Nikola's Squat Form Check

[Maties Hofstede]

no comment on the song? pure gold. Doing squats whil 50 cent gangsta rapping you to "get up".

Gott update my playlist

[Shporet]

no comment on the song? pure gold. Doing squats whil 50 cent gangsta rapping you to "get up".

Gott update my playlist

Well, I wasn't thinking about the lyrics. I don't usually notice music while I'm doing the set. I think some of my videos had Lady Gaga on them.

[Shporet]

Last week I've been trying to set the knees forward first and it made me stupid. I'm never sure how to go back with the hips and front with knees at the same time while balancing the bar over the middle of my foot. Here are some of the results. Last time I was doing 115 kg for the first time and I managed just two reps on every set. I think the deload is coming and I hope I'll finally get my technique in check during that period but considering how well I've been doing I'm not too optimistic.

[Tom Campitelli]

112.5 would have been fine squats if you could keep yourself from shifting on to your toes on the ascent. 115 were borderline high. Your descent on 112.5 is what you need to do. Focus on trying to keep your weight in your heels as you ascend and drive your ass up. Stop lifting your chest.

[Shporet]

Things are just not going well lately. After failing 115 kg two times in a row I deloaded to 102.5 but now I failed 112.5 kg two times in a row. I still feel that I have no clue when it comes to form. I try to think about everything you said but the bar still looks in front of me most of the time. Do you think my halted progress is due to bad form or is it time to move to different kind of programing for squats. I started with 70 kg and 112.5x3x5 was my best. I use 2.5 kg jumps and I rest more than 7 minutes between sets and also I eat a lot and I'm a little overweight (100kg)

All my other lifts are stuck as well but I guess that's because I only used 2.5kg jumps (bench 87.5, press 55). Deadlift is the only one that still goes well (130kgx6 last time because I miscounted) and I alternate it with chin-ups+back extension. Now, I wrote all of this because I'm not sure about what to do next. Summer has come and it's the time when I play a lot of volleyball. Last saturday I played seven sets of beach volleyball in a row 2v2 and 3v3 and I was crushed after that. So, I need to find a way to program my strength training around that. I was thinking about just maintaining strength over the summer and maybe losing some weight as well. I just wanted to know what you think about it. Sorry if this thread is not the best place for this question.

Here is my latest squat session. After failing the first set at 112.5 I dropped to 110 kg. The plan now is to stick around 105 kg and try to clean up my form even though a lot of the times I was just thinking of quitting everything because I get pissed off but I guess I'm still not going to give up.

[Tom Campitelli]

You are correct that you are going forward. The good news is that you have control over that. On the way up, do not let your weight shift into your toes. Cue yourself "heels." That will probably get you into the midfoot. There is nothing complicated here, although the lack of complexity does not indicate that it will be easy. Descend a little faster, stay of your toes, determine in advance that you will succeed. All of these will help.

[Shporet]

Thanks! How about this one?

[Tom Campitelli]

Those are probably the best squats I have seen from you. In the middle of your ascent fight the tendency to lift your chest. This is shifting your weight forward. Think of driving your hips up all the way to the top. Keep looking down. I happen to be in your (very general) neck of the woods right now. I am currently hanging out in scenic Minsk, Belarus. That is not very close to Serbia, but it is closer to Serbia than the US is.

[Shporet]

Thanks. After this first set I thought I was lifting the chest too much and then I tried to keep it down but it didn't work because I was falling forward and the bar went in front of my mid-foot. This lifting of chest in the middle stage is due to me trying to keep the bar path straight up. It's as if I'm lifting my chest to push the bar back or at least it felt like I was doing that. Anyway, it's good to have this set as a reference for further improvement. Thanks again for keeping up with me.

I was never in Belarus but as any Slavic country I guess there are a lot of pretty girls and a lot of drinking going on. You have a good time and don't try to outdrink them!