High Bar Squat Form Check

[hammock23]

First of all, I want to thank you in advance, because I know that the HBS isn't a part of the Starting Strength program. I spent a month trying to LBS and ended up with tendinitis in both of my elbows, so I figured it wasn't worth the pain and interference with my other lifts, and have been doing the High Bar Squat instead.


The thing is, no matter how hard I try, I continue to lean forward slightly when I lift with higher weights. This is especially apparent on the last rep of my set. I focus on keeping my chest up, and core tight, but when I get to the bottom I invariably lean forward slightly. I deloaded to work on my form, and as soon as I back got up to 225, the lean started coming back.


Does anyone have any advice? I don't know what to do. I know these squats look pretty haggard.

[Tom Campitelli]

I'm not going to lie to you. Those look pretty damn bad. If you wish to high bar squat then you are going to have to do a much better job staying upgright. Narrow your stance, descend under better control, don't let your knees shoot back on the ascent, and lead with your chest out of the hole. You need some weightlifting shoes because you are wobbling everywhere in those five fingers. Right now you are doing a loose squat followed by a round back good morning.

[hammock23]

I know that these aren't anywhere close to perfect, but I'm hoping they look a little better. I bit the bullet and got a pair of weight lifting shoes, which helped my stability tremendously. I found that looking slightly upwards helped me keep my chest up a little. My descent is more controlled, but I feel like I still need to slow it down. You can tell that I'm still struggling, especially in the middle of the rep, to keep my chest up. I've been doing some hip/ankle mobility work, which has revealed that I'm incredibly tight in the hips.

I obviously have a lot more work to do on these squats, and I'm determined to solve this form issue before if gets any worse. Thanks for your advice, and I'm sorry to make you suffer/cringe watching my atrocious form. I spent so much time working on Low Bar Squats that I'm having a lot of trouble making the transition to High-bar.

[Tom Campitelli]

You have chosen a camera angle that mercifully obscures almost everything about your squat. You need to take some weight off the bar and figure out how to keep your back from becoming a slinky. Given how much you lean over, you are probably as inclined as you would be in a low bar squat, if not more so. Now, however, the bar is higher up on your back. You are also in full fucking flexion. It is the worst of both worlds. Narrow your stance, too.

I've been doing some hip/ankle mobility work, which has revealed that I'm incredibly tight in the hips.

Stretching your hips and ankles all day long will not keep your spine in extension. Your spinal erectors on the other hand just might.

Thanks for your advice, and I'm sorry to make you suffer/cringe watching my atrocious form.

It is a terrible burden to bear, I assure you. However, I console myself by posting images that amuse me.



You can do better than this when you squat.

I spent so much time working on Low Bar Squats that I'm having a lot of trouble making the transition to High-bar.

I detect hyperbole here. I've spent the last five or six years almost exclusively low bar squatting and I can do a high bar squat just fine, albeit at a lighter weight than what I do for low bar. Your issue is not that you cannot low bar squat or high bar squat. You never really learned how to squat properly at all. Get tight and get control of your back. Find a weight at which that can happen. Build from there. Deloads are no fun, but you need to fix your back.

[hammock23]

Took 20lbs off the bar. Feeling a lot better about these, obviously still not perfect. Still having some trouble with the back, and keeping my knees stable.

[Tom Campitelli]

Do the following:

1. Read the sticky on filming form checks. Then read it again.
2. Take more weight off the bar. These are still very problematic squats.
3. Commit to moving differently. You are still collapsing into the bottom of the squat and praying to the gods that you will stand up. You don't stay tight, you don't fight for position, you just do whatever you feel like. You round your back, wiggle around, the bar speed craters, and so forth. This will not change unless you make it change.
4. Narrow your goddamn stance. That's the third time now. In order for something different to happen, something different needs to happen.

[Tom Campitelli]

Also, it may be time to consider a coach for this.

[hammock23]

Three shots from the side, back, and front. Sorry that the front one is from the floor, I didn't have anywhere to attach it. Dropped another 20lbs. Narrowed my stance.

Back:

Front:

Side:

[Tom Campitelli]

Remember what point number one was in my homework assignment to you - read the sticky on how to film form checks. I don't need an anterior aspect crotch shot from down low. If you were a beautiful woman in tiny shorts, this would be acceptable, although it still wouldn't help me that much from a coaching perspective. From an awesome perspective, however, women in short shorts rank very high on the list. I digress. The most useful angle for squat checks is one where we can see your head and feet at all times, shot from hip height, at a rear oblique (30 to 45 degrees). By far, that is easiest angle from which to diagnose problems and provide commentary. If I get to answer these questions for free, you get to submit videos that make it easier on me.

Your stance is better and these squats look less bad. I think you found the right working weight. You can probably come in just a little narrower, but that is not your biggest issue. Next time you squat, descend more slowly. Right now you are going a little too fast and you get to a point just above parallel and let go and collapse into the bottom. That's all I am going to give you for this time. Fix your descent. Make it smooth and controlled. Exaggerate it, if needed. Watch the video and notice how you hit a point on the way down and speed up and round your back and relax. Let's fix that.