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After reading the prior discussion & spending some time at the gym doing deadlifty things with a trainer, I experimented with doing the squat. What I found was
by pnathan 9y ago
After reading the prior discussion & spending some time at the gym doing deadlifty things with a trainer, I experimented with doing the squat.
What I found was that while I can do a squat in, e.g., gym shorts, I simply can not do them with my jeans: the jeans constrain my movement substantially. And, the other thing I found, is that a bit of fat on the belly inhibits it as well.
I can't speak for everyone, but jeans and a bit of fat on the belly is sort of stereotypically "normal American" - and that can help explain it to me. Curious what sports scientists have to say here.
- dragonwriter 9y agoAs an American male with more than a bit of fat on my belly, that doesn't seem to inhibit squatting at all. Some jeans (or other tight-fitting, inflexible pants) with particular cuts might, though.
- really-dinosaur 9y agoI have trouble squatting at the office, but that is because like you say. Jeans are terrible! At home I can squat for about 30 seconds or so before it starts to get uncomfortable. I can do it, but haven't built up the endurance as we never use those muscles! Also, there is no good reason to squat in an office. I'm thinking of bolting a Gameboy to the floor so you have to squat to play Tetris.
- mszcz 9y agoThat's the reason why for some time now I only buy jeans with stretch. Way more comfy and they don't restrict movements so much - can jump stair steps two, three at a time.
- gaius 9y agoAnd, the other thing I found, is that a bit of fat on the belly inhibits it as well. Look at the low stance of sumo wrestlers - belly fat doesn't prevent them, it's all in the hip and ankle mobility.
- Retric 9y agoSumo is not doing a normal squat their feet are spread much farther apart. This allows for all that belly fat, but significantly changes the stance.
- simonbarker87 9y agoThey are doing a wide stance version of the squat, it’s commonly referred to in weight lifting as “sumo stance” opens up the hips and reduces the impact of the quads on the lift.
- sdrothrock 9y agoFat Asian here: if I hike up my jeans so that the crotch is at my actual crotch, I can squat just fine.
- n4r9 9y agoMost trousers (especially men's) are poorly suited to a flexible range of motion. I have pretty flexible hips and large thighs from squatting, and have split my trousers at the groin on more than one occasion doing something silly like a martial arts kick or demonstrating an olympic lift movement. I stick to corduroys now. Apparently you used to get people wearing cut-off jeans shorts while squatting in the gym, because the tension provides an extra impetus out of the bottom of the movement. A bit like a weightlifting singlet I guess. I've never seen it in person though.
- LeifCarrotson 9y agoUgh, jeans. I hate the constricting feel of straight slim solid denim. But I recently discovered that they now make stretch denim, with spandex in the knit. It sounds like an energy drink, but Lee Extreme Motion jeans look normal but feel like running tights. And they look great, perhaps better than normal jeans because they fit better. Levi 541 and stretch 514 are good too, but have half the spandex content of the Lee jeans.
- graeme 9y agoThanks! Just bought a pair. These look great. They have slacks too.
- MiddleEndian 9y agoI will say that I've had good luck with American Eagle jeans with "stretch flex technology." I can squat down to my feet and throw kicks at head height in their slim fit jeans.
- MachinShinn- 9y agoNeither jeans or belly fat are the cause of your issue. As someone who wears jeans and has a lot of belly fat, doing a full squat (and resting in that position) is no issue. I suspect it just has to do with flexibility with the hip muscles, built over a lifetime of squatting in most developing countries.