Squat form check please

[FalseShadow]

I just started squatting a few weeks ago. The person I go to the gym with loves the Smith machine (lol) so that's what I started on. After about a week of that I realized squatting on a Smith machine is pretty retarded, so I started real squats.

I began with 95 pounds, adding 10 pounds every workout, which is Mon, Wed, Fri. Looking for feedback on form, as I'm sure I'm doing something wrong and would like to at least workout safely. I think I'm worse at this than any other exercise, because it seems to be more complex than most other exercises, and I can't see what I'm doing while I'm doing it.

I'm sorry for the poor video angle, there was no one to record for me, but hopefully I can improve something in spite of this. My legs are weak, the weight is low, and my form is poor; so help me out if you can, being as specific as possible with what I'm doing wrong and how to fix it.

Thanks for the help everyone.

[cwd]

From this angle it's hard to see where the bar is on your back.
Are you trying to do a high-bar or a low-bar squat?

To my novice eye, your knee, hip, and back angles are all more what I'd expect from a high-bar squat (i.e. not the way Rip teaches a low-bar squat).

[FalseShadow]

I should have said this is me trying to do a low bar squat. The person I go to the gym with doesn't know there are two ways to squat. He tells me the bar is way too low and should rest on my shoulders (he actually told me this last time while putting a Velcro puss-pad on the bar to squat). He also says my back is too horizontal.

Also this is my third set at a heavy weight for me, so it shows the worst of my form breaking down.

[cwd]

I used to get advice like that at the YMCA too, for the same reason -- only one kind of squat!

We can't see your feet or shoulders in this video, so you won't get detailed advice.
Try to get a video from 45 degrees behind, so the experts (not me) can help more.

[donk52]

You're high, and there's a chance that the uprights will not let you get low enough, or the bar will be hitting them when you do. Another reason to find another gym, since you're not going to want to take 5 steps back every time you squat.

Also, I think you can see your heels moving on a few reps, so you most likely need to sit back more. Proper shoes will help with that. It does look like a high bar squat, probably because your knees are coming forward when your heels move, and you're not leaning forward enough because of it. Kills your hip drive.

[FalseShadow]

I definitely feel like I am a bit off balance. I feel like I'm falling forward on my toes more than on my center foot. Therefore if I lean over and get more of a back angle I feel I would be more off balance. What is the best way to fix a problem like this?

I actually think the uprights might be just right. I know I can get pretty far below parallel and still have another inch or so. My depth on this set was boarder line at best, mainly because it was my last set.

Could I just squat in socks with no shoes?


Anyway here's a new video. I'm not sure if this video is better or worse, but at least the angle is different. Again this is my last set, with 10 more pounds than last time. Is the bar way to low on my back? Even Google Image Searching low bar squat position makes it hard to tell.

[donk52]

Have you read the book? That would be a much better place to start than any answer anyone can give you here.

[FalseShadow]

Yes Dong, I've read the book. That's the only reason I even have heard of Starting Strength. I followed the directions of the book as best I could. I watched the squat DVD twice. I know my form is not perfect compared to the ideal rep from the book, indeed it's not really even that close. The reason I am here is to take my "first try" and get it closer to what is safe and efficient.

Telling me to read the book is not all that helpful. I'm sure I have forgotten some things from the book, and I will keep rereading it to try to understand how better to do the lift. Having someone say "your back is too vertical" or whatever the case may be and to "sit back and concentrate on the stretch in your hamstrings to fix this" would REALLY help speed up the process.

So does anyone have any advice to improve my squat?

[donk52]

I mean, you know that your knees are coming forward and your weight isnt on your heels. The way to fix that is covered in the squat chapter in *alot* more depth than I or other people are going to type out here. There's 20-30 pages on fixing issues your squat after the initial instructions. It doesn't sound like you've read it. TUBOW for one will keep the knees in check, though your new video looks alot better in that department.

But your main problem is that you're still too high.

[cwd]

It's gotta be hard to learn low-bar squats, with your buddy calling out high-bar squat cues all the time!
Maybe you should get him a copy of the book too.
Seriously, at least get him to watch a video of a good low-bar squat.

Alternately, pick up a cheap camera tripod and cellphone-tripod clamp to video your own squats and tell him to go curl while you squat.