They are still there, just learn to pinch the shoulder blades together to create a shelf for the bar to rest on. I've never once met a person who used the pussy pad that actually had decent squat form.

I'm actually shocked how thin your frame looks in that photo. Some heavy weight lifting is going to be good for you and will blow your mind. I bet your body responds pretty damn well given your starting point.

Brah I'm skinny as ****. Too skinny.

All my fat is in my titties and stomach...and love handles.

Ok, another question on squat form, do you try to get your thighs below parallel?

I dont because imo at that point you aren't using your muscles to keep yourself up.

Yes, if you aren't squatting to parallel or below, you need to work on flexibility in the hole with light weight and master that before even thinking about adding weight to the bar. I see too many douches who think they squat low enough or simply don't care. It relates to their inability to get the physical capability to be flexible enough to get that low...and yes that does take work to master. Stretching after leg workouts is a must for many to maintain that flexibility as you get stronger as well.

I practice what I preach...

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LRgwGk_ZZuo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Ok well I always go below parallel. I was reading some kind of argument online that it's not useful for anything...

I can feel it working out my stomach a little when I go below parallel vs just parallel. Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

WTF are you talking about??? Glute and hamstring activation is key to squatting and is greater at and below parallel. Doing half assed squats is barely working anything but the small muscles in/around your hips. You aren't doing shit for your quads/hams and you surely aren't building any athletic performance benefits.

Yep.

When Buck gets those n00b gains he is going to go insane with joy and attack this shit.

He's headed for jacked as ****.

How would it not be useful? A squat is not a squat unless you are at or below parallel. How anyone could argue different is because that person can't take the training and hard work it takes to master the harder lifts. Of course the only exception is injury or physical deformity.

Best squatters in the world or Olympic Lifter and they go lower than anyone else. There is nothing dangerous about it if you focus on form and flexibility first before adding weight to the bar. Those who say it is dangerous results from that person's own errors to not teach themselves the correct way to do the lift and nothing more.

And yes....your ****ing knees can go past your toes! That is the proper way to force the hips into a natural tracking pattern and activate your posterior chain for squatting when going below parallel.

Thanks for all the help.

Looking at myself struggling in the mirror at the gym is one of the god damn best feelings in the world. And then finishing a set, putting the bar down, seeing myself with a face of dripping sweat and vascular arms makes me feel like I'm a man.

lol

It's how I've been taught to do squats by trainers and its tougher for me to get back up by stopping at parallel rather than going below. When I go below parallel it feels like I'm cheating, kinda like bouncing the bar off your chest when benching.

As it should.

It's the greatest feeling in the world. I value my days in the gym. If I miss them, my mind/body feels completely different. I love waking up early on Saturday mornings just to get to the gym and squat. It should make you feel good. It gives you purpose and goals to shoot for anytime you step into the gym for 60 minutes. Where else can you accomplish so much physically and mentally for quick gratification and a huge endorphin release (probably only sex)?

I'm thinking if you stick with it...you'll get bit by the lifting bug, Buck!

Well parallel or below parallel is up to you, as long as you do one or the other. I squat narrow and with Olympic shoes so I choose to squat deep and use the bounce since I trained for the snatch and C&J. (this isn't cheating by any means). Oly lifters squat low and get a bounce. Powerlifters usually parallel and stop.

Either way is fine but anything above parallel is wasted movement.

Here's some good squat form videos for ya.

Ripptoe/SS squat form: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/yha2XAc2qu8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

So you think you can squat (these are really good)

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/2ME8gEN54Ao" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Theres a so you think you can bench series by Dave Tate that is awesome also. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EHx1gYTA-Rw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I didn't start squatting seriously until about 6 months ago so my legs are, admittedly, extremely weak. I'm not nearly comfortable enough with my technique to try and max out, but I tend to stop at 215. Based on the amount of times I can rep that, I'd guess I'd probably max out at about 20 or so pounds more than I can bench press. Maybe 270 or so?...

But, as with most of my other lifts, I've been getting much stronger lately. I remember only a couple months ago I was struggling to put up 195 a few times.