I've been doing squats and deadlifts all wrong

[awwwwfuq]

after reading up on glute activation, i tried it in my gym today and i managed to move up my max by 20 lbs. i also feel it in my hams and upper back more than i do in my lower.. i'm still slightly confused about the whole butt squeezing thing though so i'm hoping someone can clarify this for me.

you're suppose to tighten up your butt muscles on the way up am i right? because i can't seem squeeze it in the squat dip or the bottom portion of the deadlift...

and also... i read up that deadlift is not a pulling motion. so it's kind of like a bar humping motion right?? that's how you bring your hips foward...

thanks. and happy thanksgiving!

[dermanus]

Thanksgiving was a month ago, you crazy Yanks...

I had a similar experience about a month ago. It's amazing the difference that it makes. I've never heard the 'bar-humping' analogy, but it does ring true. Give it some time on the various parts of the squat and dead. You'll get to the point where you can do it at all points.

[eLvarouza]

Don't worry about trying to squeeze whatever. If you do the movements with proper form it will happen anyway.

Hip drive on the squat is caused by keeping the low back tight, sitting back into the hole, and driving straight up with the hips.

Using the hips properly when you deadlift is caused by keeping the bar against your legs the entire time, driving through the heels, and moving the bar in a straight line. If you don't keep the bar against your legs you'll end up stiff-legging the weight. If you don't drive through the heels the bar won't move in a straight line because your knees will get in the way and the bar will move out of position.

[awwwwfuq]

If you don't keep the bar against your legs you'll end up stiff-legging the weight.

lol yeah for 2 years i've been doing this version. today some powerlifter guy showed me the whole heel thing and made me go home and read up on it. damn it's so much easier when i hump the bar and focus on my heel

Don't worry about trying to squeeze whatever. If you do the movements with proper form it will happen anyway.

i do use proper form, the whole keeping close to knee thing and everything. still end up stiff legged. either way if i did use proper form i wouldn't suffer massive lower back injuries by now cus i do 1-3 reps at times. and ironically its not automatic for me, and lots of other people too actually- the whole butt thing. before i found out about this i never squeezed my butt. i had to consciously think about squeezing my butt. it felt weird but pleasant

[awwwwfuq]

Thanksgiving was a month ago, you crazy Yanks...

I had a similar experience about a month ago. It's amazing the difference that it makes. I've never heard the 'bar-humping' analogy, but it does ring true. Give it some time on the various parts of the squat and dead. You'll get to the point where you can do it at all points.

yeah that's what i did at the gym today. huge paradigm shift for me man... feels like i've been exposed to a whole new world.

[grambo]

Yep it's a huge difference when you learn to pull with your legs instead of back, I'm trying to master that. If you are having trouble with it, make sure your starting position is proper each and every rep. I've started taking my hands off the bar inbetween reps because otherwise I get out of position trying to go fast.

[sean]

Don't worry about trying to squeeze whatever. If you do the movements with proper form it will happen anyway.

Not necessarily. Actively thinking about squeezing certain muscles during the lift helped me a lot when I was starting out. Yes, if you do the movements with proper form you will squeeze the correct muscles, but first you need to learn the correct form. Squeezing my glutes/traps/whatever helped me do that.

And to the first poster - it is impossible to squeeze your glutes at the bottom of the squat or at the start of a deadlift. But if you simply think about squeezing them the entire time, your body will automatically squeeze them when it can, which is at lockout. If you haven't yet, try squeezing your glutes on the bench press. Watch that jump up a few pounds.

[awwwwfuq]

Don't worry about trying to squeeze whatever. If you do the movements with proper form it will happen anyway.

Not necessarily. Actively thinking about squeezing certain muscles during the lift helped me a lot when I was starting out. Yes, if you do the movements with proper form you will squeeze the correct muscles, but first you need to learn the correct form. Squeezing my glutes/traps/whatever helped me do that.

And to the first poster - it is impossible to squeeze your glutes at the bottom of the squat or at the start of a deadlift. But if you simply think about squeezing them the entire time, your body will automatically squeeze them when it can, which is at lockout. If you haven't yet, try squeezing your glutes on the bench press. Watch that jump up a few pounds.

yeah its true about what u said. i managed to get up to 500 on the deadlift but didn't learn about muscle contractions til now. i was doing the straight legged version of the lift. there is a huge difference when i curl up my toes and focus on my heel, and squeeze my glutes.. it seems like the pulling-up distance is shorter.. i dunno, might be a placebo effect. i can't do it as fast though cus there's too much thinking involved!