People of a certain structure (usually tall and long-legged) may have a more difficult time squatting than those who are shorter and stockier. This is because the squat is all about leverage.
"And the longer your femurs are, the harder it is to perform the back squat with high quality," he adds.
The Squat. The squat is a basic leg strengthening exercise that involves bending down with a barbell held securely on your upper back. Shorter lifters will generally have an advantage when performing the squat as they do not have as far to go to break parallel and stand back up.
Squatting with long legs can be challenging as longer thighs tend to push the hips back, making it harder to maintain an upright torso and reach full squat depth. However, with a few key adjustments, athletes with long legs can improve their squat mechanics. 1. Adjust Stance Width and Toe Angle Adopting a wider, toe-o.
Figure 1 Rack height for squat – mid sternum, in between your collar bone and the nipple line. For a low bar squat, the bar should be somewhere in the middle of your sternum (chest bone). It will be between the collar bone and the nipple line.
If you can't squat down- Your muscles are stiff
While performing squats you have to push your hips out and squat down, while keeping your spine neutral and thighs parallel to the ground. In case you are finding it difficult to go down, then it might be because your hips muscles are not that flexible.
The front squat fits the bill perfectly for tall/long-limbed lifters. The front squat means the weight is front loaded (duh!). The weight acts as a counterbalance. It shifts the centre of mass slightly—this is what allows the more upright body position.
While athletes with short legs (and relatively long torsos) may find squatting easier, the reverse tends to be true for the deadlift. As athletes with long torsos hinge forward during a deadlift, the horizontal distance between their hip joints and shoulders increases.
Because of the front load, it's easier to “lean against” the weight and use it as a counterbalance to achieve a nice, deep depth. Tall guys may notice that they get more glute activity just from doing front squats alone, simply because of the greater distance they need to extend the hips.
In an undated article by Ross, the author concluded “For the same weight lifted, taller lifters must generate approximately 25% more torque, which explains why taller lifters tend to be relatively poorer squatters.” In other words, I can think of “torque” as related to the lever length from the hip to the knee joint.
Tall folks have a greater range of motion and thus have to travel a further distance, resulting in doing more work with the same amount of weight lifted as a smaller guy. More work means they will tire out faster with fewer repetitions completed.
Shorter lifters have a lower center of gravity and shorter femurs, both of which can contribute to increased stability in squats. They also have a shorter range of motion, which means squats may be slightly easier since the bar doesn't have to travel as far.
Benching for the Big Man. While the Barbell Bench Press might not seem like a daunting task to a taller lifter, in terms of efficiency, they are still at an extreme disadvantage compared to shorter athletes. When it comes to this exercise, a long, lanky frame is not ideal for optimal pressing.
Yes they are harder for tall people. There is a longer distance from your feet to your shoulders requiring more force for a push up. If you want proof bend your knees and only do the push up from knee distance to shoulder.
The scientists believe there are good evolutionary reasons for the preference. "Long legs are a sign of health," Pawlowski told New Scientist magazine. Previous research has linked shorter legs with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity-related type 2 diabetes in both sexes.
You're Working Out With Poor Squat Techniques
Often, the issue is related to improper techniques, such as incorrect depth, alignment, or grip strength, causing inefficient force transfer. Muscle imbalance, where one muscle group overpowers the other, also leads to a feeling of weakness.
Long legs plus poor ankle mobility makes squatting deep very challenging. To overcome this limitation, focus on improving ankle dorsiflexion – the ability to flex your foot upward towards your shin.
Only 1 Out Of 50 People Go To The Gym, So 0.00012% Of The World's Population Can Squat 405lbs… That's 3 Out Of Every 25,000 People.”
Most beginners can work up to squatting 135+ pounds with a few months of training. Intermediate lifters with a few years of experience can often squat 225+ pounds for a few reps. About 17% of advanced lifters squat 315 pounds within their first decade of lifting.
Squatting with a wide stance will help provide a biomechanical advantage for taller athletes by reducing torque about the knee joints. The wider stance allows the athlete to obtain a lower squatting depth than a more traditional, narrower stance.
Gluteus Medius
The gluteus medius is a muscle on the lateral side of your glute near your hip. If it is weak, it can affect hip, knee and low-back function. If you squat and your knees turn inward, you may have a weak gluteus medius. “Often, we see runners with weak gluteus medius muscles,” Mueller said.
A: No, deep squatting is not inherently bad for the knees.