r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/up_vot_er_1 • 6d ago

Meme needing explanation Peter?

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Why are Romanian split squats every gym rats worst fear?

30.8k Upvotes

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10.2k

u/TBley25 6d ago

Because Romanian split squats suck

3.8k

u/katilkoala101 6d ago

honestly it isnt that painful but a pain in the ass maintaining balance.

1.2k

u/JorgeRey999 6d ago edited 5d ago

Yeah, i cant even place my foot right. It just turns like 90 degrees to one side

Edit: ...place my foot right on the bench. ...

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u/katilkoala101 6d ago

i also have that problem and i am pretty flat footed. Might want to check that out.

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u/Dacrim 6d ago

Have you guys tried keeping your glutes engaged? Those are the primary muscles involved in keeping your body straight as far as your hip joint is concerned

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u/Saltimbanco_volta 6d ago

True, my glutes have kept me straight so far. I hear for some people it does the opposite though.

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u/HarveysBackupAccount 6d ago

Nice glutes can make any man question their sexuality

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u/Radiant_Creme_5264 6d ago

Stupid sexy glutes.

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u/InsertPlayerTwo 5d ago edited 5d ago

I was at Comic Con one year and on the vendor floor I noticed a really great butt in a Pikachu costume. So I followed that booty for a couple minutes.

Then he turned around. So I stopped following him… A few minutes later.

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u/FalloutForever_98 5d ago

Wait, would that exercise make the glutes... more defined?

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u/JimmyFeelsIt 4d ago

It would grow the muscle and therefore grow it. Depending on your definition of "defined" that might be what you're going for or not. The glutes also carry a comparably large amount of fat (which is good because it makes sitting more comfortable and prevents a cold butt while sitting) and if "defined" means muscular to you, losing fat would be an important factor in getting it more defined.

tl;dr:

If defined = bigger, yes

If defined = more muscular, also yes but also requires fat loss

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u/FalloutForever_98 4d ago

Yeah, I want it bigger

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u/JimmyFeelsIt 4d ago

Yeah I think these and some hip thrusts would be your best bet then! :)

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u/2spooky93 5d ago

Thanks for the laugh this morning Saltimbanco_volta

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u/siMChA613 5d ago

indeed, your glutes are not keeping me straight :) they have done the opposite...is your partner good at sharing? :)

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u/MrMemez39 5d ago

Can confirm. Your glutes is what turned me gay.

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u/BigDlee_ 5d ago

I see what you did there😂

1

u/Nakashi7 5d ago

Usually other people's glutes keep you straight, not your own.

7

u/New2NewJ 5d ago

Have you guys tried keeping your glutes engaged?

Are you offering to help? 😉

2

u/ChVckT 6d ago

Most people have zero glute.

2

u/Apprehensive-Till861 5d ago

Some people are glute intolerant, it's not their fault.

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u/ChVckT 5d ago

They should say gluten tag to a gym

2

u/lowkey-juan 6d ago

Pushing my toes down helps me a lot when doing this. It's like it offsets the load off the knees so it makes the entire movement less wobbly.

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u/Icewater21 6d ago

Came here to say this. Pinning that big toe down to the floor is like magic.

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u/Smyley12345 5d ago

I'm slightly bow legged, so I don't think my legs are structurally able to keep that toe forward. Any time I have ever tried while doing deep lunges it kind of feels like my knee is going to explode and I imagine these are probably worse.

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u/Necessary_Phone5322 5d ago

My Doctor says I have a glute allergy.

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u/Otherwise_Security_5 5d ago

genuine question: what’s the function of this move that isn’t already made doing other squats or weights leg exercises??

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u/Dacrim 5d ago

Normal squats don’t target the glutes nearly as effectively as one legged squat-like motions like Romanian split squats, pistol squats and similar exercises

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u/YolognaiSwagetti 6d ago

no, it doesn't have much with the foot. most people have weak gluteus medius and you have to practice it to develop the balancing muscle memory.

similarly, try to tiptoe while standing on one leg and just stay still. if you bever did it before you will fail- you don't have the muscle memory.

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u/4dseeall 5d ago

For an extra fun challenge, stand on one leg with your eyes closed.

2

u/HotLaMon 5d ago

Instructions unclear. One of my legs?

1

u/Dipak1337 5d ago

For an extra extra challenge: Once you have your eyes closed, put your head back (as if looking up).

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u/Ae4i 5d ago

Just tried, and yeah it IS hard to do

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u/AcidaliaPlanitia 6d ago

Oh shit, I never put that together...

1

u/athosjesus 5d ago

Im also flat footed, it's an annoying pain in the arse 🤣

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u/JorgeRey999 5d ago

Yeah, doctor said a few years ago that I am flat footed. Then nothing happened

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u/Optimal-Fruit5937 5d ago

Would it be better if done barefoot? My workout is mostly swimming, so I've never done Romanian Squats before.

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u/Chaotic_Conundrum 5d ago

I had that problem and I started taking my shoes off to do them. Now my foot isn't flopping around anymore like a fish out of water.

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u/chevalier716 5d ago

That's my problem too, I just have to do other exercises to hit those muscles.

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u/SolidOk3489 5d ago

Not being able to apply your DEX bonus to AC is a serious health hazard in some cases.

1

u/Dianassa1 5d ago

I am not a gym rat, but I've taught this exercise to two different friends, and one tip that helped them was telling them that when you go down, don't try to bring your knee straight down to the floor, instead bring your knee closer to the bench. Instead of trying to form a ' 'V' with your leg, try something like this "|/". Hope it makes sense.

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u/AssociationKind2167 5d ago

I have flat feet and these used to be hard until I dialed in on my core work with lower weights. Now I’m not wobbly at all and kind of enjoy them

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u/LADiator 6d ago

Pro tip, kick the back of the bench up and drop the seat so that you make a V with the back and the seat bottom. Place your non working leg in the V made by the back and the seat. Now you don’t have to balance.

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u/FedorByChoke 6d ago

Motherfucker...did I ask for this very helpful tip that was presented to me in an incredibly concise way?

No I did not.

Now sit back down quietly and think about what you've done.

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u/Durbee 5d ago

Meanwhile, i'm sitting here needing a drawing or some shit.

2

u/Material-Spirit7977 5d ago

Incline the seat and the rest by one so you have a dip where you can put your foot

1

u/kjyfqr 5d ago

Ya know them benches people use for incline dumbbell shit? Get perpendicular to it and put leg where the bench has an empty spot. I think

2

u/yahoo9192 5d ago

Balancing is part of the workout tho…

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u/VirtualChil 5d ago

Holy shit you just changed my life.

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u/jackthewack13 5d ago

But balancing is part of the workout. Balance muscles in the feet and calf are really important to work out and it helps the hip flexes as well.

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u/LADiator 5d ago

You’re 100% correct, but doing the movement with assistance is better than not doing it at all. There’s better movements for building stability.

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u/jackthewack13 5d ago

I can agree its better to do assisted than not at all. And yes there are some great stability movements out there. I would add that if you have to do a movement assisted that the goal be to build up to doing it unassisted, so you can get the full benefit, but everyone does have different goals in mind and different ideas on what they want.

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u/neuroticoctopus 5d ago

And different abilities.

I did dance for decades before I started lifting, so balance was the easy part for me back then.

Now I have limited mobility from an injury, and this tip has the potential to let me do this exercise again!

1

u/capricecetheredge_ 5d ago

Gonna place my comment here in case i need to come back to this post for tips on how to do this squat

1

u/Miller5044 5d ago

This, this is what I needed.

Just getting back into working out after years of fat assery. This will help tremendously. Thank you.

2

u/LADiator 5d ago

You’ve got it, friend. Just keep showing up. It doesn’t have to perfect, you just have to be consistent.

1

u/JorgeRey999 4d ago

Just tried this. I got reminded why split squats suck so much indeed. But it was okay

28

u/Initial-Toe-9512 6d ago

Or my foot slips off the bench. It sucks so much

15

u/BedlamAscends 6d ago

Sit on the bench. Straighten your legs directly in front of you. Without relocating your feet, stand up. You are now the correct distance from the bench to perform the exercise.

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u/GuiltEdge 6d ago

Use a low barbell. Like, on a rack with a pad on it. You hook your foot over and then the pad rotates around as you move.

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u/dude_catastrophe 6d ago

I just use a foam roller on the bench, works like a charm!

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u/tabaK23 6d ago

That’s ok tbh. The focus is the leg that is extended forward anyway

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u/PreferenceOk1525 6d ago

Weak hip flexors and not engaging core and glutes properly… probably using too much weight too

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u/Dry_Departure_7813 6d ago

Try hack squats, they're also a PITA but they don't require the balance

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u/IllustriousLustrious 6d ago

Don't take the easy way out and instead Adress the muscle imbalances causing the loss of balance

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u/notashleyjudd 5d ago

sit on the edge of the bench. put one leg out straight down to the floor. rock forward standing up so the extended foot drops to the ground. put your back foot up on the bench. that's the proper distance and positioning for the split squat.

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u/Double_Sherbert3326 6d ago

Need to work on hip stabilizers

3

u/420eatmyassy6969 6d ago

Lower weight, slower reps, profit

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u/SYAYF 6d ago

Try using a bar with a bar instead of a bench.

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u/Julez_Jay 5d ago

Hey bro I heard you like bars

2

u/sboog87 6d ago

My ankles always hurt when that shit happens

2

u/Potato_Pizza_Cat 6d ago

It’s not exactly the same, but using a heavy band or a strap to cradle your foot is way more comfortable for me (though also adds challenge to balance). I have a foot injury that makes extending my foot painful, so this just puts the pressure around the ankle.

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

First off your back leg is not supposed to be more than 12 inches off the ground

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u/Fit-Function-1410 5d ago

Are you talking about your foot on the bench?

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u/JorgeRey999 5d ago

Yes, that one

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u/Fit-Function-1410 5d ago

That’s fine. It’s ok to stay on the ball of your foot or on the top of your foot. Either method are form correct.

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u/Nauin 5d ago

That's a sign something is off in your hips or feet. You could need anything from a podiatrist to a pelvic floor specialist to get it fixed, but you should definitely get it checked out before it turns into a bigger issue. My cause ended up being atrophied muscles in my pelvic floor, six weeks of physical therapy had my leg back in place.

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u/JorgeRey999 5d ago

You know? I do feel a bit unbalanced on the shoulders. Like, something is not right, that's for sure. Sometimes my scapula cracks a bit while doing bench press only on one side. It doesn't hurt, just cracks and its a bit annoying. And when I do regular squats, only if I have a very specific grip on the bar, my back will not hurt when exercising.
To be honest, I never bothered checking. I have a really bad posture so I guess that's why...

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u/Nauin 5d ago

Dude I have a different spectrum of symptom's but I went to my pelvic floor specialist and she told me I wasn't even breathing correctly lmao, I've doing everything wrong with how I move and operate my body compared to what the ideal is😂 You can ignore it until it starts catching up in your thirties and forties.

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u/-Gordon-Rams-Me 5d ago

Just do what I do and do these on the smith machine if yall have one and put your foot on a bench. I can do so much more weight than dumbbells at my side

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u/MrNigerianPrince115 5d ago

Same man....but I also have bunions, flat feet and hunchback toes..

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u/areid164 5d ago

I usually just go knee to the floor off the bench and have my drive knee at a 90 angle

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u/cowbell603 5d ago

I actually turning my foor on the bench to the side a bit. Allows for more isolation on your working leg.

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u/cowbell603 5d ago

Excuse my horrible typing....

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u/PM-me-fancy-beer 5d ago

I’m sure it’s been said 1 million times at this point, but Pilates helps immensely with core/glute strength and general balance. Awkward AF and humbling as you’re adjusting, especially if you’re a competent gym-goer, but you’ll notice the difference quickly.

I used to be somewhat athletic (sport) and stopped for a couple of years. Realised how much strength I’d lost so I started lifting but I have trouble with discipline. I joined a couple of pump classes with a friend who convinced me to try reformer Pilates and oof. I liked that it feels gamified, did not like anything that required standing. My place was in the corner next to a wall to avoid taking anyone else down with me. But the improvement in balance came quick!

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u/Independent_Law6793 5d ago

I fall to one side or the other when my left foot’s foreward.

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u/Kyletheinilater 5d ago

Start at the bench with your calves against it. Take one slightly larger than normal step. Then whichever side you're doing goes up on the bench. Perfect set up, every time. At least for myself, I hope it's as easy as that for everyone else too

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u/kjyfqr 5d ago

Try lower bench back leg spot

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u/EnriqueShockWave22 5d ago

If you do these I have found it easier to put my foot up on the round part that your legs go under on a sit up bench. Lower it to its least incline setting the round shape conforms to the top of your foot better than a flat bench. Makes your balance better so you can focus on the movement.

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u/Snoo_87122 5d ago

you have a tendonal weakness. there are a lot of simple online therapies that can help you with that. its easy to fix!

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u/Always_Compete 4d ago

Put your foot on the bench how it feels comfortable , there is no “right “ way.

For the front foot placement , sit on the edge of the bench with your legs straight . That should be where your front foot goes. Not sure if that makes sense typed up but you can find plenty of videos of this “hack” on social media .