Squat Check 230x5

[Joe Wilson]

Hi Coaches,

I'm looking to get some feedback on my squat technique. Here is 230lb for my second set of 5:



I'm having trouble with my chest dropping (elbows cranking up, hips shooting up/back, etc.) coming out of the hole, and haven't found a fix. It feels like my hips are so far back that I'm driving around the bar rather than up from underneath it, if that makes sense. I was able to get all 5 reps on this set, but got stapled on the 4th rep in my last set for this reason. Thanks for watching and any feedback is greatly appreciated!

[Michael Wolf]

1. Read the sticky about filming, and cut your videos to where you start to unrack the bar.
2. After unracking the bar, don't just stand there for 15 seconds micromanaging your position. You shouldn't need more than a few seconds.
3. Take a slightly lower elbows grip, and keep them steady there. Do not raise them up on the way up. Elbows glued down.
4. Keep chest up better out of the hole - while yes, you do need to drive your hips, not at the expense of the bar getting forward of midfoot. Keep your torso rigid and your chest moving up at pace with your hips, don't let it get behind.

[Joe Wilson]

Thanks for watching! Re. your comments:

1. Sorry about that, the sticky in the Technique forum says to include the setup but I see this was too much. I'll trim them more in the future. This is the best angle I have for filming at my location, but I should bring the camera out a touch to make sure my feet are in the frame.

2. Agreed, that's not something I normally do and I'm not sure why I took so long here.

3. Someone suggested trying an 'elbows together' cue rather than the usual 'elbows up' cue

4. Another user commented that I am trying to keep my chest too upright, and that the flatter back position I move into during the ascent is actually the position I should be setting early in the descent. Well I tried getting into that position early and ended up losing the bar forward and getting stapled, so I'm much more inclined to agree with what you're saying. I've missed this weight 3 times now so perhaps this is a good time to deload a little and work on your suggestions. Thanks again!

[Michael Wolf]

I like our list based communication.

1. Ya, just start right when you get under the bar. Try to get more/all of you in the frame.
2. Good. It's just making you more tired.
3. You can try it. Just remember the thing we're trying to accomplish is not jacking your elbows up so high
4. What that other person suggested can sometimes be the case, but it's not here. In your case, it's causing you to get forward on the way up.

[Joe Wilson]

Here's another set from my last session, 215x5:



1. I think this setup+view should work better
2. I checked some old squat footage and found this was a more common occurrence than I realized.. I'll have to make it a point to spend less time dicking around once I get the weight off the rack.
3. I took a slightly wider grip (~1 finger) and thought about an elbows together / spread the bar cue on this squat workout. That seemed to help a bit with the elbow positioning.
4. I still have the tendency to want to exaggerate the hip drive but overall I think these were looking better. My buddy also got a nice new stainless bar from Rogue this week, which has nice grip and felt a bit more secure on my back than the cheap chrome bar he had before.

[Michael Wolf]

Lost this one in the shuffle, sorry about the delay.

These look better, but the last couple reps still got quite a bit forward, so keep working on staying tight in the hole and keeping your chest up as you drive out of it. You reduced your time from stance established to starting the first rep to 5-6 seconds, which is a lot better. That bar sounds like it'll be a huge improvement.