Getting my squats a little lower?

[Gauisacat]

Just wondering if anyone had any suggestions I might not have thought of! I'm returning to lifting after a long illness and can't seem to get my squats as low as I'd like. My hamstrings are definitely no tighter than they used to be and I've had a friend check my form is alright. Is there anything else you can think of which might be keeping my dragged bum up in the air?

Can you go lower on lighter weights, have you tried slightly different stances on lower weights and have you changed your shoes? No expert, just things I have been messing around with. Well done on getting back to it!

All good ideas, but I'm not even getting low with just bodyweight - it's driving me nuts! My shoes are the same kind as before but trying a different kind is an idea I'd not thought of. I can go a little lower with sumo squats I think, so slightly different stances might be worth me experimenting with too :) Maybe my hamstrings are tight and I'm kidding myself, I don't know!

My instinct would be to practice lots of bodyweight squats for now and leave the weights but as I say, no expert. Does it feel like your bottom is going back and down and then your hamstrings kick in and hurt?

My hips are going back and down, hamstrings definitelyengaged but not uncomfortable, then I hit a point where I just can't seem to go lower. I'm just about breaking parallel at the moment, so I guess that's something..

Ah well, that sounds OK to me? Everyone has different flexibility in ankles and hips I think? Did you used to go lower and do you feel your glutes are doing more (too much?) of the work?

I definitely used to go lower. Maybe my flexibility has just changed as I've gotten older Everything else feels about the same as far as I can remember.

Spot on the wall to look at
Screw your feet into the ground
Big shrug
Double breath to fix core
Knees out
Knees follow toes

For me, my depth goes to pot if i look down, fail tp extend and hold my back and let my knees come in

Also -what are we talking here - barbell back squays?

I find a stint doing front squats tightens up technique

Breaking at parallel is fine so long as your pushing up through heels and not bouncing out of the squat are squeezing the muscle For every single rep.

are you stretching your hips and back regularly?

Sounds to me you just need to stretch more, after a long break of not working out your ligaments got a bit tightened keep lifting!

I'm doing really regular stretching, so if it is the hamstrings being tight then hopefully they'll loosen up I'm currently doing front squats with a fairly few weight (if any). I'm determined to work out what's going on before I go heavy or switch to back barbell!!

Definitely no bouncing going on but I'm wondering if I'm looking down part way through - something to keep in mind definitely!

its important to stretch your hip flexors and back aswell. there will be loads of youtube tutorials. ankle mobility is important too.

i say this as someone with hip impingement and therefore chronic tight hips and back. my hamstrings arent a problem when it comes to squatting.

Go on YouTube put in limber 11 and do that before you train legs.

Can you think about putting your weight into your heels? That’s how I get right down. I try to think about my bum touching my heels.

I have to think about weight back because it’s so alien to me after 30 years of doing ballet, where we never put our weight into our heels!

Tight hip flexors

I have limited mobility in my ankles so it seems so find it difficult to get into low squats. I have to widen my legs out to get into anything like a squat.

I've found the TRX really really useful. It allows me to go way down to where I want to be and exercise around that level. I can feel it's in my ankle mobility

Tight calves and achilles can affect squat depth.

Use a heel lift for a bit, to learn the range of movement (so heels are slightly higher than toes e.g. on a slanted plank)

I know this is an old thread but after doing Happy Baby Pose at my Yoga class last week (which felt rather undignified at the time!) I noticed my back barbell squats during this weeks Bodypump class were significantly deeper and more comfortable