Squat Form Check

[liftbigbebig]

These are my last two sets from my last squat session. I know I have a tendency to shift to the front of my foot when I squat but is there anything else I need to work on? Thanks

5 @ 365 set 2

5 @ 365 set 3

[Tom Campitelli]

I'd suggest doing a low bar squat. It looks like you are carrying it the high bar position at the moment and doing a host of other things that differ from normal low bar technique. Before I write a long paragraph, however, what are you trying to do? High bar? Low bar?

[liftbigbebig]

I am trying to do the low bar technique.

[Tom Campitelli]

That being the case, what are some of the hallmarks of the low bar squat? Here are some things to look for - bar position, head position, depth, how your hips move out of the bottom of the squat, what the hips should be doing through the middle of the squat, and where the knees should go.

[liftbigbebig]

So using your things to look for here is my self diagnosis:
Bar position: immediately under the spine of the scapula (mine is high)
Head position: should be looking down at a point 3-5 feet in front of you (mine is up)
Depth: should be below parallel or where the hip joint is below the top of the patella (mine appears to be slightly high)
hip drive: should be up and not forward or backward (my hips are shooting backward not up which is closing my hip angle and opening my knee angle creating a horizontal back on some reps)
knee position: knees should be out and in line with the direction of the feet (i am allowing my knees to roll in)

Did I miss anything else? I know my grip isn't correct either but when I do the thumb over method my left bicep kills me afterward. I am assuming that's because my arms are taking on some load of the bar and it's not being supported by my back. It's weird though that thumbs around doesn't cause me a problem.

[Tom Campitelli]

Very nicely done. The things I would add are that your knees don't really collapse inward, they just don't go out far enough to begin with. You would probably need to point your toes out slightly more to aid with this. When you get the bar lower, see how things feel with regard to your grip. You may need to put the thumbs over the top or widen your grip. Where your thumbs go is a small detail when compared to the rest of the things.

[liftbigbebig]

So if I get my knees out further that should allow me to reach proper depth. All the other corrections I think are self explainatory on how to fix except for my hips moving backwards. What cue would you suggest I use to fix this issue other than just thinking "up"?

[Tom Campitelli]

Getting your knees out will help with depth. It will also more fully engage the adductors and external rotators of the hip. A win-win if I ever heard of one.

Sending the ass back can be a tough habit to break. Work on keeping your knees in place at the bottom and driving up strongly with the hips. If your knees are going back, so is your ass.

[liftbigbebig]

Thanks Tom. I'll work on keeping my knees out and repost a video once I feel like I have made progress.