A few days back, I covered some tips Tommy Kono shared in an interview.
Today, it’s all about body leverages.
Some people are naturally suited for certain exercises over others. The length of your limbs and torso make a significant difference in your lifting.
Shorter arms are preferable for benching, and longer ones for deadlifting.
When it comes to squatting, shorter legs provide a natural advantage.
And shorter people in general tend to have an easier time squatting than taller ones. At least that’s what I’ve been told…
I can remember when I started squatting at the gym.
A bunch of guys were saying not to worry if I didn’t have much squatting strength. It would be due to my height.
One guy in particular, who I’ll call ‘Mike,’ was real vocal about this.
Now, I don’t think Mike was trying to be negative or do any harm. One look at him and I understood where his advice was coming from.
Big Mike was really loud, a bit of a jokester, and was overall a really nice guy. He was also around 6’4” and had a thickly muscled upper body…
Unfortunately, that’s where the ‘show’ ended…
He always wore those horrible ‘bodybuilding pants.’ You know the ones I’m talking about. They look like something straight out of the carnival.
He must have had a closet full of them, because he always wore them. I’m talking ALL of the time.
One day in the changing room, I learned why…
Mike was a “Tank Top’ bodybuilder. The guy had a pair of legs on him that would make a stork jealous. If anyone needed to squat, it was Mike.
Needless to say, I didn’t pay attention to any of those guys.
I saw enough guys over 6 feet who could squat plenty of iron. And the last thing I wanted was to be forced into dressing like I was about to run off with the circus. (No offense Mikey…)
I stuck to my guns, and bit by bit, upped my numbers.
Personally, I do believe having ideal body proportions for a lift is beneficial. But I also believe that it’s possible to ‘personalize’ your form to get the most out of your body.
I also believe that combined with old fashioned hard work, finding the ‘sweet spot’ in your ‘personal’ form go a long way in making up for poor leverages.
NEVER GIVE UP…
If you find your squatting is suffering from poor body leverages, acknowledge it. And don’t beat yourself up for it. (it’s not like you had a say in how you were put together at the factory)
See if you can adjust your form, and maybe even your range of motion. Doing so can make squatting safer and much more productive.
If you’re still having a hard time, keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming email.
I’m going to be sharing a few tips to help you perfect your squatting form, and boost your gains.
Train Smart, Train Hard
Ray Toulany
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