How do I get better posture?
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You mean toes pointed slightly out.
shira
Member
Well the child has toes pointed forward, but whatever. I would say 90% of the population pops their heels up.
Most people are fine doing this
but once you go lower it usually ends up looking like this
I've been working out for only ~2 months, and yeah I definitely cannot do it. Heels come off the ground. It's so hard. Glad to hear it's not just me.
Also I have trouble with the back posture, but I am improving. I arch my back, stick out my stomach and my butt. So when I do squats, to try and remain upright instead of hunching over, my back is too arched.
I can do this easily but I don't understand, with your heels off the ground wouldn't it be harder to stay balanced? I try squatting with my heels off the ground and I find that I'm more prone fall on my ass.
I could agree with that. If you can't, put your butt up against the wall and squat down.
Make sure you shove your knees out and they track over your toes. Put your elbows on the sides of your knees and hold the position.
And avoid the dreaded butt wink!
BigEvilTurtle
Banned
Yeah, I just tried a bodyweight squat with proper form for the first time and it's actually moderately difficult! I can do it but I feel a burn in my legs.
computers putin'
Member
Yeah I'm doing mines with proper form, heels on the ground, smooth motion down, back isn't rounded while doing it....... to be fair though I do squats regularly and I've always had strong legs, but its hard to see why others have so much difficulty with them.
Most people are fine doing this
I tried this and it felt so weird. I guess my body instantly rejects it because my toes aren't pointed out.
Also note, the lady in that picture isn't doing a full squat. Make sure your quads are at least level with your knee and parallel with the floor
ReadingRambo
Member
Best way to get better at squats is to do squats. And do squats with weight. You don't have to have perfect form and flexibility to begin squatting, that's just silly. Just be conscious of your form and keep working to improve it.
Challenge accepted I guess?
Maybe I'm doing it totally wrong, in which case feel free to laugh at me.
BigEvilTurtle
Banned
Your back isn't arched properly, I think, but I'm no expert.
This, and weight lifting in general.
It's okay if they're not in the beginning. Gotta work on that flexibility. Then again if you widen stance it will help with depth. Wish I could squat now. =(
LanceVance
Member
Sit on an exercise ball instead of a chair
dragonelite
Member
Flat heeled body weight squats were hard to do.
Then douche bag friend showed he could do a body weight pistol squat.
And then went into that russian kind of dance. I tried doing those learning pistol squats using door frames it did help to keep improve flexibility but my body was to dam fat(heavy) to do it well. I have no problem doing flat feeted bodyweight squats only gets easier when you drop 12 kg
Then douche bag friend showed he could do a body weight pistol squat.
And then went into that russian kind of dance. I tried doing those learning pistol squats using door frames it did help to keep improve flexibility but my body was to dam fat(heavy) to do it well. I have no problem doing flat feeted bodyweight squats only gets easier when you drop 12 kg
FallingEdge
Member
I genuinely am surprised to see that people cannot do a flat heel squat. I thought it was fairly common.
My experience has been that many people can't squat ATG on flat heels, either. A lot of people would compliment me on one-leg squats in the gym and say that they could never do such a thing - I'd tell them that if they could already squat 225lbs then the problem wasn't strength, but mobility. The Western lifestyle encourages sitting on a chair so much so that they lose all mobility to squat down with good form. People don't do it past a few years old and their flexibility diminishes and tendons and muscles become too weak to get into place any more.
Read any travel blog where they have to visit a country with floor toilets and you find out that tourists are dumbfounded when faced with using one of these:
Do more workouts for your core (abs) and back.
Also, try to be more consciously aware of your posture and practice.
Best advice I ever received was from my grandmother (a physio):
Imagine you're a puppet and there is a string being pulled up from the crown of your head.
Also check your posture (shoulders) whenever you're in a mirror, correct it, and try to hold that posture while walking away.
Been following this advice for years and I get comments on my good posture despite my bad back.
Imagine you're a puppet and there is a string being pulled up from the crown of your head.
Also check your posture (shoulders) whenever you're in a mirror, correct it, and try to hold that posture while walking away.
Been following this advice for years and I get comments on my good posture despite my bad back.
bernardobri
Steve, the dog with no powers that we let hang out with us all for some reason
Raise your chin more.
I'm exactly the same way. Try arching your back over a foam roller or yoga strap, slowly moving up your spine with the foam roller or yoga strap and continually arching back. I thought this wouldn't help at all, but my buddy personal trainer was right and he basically said that my lower back muscles are so tight that when I get down low I just fold over. After I stretch out my back in this manner, I can do a perfect squat np.
Why would you do that?
Member
Huh, I can actually do this, too. Is it really that uncommon?
Maybe it's a sign that I really should work out... It might help with my bubble butt. lol
David Incorporated Esq.
Member
My poor posture was kind of a result of previous neck injury and some muscle atrophy between the shoulder blades, but what helped me a ton was doing pullups. My shoulder and back strength has much improved and now I get comments on my good posture without really thinking about it.
Prophet Steve
Member
I think I can do so too. Although it wouldn't be the first time my body is weird, but I'm pretty sure my posture is shit.
J-Roderton
Member
Just practice. Walk with pride, good chap!
obin_gam
Member
Made the thread and then I completely forgot about it since there was a Beer & Whiskey-festival in my town so I went there... now, hungover and tired, I found this again haha
Anyhoos, alot of very good advice here, thanks! The string-puppet-head idea seems like a good start. Will definately utilize this as much as possible.
Squats are super hard, but now I know that thats the thing to do.
Anyhoos, alot of very good advice here, thanks! The string-puppet-head idea seems like a good start. Will definately utilize this as much as possible.
Squats are super hard, but now I know that thats the thing to do.
Lasthope106
Member
The only right answer... but only after deadlifts.
Visualante2
Member
My physio said these aren't used much. They might help with lower back pain. YMMV.
Yeah for me deadlifts in particular for lower back pain, and the yoga pose cobra has helped me there too. Superman and other flexes can be good for upper back as well as resting a rolled up towel under your upper vertebrae. This manipulates the vertebrae that get stuck in the forward hunch. If you do this before bed you can get a really nice sleep. Peep dis http://youtu.be/iTicuDqMuq8?t=6m46s if you do this really slowly you can manipulate the upper verts by rolling them. It works wonders for me.
I've been doing goblet lifts they seem pretty good haven't noticed any improvement yet.
I don't know but fundamentally these supports seem flawed to me. If you want to be healthy you need to support your back itself. Putting supports just encourages lazy muscle use.Are posture braces any good?
Did this for years, didn't help me.
I've tried this as well, no real difference for me. Fortunately I didn't pay for it, but I'd try simpler more affordable solutions first. If you're going to splash out on anything, and you work at a desk: get an ergonomic office chair, used if you have to. It's worth the extra cash.
FWIW I have wedged discs in the upper back, which is the main source of my pain so my experiences might not apply to yours. I think a lot of people make the mistake of only working the lower back because that's the most common issue.
2manyedits. also install Workrave.org if you struggle to tear yourself away from the PC each hour
Domino Theory
Crystal Dynamics
- Stretch the front of your body (those muscles are tight which are pulling you forward)
- Strengthen the back of your body (glutes, hams, lower back, mid back, upper back, back of shoulders). The muscles behind you are weaker and looser than the ones in front of you which allow your front muscles to pull you forward.
- Keep practicing good posture
I'm sure there's a lot more smaller things you can do daily, but those are the three biggest things to do for your posture.
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