have any tendancy to lift. My back and shoulders are fine throughout. I place the bar on top of my traps far enough down so that the bottom of the bar is about even with my shoulders without a pad.
   

Rickyj, how far down are you going?  I go down until my butt almost touches my ankles.  
If you do it like I do, 140 is pretty good when starting-out.  Also, how wide is your stance?  You can probably make it a little wider and add weight.  You just need to decide what position you feel best in.

For a long time, my squat was less than my bench.  After a few years, I kept making advances in squats while my bench advances tapered off.  Just keep it up, and in the end, your squat will eventually be much higher than your bench.  My squat started at about 75#.  After thirty years of lifting, I finally hit 400#.  It's taken me another 10 years to get to 425#, but more importantly, I'm proud that I can still do them!z

rickyj,
zoom is the squat master,everyone else here is a rookie compared to him,i humbley defer to his knowledge and experience.
i am 8 months into it but that ai'nt squat to what zoom knows.
hey zoom what do you think about this.....
i want to get a work out t-shirt with a huge arrow pointing up on the front,that will be my squat t-shirt.
my squat prayer
dear god
give me strength
i will place upon my shoulders
a burden of iron and steel.
make my back strong,
and my mind stronger.
i will humble myself to the earth,
and with your gift of strength and determination,
i will raise up to you,
   iron and steel
  for your blessing.
josam

I wouldn't really consider myself a "rookie", joe_sam.


Ricky: That's good weight...just keep adding to it and the strength will increase. I squated w/ plates under my heels, toes out, legs wide, narrow etc...you'll find what is right for you!

my apology GMP.
josam

Hello again,

Hmm, it may not be a balance issue after all.  I find that when I squat, I know I am in good balance when my back is locked but I can still contract my lats and pull the bar down against my back (the bar doesn't go anywhere).  Getting out of balance zaps all my energy.

You should probably work on deep breathing and exhaling on the concentric phase (going up) if you are light headed.  Don't want you to pass out with a bar and plates on your back!

You may want to try and break up the monotony of your routine, try doing 12-20 rep sets (1-3) and/or 5-7 second eccentric phases (going down) and/or reducing the rest in between to 25-45 seconds.  Any of these will get your heart pumping a lot faster than normal.  Then [after a few weeks] move back to heavier weights with 2+ minutes between sets of 5-8 reps.  Your body should be able to "go the distance" a little better.

Do you do any running?  Running intervals of 100m to 300m may also help you get more breath.

Let us know if any of our replies helped!
James

P.S.  I also find that gains come in waves with plateaus in between so I have to be patient

Thanks guys [:)]

James4 - I run a few times a week a mile or so but no sprints or anything. Are squats that arobic? If they are thats probably what's wrong because I feel like I just ran up a few flights of stairs after squats.

Guess it just comes down to hard work in any case, just wanted to see if maybe I was doing something obviously wrong. [:D]

To get better at squats, do more squats.  

Since you had been doing leg presses and are still stronger at them, I would guess your lower back is lagging.  Leg presses don't use any back muscles, which is why I recommend adding deadlifts or something if you refuse to do squats.

Make sure your form is correct, this is perhaps the biggest problem I see with squats.

Mix up your reps and weights at least every 4 weeks.  Do 3x10(sets x reps) for a few weeks, then 4x6, then 5x3, adding weight each cycle.

-good luck

Like MP906 said, make sure your form is good.  You will need to get someone to watch you or get multiple mirrors positioned in just the right places so you can see yourself.  Don't be afraid to play with the width of your stance even if an "expert" tells you your stance is too wide.  If the width feels right, then it is right.  Just make sure that your knees stay in line with your feet.  In other words, make sure there's no side-to-side pressure on your knees.  I know I'm not doing a good job of explaining it, but basically if you're knees move wobble in and out while you're squatting, that's bad.  However, when it comes to keeping your back straight and keeping the bar directly over your heels, listen to your spotter.


Thanks joseph_samuel!  And, nice prayer.  I usually pray for forgiveness for the language I'm about to use [:)].

As a lesson to the rest of you guys, never brag.  You will be punished for it.  Last Friday I setup a mirror so I could see just how low I was going since I bragged about going down until "my butt almost touches my ankles."  I did that, and my hamstrings are still screaming in pain.  It even still hurts to sit down on them.  Be humble.  I know I've been humbled.  Oh the pain.z

zoom,
"pain is weakness leaving the body"
i don't know where that quote came from but it is a good one,and helps me out the day after.
i'm thinking of getting it printed on the t-shirt with the arrow pointing up.
josam

If you want to be strong in the squat, follow these rules:

(I did, and made it up to 500lbs.)

1. Don't over train.  The most often you should squat is once a week.  I prefer once every two weeks.

2. Never do more than 8 reps, ever.  

3. GET WIDE.  Legs wide, hands wide.  Let the bar slide further down your back.


I used these principles to train a friend. He was in bad shape, had NEVER exercised in his life.  He's not even close to big.
Within two months, he was doing reps with 315.

The Workout:

135 (warm up) do it for 4 reps.

135 again, for 4

225 still warming up -4 reps

315 -3 reps

405 -2

495 -1

Change the amounts according to your ability.
Start with 135, though.

The only set you "max" is the last.