Squat check

[Brian Harlin]

I was on a roll, or at least the bar was. Tom had me experiment with a little more vertical back angle and gave me the name of a SSC who had a similar experience and suggested a lower bar position. This set I'm doing both lower bar and more chest up than I was before. I definitely feel more quad involvement and the bar is moving slower than I would like to right now. I would like to get back to a little more horizontal because it feels easier, but not if the bar is going to roll around.
I don't feel that the bar was rolling around on this set. I do notice that I have a little knee bump forward at the bottom and they are a touch higher than I would like. Feedback / suggestions appreciated. Thank you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOoJOALyWHA

[Tom Campitelli]

Each of those reps was a little different. I'd like to see a set of five, if I could. I think your depth is okay, although if you went half an inch or an inch lower, no one would complain. Your first rep was your best with reps two and three showing more sliding forward with the knees and the bar coming forward towards the bottom. You can still see the plates rolling around as you squat, which probably comes from the bar rolling around. I'd be interested in what the others have to say, but I think you gradually relax your upper back as you squat, which allows the bar to move. I remember this being a tricky problem to cue. Try descending a little more quickly and really work on keeping your chest up as you lean over.

[Erich Murphy]

It looks like reps 1 and 3 you are fighting to keep your back vertical as you descend. I would recommend reaching back a little more with your hips and establishing your back angle earlier in the descent. This should help with your knees at the bottom as well. Are you able to move your grip closer on the bar? A closer grip should help create more upper back tightness. Hope this helps.

[Brian Harlin]

I will get a set of 5 on Thursday. Till then, hopefully some of the other coaches can chime in.

I'm gotta lay of the back a little, thinking of chest up too much, I think I over extended my lumbar on some of my warm ups-it wasn't a pleasant sensation, kinda made my stomach hurt in a funny "got-a-poop" kinda way which from what I understand can be a bad sign. I seem to be ok though.

[Tom Campitelli]

Overextending your lumbar spine is a good thing to avoid.

[Brian Harlin]

So I did 4 sets of 5 today. I made little tweaks each set. I did feel the bar roll a couple of times but most of the time it was ok.

Here is my first set at 315
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYnnorjocAk

I tried to pit the bar lower than I usually do. Which still feels foreign I returned to a more horizontal back angle. I felt My knees go forward a little a couple of times. I think I should have widened my stance a little.


This is my last set at 275
I widened my stance on these and I thought these felt pretty good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYnnorjocAk
I thought this was my best set.

[Brian Harlin]

Sorry posted the same set twice.

This is the 5x275 last set.
http://youtu.be/pbJnjCPNusU

[Tom Campitelli]

This is a tricky one and it was tricky in person, as I remember. Here's what I think after staring at this for a while. Firstly, you need to go deeper on your heavy sets. You start your reps by dipping your chest and letting the bar shift forward of the mid foot. The beginning of your squat looks a little more like how you would start a good morning. Your bar path looks more like a crescent moon at the beginning. Send your ass back and don't let your chest dip as much when you first start the movement.