Using TUBOW correctly

[Tom Lang]

See these sorta crappy squats? Note that my knees do not touch the TUBOW until I'm about in the half-squat position. Does this count as "half-way down?" Note a tendency as well to give the TUBOW a little nudge just before I come back up. I don't think I touch it at all on rep #3. I give it a bigger push on rep #4. I put it about an inch off of my toe.

http://youtu.be/WIYpPN_fb48

Should I move it closer to my toe, work on shoving my knees farther forward earlier, or a combination of both? The model in Figure 2.51 in The Book appears to be making contact about a third of the way down, but I can't zoom into my Kindle version closely enough to see the details.

I want to be sure the BOW is truly terribly useful for me as I continue to work on this. I suspect that if I can finally stabilize my knees, many of my other issues will resolve.

Thanks for looking.

[Gunnhild Bruno]

A TUBOW of that length isn't going to be particularly helpful to you.

[Tom Lang]

It appears to be the same length, relatively speaking, as the one in the book. Needs to be a little taller? At any rate, Spar, what can you tell me?

[Nick D'Agostino]

Hard to tell from the view but I think your stance needs to be wider. Your knees are not out enough. Widen the stance and focus on Knees Out while descending. The bar looks like its getting forward of mid foot. I'd like to see more Hip Drive. I think more hip drive will probably fix the bar moving forward of mid foot. Make the changes and post another vid.

[Tom Lang]

Hard to tell from the view but I think your stance needs to be wider. Your knees are not out enough. Widen the stance and focus on Knees Out while descending. The bar looks like its getting forward of mid foot. I'd like to see more Hip Drive. I think more hip drive will probably fix the bar moving forward of mid foot. Make the changes and post another vid.

Here's an older vid showing my stance width:

http://youtu.be/OQJfazuIdnI

It also shows all the same crap I'm doing wrong, but as far as width, how is this? It's a little wider than shoulder-width, I think.

I squat again tomorrow. I'll bring a longer TUBOW. I'll take video, but I won't bore you all with the same old shit if it's yet another video with the same old shit I'm doing wrong.
It's been frustrating getting the squat form down--I've been posting on this since last spring. There will be actual, real live coaching in my near future. But until then, I'll keep working at it.

Thank you for the comments.

[Nick D'Agostino]

Stance looks good you just really need to focus on driving the knees out more and staying mid foot. You look a little forward in both vids. Hip drive did look better in the second video.

[Tom Lang]

So, making sure I'm on the right track:

http://youtu.be/OQJfazuIdnI

Spar, note longer TUBOW. Yes, I'm very deliberate on some of the reps. I'm touching it sooner, in that 1/3- 1/2 way down point. I assume that particular point should be consistent? That is, if my optimum touch point is, say, 4/9ths of the way down, I should touch at that point on all reps, yes? Some reps are a tad high. I think some hip drive is starting to show. Reps 4 and 5 are the smoothest, in that I'm not "looking" for the board first, on the way down, just trying to make it smooth. Rep 5 may be the best, even though I knock it over.

Let me have it, and thanks for looking.

This is actually set #5 (filmed set #3), since I had to wait for a trainer to finish incorrectly teach his client how to squat in the rack where I usually prop my phone up.

[Gunnhild Bruno]

Did you link to the wrong video?

[Tom Lang]

Did you link to the wrong video?

Dang. Yes, I did. Here's the correct one:

http://youtu.be/zyIHspSiPrk

[Nick D'Agostino]

Your squats look very good and your on the right track. Work on breaking at the knees and hips simultaneously and not the knees first. You do this best on the 4th rep and worst on the fifth. The squat definitely showed good improvement between videos. Keep up the good work.