240lbs of SQUAT CHECK

[TinyWeakling666]

Uhh, I just got back from the gym, so uhh

I guess I'll post all my sets since I'm a mindless idiot

Retard Squatting: 185, Part 1 of 3 - YouTube
Retard Squatting: 185, The Sequel 2 of 3 - YouTube
Retard Squatting: 185, The Sequel, 3 of 3 - YouTube

I tried to narrow my grip width but it just wouldn't go any narrower without my shoulders screaming with pain. I tried to keep my elbows down but I didn't seem to do a very good job. In my warm ups it seemed to work, but once I got to my work sets it seemed like the bar was just going to fall straight off my back and if I tried to think about bringing them together my chest seemed to cave/loosen (!?!?!!), and if I brought my chest up to compensate (which I can't seem to do very well even at this much lighter weight) my elbows would crank up again.

I tried to point my toes out more and it helped a bit with the knee slide, but I think my stance width isn't correct for some reason

I think I might just give up, take steroids and do curls

Bonus Round: 215 Deadlift - YouTube My back seems to hurt no matter what I do when I deadlift.

[Jeff Illingworth]

So, again, turn away from the mirror.

Don't rush so much. At the top, get your breath and get tight. A quick rule of thumb is take as long as long between reps as it takes to say your full name (in your mind, not out loud). It's a good starting point for timing. Make sure you are locking out your knees and hips at the top. When you unrack, get your feet under the bar and your hips back (like a quarter squat) - see how you're getting on your toes when you unrack? It's because you're too far back and this could be making your back tweaky. Your knees are also going too far forward at the bottom (see how your heels lift up?). Keep your knees back more. Use the master cue and keep the weight on your feet. Your squats aren't a train wreck by any measure and all of these things are, actually, pretty easy to fix it just takes a little time and some concentration. Start fixing them with your first empty bar warm up. Film each set and watch it between sets so you can self-correct more efficiently.

[misspelledDino]

Dude don't beat yourself up. I think your squats look pretty damn good. You are getting depth, have minimal knee slide and moving the bar quickly. Start adding with weight with your much better technique.

On the bar sliding issue, I'd encourage you to (re)read this article by Jordan about balancing chest vs elbow cues to create the tight upper back needed for the squat. IMHO, this is something you can work on while you are adding weight to bar.

Starting Strength

Uhh, I just got back from the gym, so uhh

I guess I'll post all my sets since I'm a mindless idiot

Retard Squatting: 185, Part 1 of 3 - YouTube
Retard Squatting: 185, The Sequel 2 of 3 - YouTube
Retard Squatting: 185, The Sequel, 3 of 3 - YouTube

I tried to narrow my grip width but it just wouldn't go any narrower without my shoulders screaming with pain. I tried to keep my elbows down but I didn't seem to do a very good job. In my warm ups it seemed to work, but once I got to my work sets it seemed like the bar was just going to fall straight off my back and if I tried to think about bringing them together my chest seemed to cave/loosen (!?!?!!), and if I brought my chest up to compensate (which I can't seem to do very well even at this much lighter weight) my elbows would crank up again.

I tried to point my toes out more and it helped a bit with the knee slide, but I think my stance width isn't correct for some reason

I think I might just give up, take steroids and do curls

Bonus Round: 215 Deadlift - YouTube My back seems to hurt no matter what I do when I deadlift.

[cfreetenor]

Your last squat set looked to be in good shape to my stupid eyes. Better than 40 lbs heavier.

One thing that has helped me recently with the grip is to go for the feeling of unracking the bar with the part of my back the bar should be on. That is what lifts the bar, not my hands or wrists.

I have pretty inflexible biceps and arms, and very long forearms. What I think about now is planting my feet directly below the bar, unracking it with the little "shelf" my rear delts make when I point my nipples at the floor.

[TinyWeakling666]

Maybe I should open a new thread, so please feel free to beat me for necroing this thread but here are some sets I recorded yesterday. I haven't really been going to the gym as much because I feel like it's just becoming a waste of time, but I'm going to see a coach soon to see if I can at least make all the time I've wasted and the near 100lbs I've gained worthwhile.

195 Squats - YouTube
My back was hurting a bit here (I think I wasn't focusing on my breath as much as I should, on the last two reps I did more about that and it helped). I tried focusing on staying out of my knees more and it helped tighten things down there a bit more but I'm still not sure I'm actually using my legs right. Depth felt a bit high but I felt a big stretch all over everything in my lower body which is supposedly a good thing? I still don't think my upper back or grip is in the proper position yet and I think I'm definitely going to need that drilled into my head with a coach. I feel like I need to guess at where the lowbar position is.

One thing I noticed is that my bar path is actually a little more vertical here than in videos I have of older sets

[Jeff Illingworth]

You're drifting forward. Keep your weight on the center of your feet. Film a set out side the rack, please and make sure your feet are in the frame.

[TinyWeakling666]

195 Squat 2 of 3 - YouTube
195 Squat 3 of 3 - YouTube
I filmed some out of the rack. It was a pain trying to get everything in the shot but this was the best I could do for now, though fortunately I just bought some wide angle lens for my phone and an actual tripod so recording should be much easier now

I felt like I was missing depth. I think I drift forward when I don't focus on keeping my chest up, but I don't know. I tried to stay back on my heels to try to find/stay in midfoot and it seemed to help

[Jeff Illingworth]

You still are not getting set at the start of each rep, particularly the first. You need to get and stay tighter.
Depth is a bit spotty. Narrow your stance a bit and drive your knees out.

[TinyWeakling666]

You still are not getting set at the start of each rep, particularly the first. You need to get and stay tighter.
Depth is a bit spotty. Narrow your stance a bit and drive your knees out.

I'm still not sure what getting set entails or how to get set

[Jeff Illingworth]

Watch your set and compare it to what someone like Michael Wolf or Austin Baraki do in their instagrams. You are just walking the bar out all loosey-goosey and you start squatting. Get tight from the beginning, walk it out, stop moving, stand up, squeeze everything tight, and then start the squat.