Squat Form Check

[cabranch]

Honestly man, the over-extension is a problem..but I guarantee you that the back pain is coming from letting your back round at the bottom of the squat, or "butt-winking." I had the same problem and my lower back was always sore. What you need to do is stop going so deep. Stop right when you get just below parallel and bounce back up. It's impossible to go "ass to grass" while keeping a rigid spine in a low bar squat.

[MikeC1]

Is his knee travel (his knee travels forward throughout the squat) problematic or indicative of anything? I have the same "issue" and I'm wondering if its a function of having my stance too narrow.

What you're seeing is basically because his knees aren't being pushed outwards. It's hard to see the feet from that video angle, but in general a narrower stance will tend to also have the feet pointing more forward, and the knees then like to follow where the feet are pointing.

[Kenny Croxdale]

Neither the Rippetoe video (which in any event illustrates hip drive) nor the other link shows an extension nearly as pronounced as the OP's. Both show a neutral extension.

Yes, the video is on hip drive. However, as the video illustrates the lifter perform the movement with an arched back. That is the point.

mdoorman's arch is much more pronounced. That more because of being more flexible.

Valsalva won't solve his problem. How did you come up with that?

Kenny Croxdale

[Kenny Croxdale]

Seriously, the second "reference" you cite also recommends not squatting to or below parallel

The point was the illustration on page 6 of the lifter with the arch. However, you get point for looking thing up and reading them.

Kenny Croxdale

[Kenny Croxdale]

Honestly man, the over-extension is a problem..but I guarantee you that the back pain is coming from letting your back round at the bottom of the squat

His back is not rounding in the bottom.

Kenny Croxdale

[mrflibble]

mdoorman's arch is much more pronounced. That more because of being more flexible.

Yes it is. Which is precisely why he has to be careful NOT to hyperextend like he's doing.

Being more flexible isn't an excuse for poor form.

[Brodie Butland]

Valsalva won't solve his problem. How did you come up with that?

Is this a serious question? It's in the book. It's also on the DVD, when Rip instructs one of his female lifters (I believe Shelley) to squeeze her abs a lot harder because she had a natural tendency to overextend. It also is what I've used.

[Brodie Butland]

Yes, the video is on hip drive. However, as the video illustrates the lifter perform the movement with an arched back. That is the point.

It also shows him lifting with bent wrists and stopping high, which are improper. But when you're coaching someone, you focus on the most important things first, and in the case of that video, the young man was not utilizing the fundamental mechanism trained by the squat (i.e. the hip drive). Hence why Rip focused on hip drive and didn't worry about other things.