That's helpful.
So you bend way down and pull the squat bar up and over your head? Yep, then I go into the deep knee bend to start and carefully stand up, then never go below thighs parallel to the ground after the first rep. And with the Bowflex the resistance gets stronger and stronger (unlike a weight stack), so the start of most exercises is easier (less resistance) than the last few inches.
I would like to only be able to do about 10 reps. How many reps do you typically do? I am almost always** shooting for 8 to 12 reps. If I can't do 8, I back off on weight/resistance. If I can get past 12, it's time to increase resistance. My goal is building/maintaining muscle, otherwise I'd be going for high reps (ie, if weight loss was my goal). YMMV
** If it's abs or anything where my back is targeted, I pick my resistance based on 20-24 reps because I don't want to risk a back strain. If I strain and arm or leg muscle it's a temporary nuisance, a back strain is a lot harder to recover from and more debilitating while it's on, again YMMV.
The tech suggested that I have the squat straps loosened all the way, put the bar on my back, and then tighten the straps (like tightening a backpack). I can't try that yet, because the seller still has one of the straps (I'll pick it up Saturday). Longer (custom) straps would help, but I've never resorted to that, shouldn't have to IMO.
BTW, I also use dumbbells to augment my Bowflex lifts. Better for some exercises IMO.
