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Thread: Help my miserable Squat

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
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    Default Help my miserable Squat

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    Hi Coaches,

    Let me just start by saying thank you for keeping up on this forum. It's a great service and it's really appreciated. I started at 95lbs on the Squat and I've been progressing nicely, worked up to working sets of 165, and then the tendon that attaches my hip flexor, sits right on the right upper front of the pelvis, started to really bother me last week. Some forum searching points to it possibly being my knees going too far forward? TUBOW might help?

    Anyway, now I'm all out of sorts now, my back and chest collapse, the tendon bothers me, our pets heads are falling off!

    This is me, about two weeks ago, 155 I believe. I can see that my knees go too far foward. But at least these didn't hurt.
    http://youtu.be/qICyGh1GQck

    This was the next day, sorry for the lack of height but I wanted to get one from the back.
    http://youtu.be/iaTteaIjcf4

    And this, was from last night. I knocked it down to 135 and I was still in pain. I'm considering taking a week off from Squatting to see if it calms down. I couldn't even get up to the working sets last night. I know it's a technique issue, but will it go away if I just push trough it?
    http://youtu.be/pEKJ5PKQwU0

    Thank you in advance guys, I'm open to anything, I wish I could get a SS coach in the Minneapolis area as it'd be money well spent. But, since I can't this is my most feasible option today.

    Current working numbers:
    BP - 140 (Also shit, but that's lower on the priorities to fix)
    DL - 255(Still in overhand grip, progressing nicely)
    PC - 120(Just started, I have another video, but no GLARING deficiencies)
    Squat - Was at 165, had to deload with tendon issue
    OHP - 90 (Seems to be coming along nicely, felt good at this weight last night)

    Male - 26yo - 181lbs - 6' 1"

  2. #2
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    Apr 2010
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    You have two pairs of lifting shoes? Rad.

    Alright dude. First of all, deep breath. Relax. You'll be fine.

    Now, take your next squat workout off. You won't die, your hair won't fall out, and your muscles won't turn into skim milk. With the extra time you have, read this article: http://startingstrength.com/index.ph...2#.Ujn8HmTTUQU

    Your next workout after that, do the following when you squat:
    1. Big breath in, hold it, and set your back before descent.
    2. Knees out
    3. Knees out!
    4. KNEES OUT!!!
    5. Seriously, shove your knees out farther and harder than you think you need to.
    6. Drive up out of the hole using your hips, while keeping your chest up.

    Re-post another vid after you do this and tell us how it felt.

  3. #3
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    Jul 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Wolf View Post
    You have two pairs of lifting shoes? Rad.

    Alright dude. First of all, deep breath. Relax. You'll be fine.
    Thanks Coach! I will do all of those things and get back to you.

    In reference to the shoes, I was using a buddies until mine came in. The Adidas aren't as wide as the Do-Win's, but they're breaking in nicely.

  4. #4
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    I skipped my next squat session per your recommendation and stayed at 155.

    Set 1:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlpD3...ature=youtu.be

    Set 2:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siV_5...ature=youtu.be

    Set 3 (back view):
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIp70...ature=youtu.be

    Keeping my knees out appeared to be the ticket on the tendon issue. I currently have no pain there and it didn't bother me much during the above sets.

    Reaction: My knees keep wanting to come in, this was probably due to weakness, and it not being how I've been squatting. My chest and back really collapsed on the first set, that was a bad set. I think the weight came a little far forward on that one. My back appeared to be a little better on sets 2 and 3. Still far from perfect. Overall tightness has been a real issue of mine and I'm guessing that's what causes my poor squat. Considering my DL is close to 300lbs, my squat is lagging WAY behind and I'm pretty sure that's why. Would you recommend standing pat at this weight until I really dominate it?

    Thanks again for checking, looking forward to the new feedback.

  5. #5
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    Knees are better, but still need to be shoved out more/harder. Both to maintain the in-line relationship between femur and foot, as well as to prevent them from shooting forward at the bottom.

    As far as your back, yes, it's a problem. I wanted to see if you'd respond to the cue of big breath and set your back before each rep. But you didn't. I'm not sure you know how to set your back; well, actually, it's more like I'm pretty sure you don't know how to. And you need to learn. Watch this video and read the relevant sections in the book about it. Do the drills shown to give yourself awareness of what contracting those muscles feels like, then reproduce that in the standing position.

    We don't want you to produce an overextension before squatting, but you must be able to consciously contract your lumbar erectors in order to use them to maintain extension isometrically under a load that's trying to force your spine into flexion.

    Once you learn to use your trunk muscles to maintain a rigid column of force transfer between your hips and the bar, you'll need to find a weight at which you can keep that column rigid and start from there. It may be less than 155. You'll have to do it to find out.
    Last edited by Michael Wolf; 09-24-2013 at 09:48 PM.

  6. #6
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    Watched the video and did some of the things mentioned in there. You're right, I wasn't engaging them nearly as much as I had thought.

    I believe I was engaging the lumbar muscles to point before, as the last session, they were sore and pumped during a squat session, but during the below videos they really started yell. I knocked the weight down as well, I just think my lumbar muscles aren't used to it and clearly need some work before I move back up to where I was.

    Set 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWupn...ature=youtu.be
    *I apologize for the lighting, the gym had some sun coming in, I wasn't going to show this one but sadly I think it may be the best set. Rep 1 was high, but 2 and 3 I think looked at least OK.

    Set 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvkAl...ature=youtu.be
    * Rep 1 was high again, I felt like the knees were out a little better on these, but they still come in a touch on the way up despite me fighting it.

    Set 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cJcP...ature=youtu.be
    * Knocked the weight down even further(95, fuck I'm weak), not sure what I think about these, my back was really tired and my quads/adducters were really yanking my femurs in.

    Thanks again for the help Coach.

  7. #7
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    Your back is still squishy at the bottom of just about every rep. If you don't learn how to do this on your own, things could get ugly. Are you near any SS Coaches? Anyone who's passed the seminar should be able to have this looking a lot better in one session.

  8. #8
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    Sadly I'm not near any SS coaches or I'd already be at one. I did a little experiment today, and squatted barefoot, which was actually how I was doing it up to about 145, got the shoes and stalled at 160 with the hip thing. I know the company line is suitable lifting shoes, but my back seems markedly better and feels a lot more solid when I squat barefoot. I took some video but I won't be able to get it posted until Monday. Could my long ass tibiae cause my hamstrings to slack too much or something weird like that when squatting with a 1/2" heel?

  9. #9
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    starting strength coach development program
    I don't see why a 1/2 to 3/4" heel would be the cause of any of your issues.

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