Please Check my form, Worried about low back injury.

[tfeal]

I got a major injury to my lower back a few months ago while doing an ab wheel roll out, which caused me to embark upon the SS journey which I have been on for about a month.
I started at 110lbs but I got a twinge at about 150lbs and reset back to 110lbs and trying to work my way back up but I am not particularly happy about my form. I think it is slowly getting better but I could do with a few pointers.
My deadlift seems to be progressing ok and is currently at 240lbs.
Thanks.


http://youtu.be/HwUWFRAySbQ

[Jonathon Sullivan]

These are high-bar squats at inadequate depth. I believe I detect some knee slide at the bottom, and your hip drive is wanting. These things all Go Together.

I see no clear and present danger for an uninjured back here (your lumbar extension is okay, with an acceptable amount of wink in the hole), but this is not an SS-model LBBS yet. Fix your bar position, and instead of driving your knees forward, think knees out, butt back.

[tfeal]

Thanks Jonathon. That makes a lot of sense to me, I have reviewed the book and the video of Rip describing the correct bar position so now I think I understand the correct position after making all the classic positioning mistakes, ie too high, too low. Plus I am now familiar with my scapular spine.
I am due another session tomorrow so hopefully I can implement your advice.
Cheers

[Hollis]

I see these offenses: Bars too high. Supporting weight with your wrists. Not full depth. Fix one and two, get some shoes, and you'll be there.

[tfeal]

Well this is my latest attempt. http://youtu.be/AeVKdxCxv0Y
I used the cues of knees out, butt back and I am pretty sure that the bar is now in the right position on my back, but I can see that my wrists still need repositioning and my depth is still wanting.
I am working my hamstring and hip flexibility with some stretches to try to fix this.
Two questions.
First, is there anything else to be aware of ?
Second, should I continue to add weight until I get this fixed or reset ?
I am only on 120lbs at the moment and only increasing by 5lb.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

These barely qualify as half-squats. Sorry.

There are a number of things going on here. You're looking for the bottom with your butt, and the eccentric component of your movement seems way too slow. Your gaze position appears to be on the horizon when it should be at a point 6-12 feet in front of you (remember, as if you're holding a tennis ball between your chin and chest). There's no hip drive out of the hole, which is not surprising, since you haven't actually engaged your hamstrings or the posterior chain to any degree. Lumbar position looks fine, but then you haven't challenged your lumbar erectors because you haven't gone to depth.

I suspect there may be a component of trying to protect your lower back here, consciously or otherwise.

Please post a video, from the same angle you've been showing us, of you performing an empty squat with your elbows pushing out your knees, as in the squat teaching progression:



(About 35 seconds in).

Just show me that. I have my reasons.

[tfeal]

http://youtu.be/rQBKlGplsAE

I can see that was pretty bad. I think you are right about being conscious of my back.
So 2 days later here is some squats without the bar and secondly the last set of the day at 132 lbs (60kg).
It did feel a bit deeper than before.
I have tried to look down. I have tried to engage the hip drive more.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

You will observe that those were also high, among other problems.

They also weren't what I asked you for. I don't want to see you do a bunch of bouncy squats without the bar. I want to see you get into the bottom position, with your hips below your knees, and your elbows driving out your knees, and stay there for a few seconds. Then drive your ass up--we call that hip drive--and stand up. Repeat once or twice.

Just like in the book and the DVD. Now please do that and post the damn video. Because if your body doesn't even know the proper position at the bottom for squatting without the bar, it's not going to work under a load.

We teach the squat (and all the other lifts) according to a specific teaching progression for a reason.

[tfeal]

http://youtu.be/AYW52iAPHa4

OK here is another video as originally requested in the bottom position a couple of times with a hip drive at the end.

Hope this a bit better.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

Thank you.

And in that bottom position you are (barely) at the proper depth, and your diagnostic angles are more-or-less correct. This is the depth and these are the angles you should have when the bar is on your back.

Now, add the empty bar, and squat to depth, with those angles. Record. Post. We'll wait.

Postscript: I think you need a slightly wider stance. You're not quite at shoulder-width.