Squat Form Check Please

[Creatine]

I'm a lot happier with my squat these days, primarily due to flexibility increases allowing me to go as far as my leg mass allows me, but still have a few concerns.

I'm having occasional back pain on one side or the other after/during squatting. It is definitely muscular and feels light a tightness or a strain on my lower erectors, I wouldn't describe it as being like a pump or doms. It can be treated pretty well with a hot and cold shower and foam rolling and isn't that much of an issue other than a concern as it is to do with the back.

I also still seem to come onto the balls of my feet occasionally, even when sitting right back, keeping my chest up and forcing my knees apart and out.

Here is my latest work sets of 5x3 115kg.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9kQ_jasRJQ

Any feedback welcomed, thanks.

[Brodie Butland]

Can't see too much because most of you is obscured in the video. But from what I can see, you have very little hip drive in these squats. Back is too vertical and you're definitely not looking down. You're also pausing in the hole rather than using a stretch reflex to bounce out of it.

If I were you, I'd start from first principles. Get into the bottom position and have someone push down on your lower back as described in the book so you can learn how hip drive is supposed to feel. Then try to do the same with the bar. Get the vertical back visual out of your head, and put a water bottle on the ground about 4 feet in front of you so you can stare at it the whole time.

[ayjay23]

Very bad camera framing since we don't see you entirely. It doesn't tell the "whole" picture.

If you're uncomfortable revealing your face, you can always blur it using some video-editing software... as long as we see the entire body movement.

[Creatine]

Can't see too much because most of you is obscured in the video. But from what I can see, you have very little hip drive in these squats. Back is too vertical and you're definitely not looking down. You're also pausing in the hole rather than using a stretch reflex to bounce out of it.

If I were you, I'd start from first principles. Get into the bottom position and have someone push down on your lower back as described in the book so you can learn how hip drive is supposed to feel. Then try to do the same with the bar. Get the vertical back visual out of your head, and put a water bottle on the ground about 4 feet in front of you so you can stare at it the whole time.

Looking down and too much hip drive has always equalled hips rising, bar staying still, legs almost straightened and so doing a good morning. I knocked 25kg off my squat so I could build back up using my hips and quads more than just my back for that reason, it allowed me to get higher numbers but didn't look clean at all, I'll try and dig up an old video.

Using a stretch reflex bounce sounds like the equivalent of leaning back on a bicep curl or bouncing your DL, is a controlled movement not better in the long run for strength over technique?

Very bad camera framing since we don't see you entirely. It doesn't tell the "whole" picture.

If you're uncomfortable revealing your face, you can always blur it using some video-editing software... as long as we see the entire body movement.

Unfortunately the rack sits in a small gap between 2 walls, with barely 2 feet on each side so I can't get much more in. I can try turning my phone around though and see if it gets me all in, I'm not shy. Apart from that the only alternative is a diagonal shot from behind/side.

[Brodie Butland]

Looking down and too much hip drive has always equalled hips rising, bar staying still, legs almost straightened and so doing a good morning. I knocked 25kg off my squat so I could build back up using my hips and quads more than just my back for that reason, it allowed me to get higher numbers but didn't look clean at all, I'll try and dig up an old video.

Using a stretch reflex bounce sounds like the equivalent of leaning back on a bicep curl or bouncing your DL, is a controlled movement not better in the long run for strength over technique?

If you're GM-ing squats, you'll have to think about keeping your chest up so it goes along with the hips. But as it stands you aren't driving with the hips, and that's the fundamental point of the low bar squat.

Unlike leaning back on a curl or bouncing a deadlift, which are not a product of muscle anatomy, a stretch reflex is a normal product of adductors and hamstrings stretching in the bottom of the squat. It is an inherently controlled movement if you do it correctly. There is not a strength vs. technique dichotomy involved. This is covered in the book.

[Creatine]

If you're GM-ing squats, you'll have to think about keeping your chest up so it goes along with the hips. But as it stands you aren't driving with the hips, and that's the fundamental point of the low bar squat.

Unlike leaning back on a curl or bouncing a deadlift, which are not a product of muscle anatomy, a stretch reflex is a normal product of adductors and hamstrings stretching in the bottom of the squat. It is an inherently controlled movement if you do it correctly. There is not a strength vs. technique dichotomy involved. This is covered in the book.

Maybe not a GM, but too much back that comes with a lot of hip drive out of the bottom.

Ok that is maybe a poor analogy, but perhaps its similar to bouncing it pullups. It feels similar but pausing at the bottom of a pullup (1inch from lockout) feels more like real pullups. I have read a lot on the bounce or rebound as rip calls it in the last few days and it seems to be of mixed opinion. Other than injury risks, some people say that for actual strength it isn't optimal, even though you can put up more weight, so should be reserved for Olympic lifts for example.

However, here is a better video angle, with hip bounce. It feels quite a bit easier on the way up, but it looks like I'm going down very fast. It doesn't feel fast and seems to help me keep my weight on my heals better. 5x3x117.5kg (camera messed up on 2nd set):

http://www.youtube.com/embed/VEyFEo2ZAOw

[MikeC1]

Looking down and too much hip drive has always equalled hips rising, bar staying still, legs almost straightened and so doing a good morning. I knocked 25kg off my squat so I could build back up using my hips and quads more than just my back for that reason, it allowed me to get higher numbers but didn't look clean at all, I'll try and dig up an old video.

Using a stretch reflex bounce sounds like the equivalent of leaning back on a bicep curl or bouncing your DL, is a controlled movement not better in the long run for strength over technique?

It sounds like you're misunderstanding how stretch reflex and hip drive work.

[Brodie Butland]

Maybe not a GM, but too much back that comes with a lot of hip drive out of the bottom.

Ok that is maybe a poor analogy, but perhaps its similar to bouncing it pullups. It feels similar but pausing at the bottom of a pullup (1inch from lockout) feels more like real pullups. I have read a lot on the bounce or rebound as rip calls it in the last few days and it seems to be of mixed opinion. Other than injury risks, some people say that for actual strength it isn't optimal, even though you can put up more weight, so should be reserved for Olympic lifts for example.

However, here is a better video angle, with hip bounce. It feels quite a bit easier on the way up, but it looks like I'm going down very fast. It doesn't feel fast and seems to help me keep my weight on my heals better. 5x3x117.5kg (camera messed up on 2nd set):

http://www.youtube.com/embed/VEyFEo2ZAOw

Looks better already. You still would get a lot better hip drive by looking down, though, so try that. (I'm assuming you're trying to low bar squat, though I can't see the bar position.). And you're not descending too fast from what I can tell.

I'm not sure who you've read who say the stretch reflex is suboptimal for strength, but if you're increasing the weight each time, you're getting stronger. Worry about the pause squat stuff when you actually start squatting a meaningful amount of weight--right now worry about building a good base.

[Creatine]

Looks better already. You still would get a lot better hip drive by looking down, though, so try that. (I'm assuming you're trying to low bar squat, though I can't see the bar position.). And you're not descending too fast from what I can tell.

I'm not sure who you've read who say the stretch reflex is suboptimal for strength, but if you're increasing the weight each time, you're getting stronger. Worry about the pause squat stuff when you actually start squatting a meaningful amount of weight--right now worry about building a good base.

Apologies I thought I had replied to this already. Thanks, I'll give it a go and remember to force my neck back into the bar at the same time to prevent leaning forwards.

Well I think that too since imagining I can do pause/non-rebound squats for 130kg x 5 but get 150kg x 5 and increase with the stretch reflex, my pause squat should still increase anyway.

Any idea when I might start to level off/have to deload? I'm about 78kg at the moment.