Trouble learning to squat

[reygunz]

I'm going into my third week of SSLP, and I've really been struggling with my squat. It's becoming frustrating. Here are the last sets of my last 3 workouts:

Squat 150x5 - YouTube
Squat 160x5 - YouTube
Squat 45x5 - YouTube

I can't seem to reach depth with a leaned over torso, an extended back and set knees.

My very last workout, I was determined to get it nailed down. After an hour, I moved on.

That last workout, the sets evolved into tempo squats. I have a lot to remember so I have to take it very slow. You can see that my knees are in motion the entire time. In addition, I am not leaned over enough. Scott Hambrick, SSC, has told me that I have a long torso and short legs which will result in a more vertical torso angle, but he also said that I need to lean over more.

I was also doing back extensions in between sets in order to get a feel for my lumbar spine during the squat.

It seems that I've been getting the same cues and I'm making no progress on my technique. If I try to think about shoving my ass back, I go into lumbar flexion or I don't hit depth. If I try to think to keep my lumbar extended, I have trouble reaching depth, I stay too upright using too much knees or I slide in my knees at the bottom.

I'm going to attempt TUBOW tomorrow, but I'd greatly appreciate your help!

[SSDino]

This happened to me too. I was told to be more patient and let it take time so I'll say the same to you. This is what I think:

1. You are initiating with your hips first and the knees come forward way later. Push your knees OUT hard when you start the squat and at the same time, bend over,and point your nipples to the floor (Perhaps not possible with your long torso, as you mentioned, but thinking it still helps). I think most of your problems are coming from not setting your knees. They are way behind parallel to the toes if you look at your bottom position.

2. You can use more hip drive. Looks to me like you're mostly leading with your chest.

[BBB]

First of all, it looks like you're reaching depth in many/most of those reps, so it's a matter of just practicing more and learning where proper depth is.

SSDino is right about unlocking your knees earlier... your unlocks look 'notchy.' I wonder if it's because of the exaggerated arch and thus pushing knees so far back. Your initial stance looks a bit unnatural to me. It looks ok with just the bar, but with the weight your ass just sticks way out, locking your knees due to the backwards leg angle. Hope that makes sense?

I'm not a pro, never seen that before... just making an observation in case someone more knowledgeable can see what I mean and can give more feedback.

[reygunz]

I took an hour again working on my squat. I used a TUBOW which I think may have helped me set my knees, but I'd really like a SSC or a very experienced member to let me know how I'm doing. I think there is still some lumbar flexion at the bottom of these. And, before someone recommends the superman exercise, I was doing them between sets.

Squat TUBOW 65x5 - YouTube

Your help is greatly appreciated.

[Brodie Butland]

I'm going into my third week of SSLP, and I've really been struggling with my squat. It's becoming frustrating. Here are the last sets of my last 3 workouts:

Squat 150x5 - YouTube
Squat 160x5 - YouTube
Squat 45x5 - YouTube

I can't seem to reach depth with a leaned over torso, an extended back and set knees.

Note: I only looked at the 160 set.

You seem to hit depth on all of them. In fact, you're likely too deep on reps 3 and 5.

The main problem with your back is that you're overextending at the top...there's not any flexion I saw in the 160 set (the only one I looked at) that causes me concern. What you think is lumbar rounding is a combination of your back going from overextended to neutral (neutral being what we want) and a change in the shape of your gluteal muscles as you hit depth.

You could afford to lean over a little more, but your back angle really isn't that bad--maybe another 5-10 degrees and you're there.

The main problem, as you note, is that your knees are all over the place. You are breaking them late (after you have already started to sit back), and then they never find their right place when you hit depth. So here are the cues I want you to use:

(1) Unlock knees and hips at the same time

(2) Get knees forward early

I was also doing back extensions in between sets in order to get a feel for my lumbar spine during the squat.

Be careful using this. It's a tool to help you lean how to exercise control over your lower back. It is not what we actually will do under a weighted load. If you "tilt your butt up to the air" or "stick your dick between your knees" or however you want to characterize extending the lower back without a hard abdominal contraction and a conscious attempt to maintain neutral extension, you're going to be overextended, and that's not a good thing under a weighted load.

If I try to think about shoving my ass back, I go into lumbar flexion or I don't hit depth.

Don't think about sitting back. Think about pointing your tits at the floor.

If I try to think to keep my lumbar extended, I have trouble reaching depth

FWIW, I don't see that in the 160 set.

[reygunz]

Squat 125x5 TUBOW - YouTube TUBOW is helping a lot. I'm going to keep doing it into next week. If y'all see something, let me know.

[Matt Stacks]

Looks like your first rep you bent over more to the correct back angle on the first rep. The rest look good, IMHO. Wonder what they'd look like at full speed with more weight.

I'd perhaps suggest warming up with the TUBOW, then getting rid of it for your work sets. Besides, you're not getting any rebound at the bottom right now because of how slow you're going. I know that's not the point of the set you've shown, but you'll want that rebound soon enough.

[reygunz]

Another session of TUBOW Squats and some heavy deadlifts for ya
Squat 145x5 TUBOW - YouTube
Deadlift 260x5 - YouTube

Feeling pretty good about these!

[Matt Stacks]

DL: you set your back and then loosen up when you pull. Watch your back round in the video before you pull. Instead, get tight and don't think about pulling. Think about pushing the floor away like you would on a leg press machine. The bar should immediately come up once you get tight.

SQ: Let's see what these look like without the TUBOW. Think without it you can go down a little quicker (controlled, obviously) and you could stand to cut a little depth off these. I'd say an inch.

[reygunz]

Thanks Matt.

I'll definitely focus on pushing the floor for my deadlifts.

As for the squats, I'm going to continue TUBOW this week. I'm going to focus on getting that bounce at the bottom. Scott Hambrick likes me doing TUBOW and I imagine I'll be flying solo by week five or six.