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Thread: DL and Squat Form Check

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
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    Default DL and Squat Form Check

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    Hi guys,

    This is somewhat of a repost from my post on the training section of the forum. Members there recommended I post this here to hear the SS coaches opinions. Thanks in advance for your time guys.

    Back story:
    I saw my chiropractor recently who got some x-rays done on my spine and they identified some compression in my mid-back area. I had noticed a little bit of pain surrounding deadlift and sometimes squat days in that area the last month or two, but not enough to really bother me so I didn't think much of it.

    However, based on those results I had a friend take a closer look at my deadlift and squat form and have identified some possible issues.

    These are just my observations, but I am a novice as far as this is concerned and would appreciate hearing some professional advice J

    Squat video:
    I noticed some some anterior pelvic tilt in the squat when driving out of the hole, can anyone else confirm this and also identify any issues and what I can do to resolve them?

    http://youtu.be/LCcGyYc-DTI


    Deadlift video:

    I think due to good flexibility I’ve actually been over-extending my spine when setting up my chest for the deadlift. When I concentrate on this closely, I can actually feel those vertebraes come together and a slight bit of pain there when I extend my back when pulling my chest upwards.

    Video 1: (My old form with possible hyper extension and head up)
    http://youtu.be/sxFsCxb388o

    Video 2: (Me trying not to hyper extend so much, whilst trying to force my head down. But I’m a bit nervous about doing this as it looks like it caused my back angle to round?
    http://youtu.be/qcpGRCANHW8

    Unfortunately this has affected my confidence in these 2 main lifts and I don’t feel confident to progress with poundage until I know I’m not doing myself any damage.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    10,378

    Default

    For the squat, you envision a largely vertical back angle. You further exaggerate this by overextending your spine and cranking your chest up until it almost vertical. Crunch down with your abs hard as you ascend. Learn to drive your hips up, not lift your chest out of the bottom. Watch the bar placement video on this site. I suspect you may be carrying the bar up too high. Keep your chin down a little more. Instead of looking six to eight feet ahead, look about three or four feet ahead. Buy yourself some weightlifting shoes, too.

    Your setup on the first video was more correct. Look 15 to 20 feet ahead of you, not straight ahead and not down as much as in the squat. Don't move the bar during the setup. You can overextend your spine right now, which isn't great. However, in the second video you are in flexion, you shoulders are way too far forward and you are loose when you pull and you jerk the bar off the ground. Read the sticky at the top of this forum on pulls from the floor. The first video, although it was shot from too low to be truly useful, resembles that a lot more. The deadlift doesn't feel good at the start. It shouldn't hurt your back, but you need to get tight and squeeze up hard. Putting on some muscular bodyweight will help here, too.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
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    8

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    Thanks for your input Tom. I attempted another deadlift and squat keeping in mind the advice given, could you please critique?

    Deadlift:

    http://youtu.be/ebcIjX1uIYw

    Squat:

    http://youtu.be/tczzS_mmxRQ

    Thanks in advance.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Atlanta area
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    4,909

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    My advice would be to honor our request posted last week about posting ONE LIFT per thread.

    Deadlift:
    Quit jerking the bar off the floor (1st rep)
    Squeeze up harder - you are losing extension on each pull. You need to back off 20# or so and get this right.
    Get some weight off your toes - the bar is swinging away from you. Keep the bar against your shins.
    Weightlifting shoes: get some.
    Food: eat some.
    Cameraperson: Shoot them or tell them to shoot from the angle they shot the last 3 reps at. Better yet, print out the "Suggestions for filming form check videos" post and staple it to their forehead. And when we say "Suggestions" we really mean "Demands." Note to self: I need to change the title of that thread. Also, and more importantly, read this post as well.

    Squat:
    These are pretty good but film a better video. I can't see some things I need to see in order to be able to castigate you. This is because I generally don't lay down on the floor when I'm on the platform with a person I'm coaching.
    Last edited by Steve Hill; 09-24-2013 at 09:39 AM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
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    Thanks for your time and recommendations guys. Apologies about the filming. I got a much better squat video today:

    http://youtu.be/WmzFmKCirGQ

    I have this strange pain down the inner part of my right leg near my groin (hip abductor?) when I squat like the above. I believe it used to happen on my old squat form until I switched to a more narrow stance, but I noticed Rip coaches the squat in the SS DVD at a pretty wide stance so I thought there was a good reason to stay wide. Can you offer any advice on what might be causing this?

    I don't know if this helps, but I have a scoliosis in my spine that causes one of my shoulders to be lower than the other, and also one of my legs is slightly longer than the other (revealed by a recent xray by my chiropractor).

    Thanks in advance!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Atlanta area
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    starting strength coach development program
    OK, I also don't stand on a chair in the gym, either. Read the filming a form check / posting to the technique threads in the technique forum, please.

    Stance looks a little narrow, toes are not turned out enough. Bar looks high on the shoulders (go watch the bar positioning video - it's pretty easy to follow along). All the squats look high, but that could be the angle / height the video is filmed from.

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