Taller ladies with very long femurs - Does Squatting Ever Get Easier?

[roadoftravel]

@faithfulsteward7 I’m tall! 178cm. A big fan of TRX bands when doing new types or ones I struggle with.

 

[msgee]

@faithfulsteward7 I just want to add that I love ATG squats with elevated heels and holding a light weight in front-- basically a deep goblet squat. It feels right. I also use the smith machine for hack squats and standard ATG squats at light weight. I love the full range of motion and feel it translates better to mobility and performance.

 

[cephscripts]

@faithfulsteward7 Having long legs means you gotta have really good hip and ankle flexibility. It also means you have to lean forward a bit to keep your centre of balance. Not everyone's squat looks the same. I had a "trainer" who kept telling me to keep my chest upright but I literally couldn't if I lowered myself at all

I've been squatting for two years and honestly they're still pretty hideous. I elevate my ankles and I still can't get my thighs parallel because my ankle mobility is shite. I make sure I do some leg extensions as well to really target my quads.

It sucks and it's hard work. Elevate your heels and see if that helps (pros do it too so nothing to be ashamed of). If not then you can decide if it's a hill you're willing to die on

 

[bc8486]

@faithfulsteward7 I am tall (180 cm) and do not do barbell squats anymore. I don’t get the depth I like, and if I try, I inevitably pull something or injure myself.

For me, it’s not worth the risk of possibly having to take time off to recover as I’ve had a pretty consistent routine for the past 3 years.

I still have a managed to made great progress and build my legs in both size and strength. I focus mainly on leg press and hack squats! Obviously, with other more isolating exercises as well.

 

[anonymous1337]

@bc8486 Not as tall as you but same here! Was always getting pain in my hip flexors after doing barbell back squats, even after doing a dynamic warmup prior to hitting legs.

So many squat variations that back squats really aren't essential unless training to be a powerlifter etc. Also I actually found it limiting when I was training legs bc of how fatiguing it is on the whole body so my legs weren't growing as efficiently.

 

[menakaesa]

@faithfulsteward7 I totally feel you and after 9 years of bodybuilding, I’m happy to report that I don’t do barbell squats and still was able to build the legs I wanted! I tried for so many years but because hypertrophy was my goal, I was extremely limited by my anatomy. Now, I use the leg press which I can adjust to my needs, the hack squat, and other single leg movements that feel good, build muscle, and didn’t require YEARS of learning “technique”. If you’re not a powerlifter, there’s really no need to do traditional barbell squats.

 

[momofone1]

@menakaesa Bulgarian Splits Squats forever.

 

[menakaesa]

@momofone1 THE PHARAOH OF MOVEMENTS

 

[tilly101joey31]

@faithfulsteward7 Try front squats! I also have long femurs and they are

 

[alieljacks]

@faithfulsteward7 I am tall, also all legs and it does somewhat with ankle and hip mobility but I’ve still never felt that it “feels” right. I have focused on front squats instead which feel a lot better for my measurements!