Some Squats

[Domjo54]

Hey Rip, was just hoping you could look at a set of Squats:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaDEVkJpw3o

I always have the problem of being my shins coming forward (i.e. not being vertical), and I feel like this is the reason that I am not able to hit the depth I want to--but, I could be wrong. Regardless, any thoughts on how to get them deeper? Even with 135, pretty much all the reps look like this.

I've been doing your elbows/knees stretch to shove my knees out, but my depth seems to stay the same, even during warmups. Would the seated hip abduction machine ever be justified in assisting this issue?

Thanks in advance, Rip. Be brutal, as always--better that you tear my form apart now and help me fix it than pussyfooting around.

[Domjo54]

I see this was moved to a new forum...any good advice would still be really appreciated. Thanks everyone.

[jamesc]

I'm far from being an expert but here it goes

I think you're high bar squatting? That's what it looks like from that angle. SS wants you to low bar
Knee travel is only for 1/3 of the movement. so start with your hips and knees and then just sit your butt all the way down, while shoving your knees out. This is where TUBOW comes into play.
I need to work on the knee problem consistently too, actually.
And keep your head at a neutral angle.

That's all that i can see.

[JB1981]

Sure you've read the book bro?

[william jackson]

It looks like you are squatting with your knees, not your hips. Reach back with your ass and use some hamstrings.

[Domjo54]

I'm far from being an expert but here it goes

I think you're high bar squatting? That's what it looks like from that angle. SS wants you to low bar
Knee travel is only for 1/3 of the movement. so start with your hips and knees and then just sit your butt all the way down, while shoving your knees out. This is where TUBOW comes into play.
I need to work on the knee problem consistently too, actually.
And keep your head at a neutral angle.

That's all that i can see.

I feel like my position is halfway between the high bar and low bar, because it doesn't feel all that low, but I can never really get it much lower. I know the fact that I Squat in front of a mirror is a bad thing, but that is the only rack in my gym, and I know Rip is adamantly opposed to putting the bar on your back and doing the walk-out forward (basically if I turned around). Also, for TUBOW, I don't understand exactly how you set it up...I know it has something to do with a block of wood that you place in front of your knees to minimize knee travel, but how?

Sure you've read the book bro?

Very sure. It's a few feet away from me ATM, and I've read it a handful of times. Stuff makes sense when I read it, but I guess I just struggle getting the hip movement into play when I'm actually Squatting.

I guess I see why you ask, though.

It looks like you are squatting with your knees, not your hips. Reach back with your ass and use some hamstrings.

So basically just "sit back" more? I realize that I Squat more with my knees than my hips, I just don't know how to solve it.

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Thanks everybody, all info is appreciated. Follow-ups are even more appreciated.

[the dio]

You should re-read the squat section, it answers your questions

[frosty-g]

i think jamesc's observation about bar position might be an important one, i started out too high (i misunderstood what high bar was) and it was always awkward, i knida managed it though- but then when i got to 100kg if i tried to maintain any kind of form i was pretty much falling forwards, bit scary. that's when i gave the squat chapter a good re-read and realised what was going on. you can't do the squat as Coach Rip suggests with the bar too high- all the weight is too far forward which means you either fall, or compensate by screwing up the rest of the form.
that said, it felt horrid for my upper back, shoulders, arms etc for the first few sessions with the low bar but it does get better pretty quick and then you'll wonder how you ever managed before!