Squat check

[zackpassman]

Here's last night's session. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-g_voceHbk

265x5x3 I am pretty frustrated with my inability to get this right. The gap between my squat and deadlift just keeps growing.

[Tom Campitelli]

Stop thinking about driving your shoulders up against the bar and lifting your chest. Instead, initiate the squat from the hips. Drive them up. Don't lift your chest. There's nothing wrong with deadlifting more than you squat. Your squat will catch up.

[zackpassman]

Alright. I redid 265 here again and really focused on a strong descent and then driving those hips up. In my (non-expert) opinion, these are probably the best 3 sets I've ever done. There still seems to be some slight knees forward in a few of the reps but overall not as much as before. Am I missing anything else?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYauv3ZGwk8

Thanks for the help, Tom. It's incredibly useful. Also, just caught the podcast you were on. Really appreciate all your time and help on this stuff.

[Tom Campitelli]

That is a significant improvement. Let your knees come forward a little more early. Then really focus on driving up with your hips. Good work. Glad you liked the podcast, too.

[zackpassman]

Hey Tom. I've been looking forward to tonight's lift to work on these points. I really thought about setting my knees in the right spot and then driving the hips hard from the bottom.

this was at 270 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDseR-luAKk

Do you think I should be adding weight while I continue to iron this out? How far off am I from a text book squat?

Thanks again for your help Tom.

[Tom Campitelli]

I would add another five pounds. Widen your stance slightly and drive your knees out harder in the beginning. Keep them out as you descend. Tighten all of your leg musculature, including your quads before you initiate the descent. Let's see if that cleans things up at the bottom.

Also, at the top, don't round your upper back. Think "chin down, chest up," even as you lean over.

I don't have a numerical value for how far you are from a correct squat. I do want to see your knee slide/bar path forward at the bottom get resolved.

[zackpassman]

Really trying to fix the chest up at the top which I'm not sure I sufficiently executed tonight. I'm still thinking most about setting my knee position early then driving them out on the way down and hips on the way up.

Anyway... are these good enough to continue up? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O7oIbeeGxo

By the way, sorry if this is a crappy angle. This is the only angle I can get really at this rack in my gym.

[Tom Campitelli]

Some of your reps look very good and some look quite bad. Third set was probably your best. Stay at 275 for your next workout and make up your mind to drive your ass up. Check out the bar position video. I cannot say for sure, but you may be carrying it too low.

[zackpassman]

My previous session was awful so I didnt bother posting them. These are tonights. First set seemed loose. Second set felt tighter but as I reviewed it I realizes I set my knees too early which is why I think my knees were sliding foreword. I tried to correct for this on the third set by setting my knees slightly later. Is that an accurate assessment?

http://youtu.be/sVI0y-l4Vpg

Thanks!!

[Tom Campitelli]

Last set was your best one. It had a little knee slide, but not as much. I agree with you.