Squat Form Check

[Jr_Geezer]

OK, finally got around to making a video of my squat work sets to get some idea of how I look. Geez, worse than I thought. Not quite enough depth, I think, looking down too much, knees a bit shaky, funny looking shorts. I blame the shoes. :-) Yes, I referee soccer so on deadlift days I wear my cool long socks with the plastic-liter-bottle-cut-in-half guards inside.

Three videos, one for each of my work sets. I tried to make some adjustments to depth and head position as I went on but not sure how successful I was. 285 is my PR, this is my second workout at this weight. I'm 53, 187 lbs, 5'10", been doing LP since August 2014 with increases slowing down quite a bit these days.

Any and all input greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! Hopefully the camera angle and field of view is at least somewhat useful.

1st set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pW9dyqNRxk
2nd set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ErBI9aQt0k
3rd set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie-FrwW204w

-Rob

[Michael Wolf]

Just looked at the first set here, Rob (http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=50394).

You do need a bit more depth, hard to say exactly how much from that video - but we're not talking half squats here, yours are close and just need to be a little deeper. The other thing for you to work on right away is getting your knee position set by the time you're about half way down. This will help keep your knees happy and also prevent the hamstrings from slacking distally at the bottom and losing tightness. To initiate the squat think "knees and hips together," then when you're about halfway down, it's just hips and lean over. Push knees out the whole time. Let's see how that goes for you.

[Jr_Geezer]

Michael,

Thanks for taking the time to look over my video. Interesting how you mention keeping our knees happy as my knees have starting complaining ever since I hit 280 on the squats a couple of weeks ago. This form issue is the likely cause.

I'm going to have to reread the squat chapter as I can't quite visualize your "just hips and lean over" advice. Sounds like a squatting good morning to me. How do I keep the knees from moving any more on the way down? In any case, I have something positive to work on now and I really appreciate your input.

-Rob

[Jr_Geezer]

Michael,

Looking at the the photos in the squat chapter, the biggest difference I see is that my shins should be much more vertical and my hip angle should be more closed. Is that the basic problem you're seeing as well? I think perhaps I need to think harder about pushing the knees out (along with the vertical shins). I'll deload and work on that. Any chance I have the bar too low (if that's even possible to tell from the video)?

-Rob

[Jr_Geezer]

Here's my attempt at improving my form a bit. My first two sets were at 285 and 260. Both were really ugly and uncomfortable so I went down to 245 to see if I could get any of it right. Not too happy with the results even at the lower weight. Depth is not good and it looks like the knees are still moving forward at the end and I couldn't feel any bounce at the bottom. The shins seem to be a bit more vertical so I guess that is a step in the right direction.

Here's the video: http://youtu.be/AbiUKQtAZ38.

Thanks for any input.

-Rob

[Michael Wolf]

Interesting how you mention keeping our knees happy as my knees have starting complaining ever since I hit 280 on the squats a couple of weeks ago. This form issue is the likely cause.

Might be. Let's see what happens as you clean it up.

I'm going to have to reread the squat chapter as I can't quite visualize your "just hips and lean over" advice. Sounds like a squatting good morning to me. How do I keep the knees from moving any more on the way down?

Read the TUBOW section of the book. I don't have it in front of me at the moment, but it's that idea. Avoiding knee slide but still getting to depth. A lot of people who don't really understand our squat model have the mistaken notion that it's a goodmorning or a "squatmorning." It's not. It's just more of a horizontal torso at the bottom than they think they should have.

Looking at the the photos in the squat chapter, the biggest difference I see is that my shins should be much more vertical and my hip angle should be more closed. Is that the basic problem you're seeing as well? I think perhaps I need to think harder about pushing the knees out (along with the vertical shins). I'll deload and work on that. Any chance I have the bar too low (if that's even possible to tell from the video)?

We don't coach a single correct back angle or shin angle for everyone, because those will vary by lifter's anthropometry, as is also discussed in the book somewhere. If you put the bar in the right place on your back and keep it over midfoot the entire time while getting your hip crease just below parallel with the top of your kneecap, the angles will sort themselves out. I can't say if you have the bar in the exact right spot from that vid. It's definitely in the right zone, but would need to see from directly behind to have a better shot at it. Sometimes even then, you can't tell from a video.

[Michael Wolf]

Here's my attempt at improving my form a bit. My first two sets were at 285 and 260. Both were really ugly and uncomfortable so I went down to 245 to see if I could get any of it right. Not too happy with the results even at the lower weight. Depth is not good and it looks like the knees are still moving forward at the end and I couldn't feel any bounce at the bottom. The shins seem to be a bit more vertical so I guess that is a step in the right direction.

Here's the video: http://youtu.be/AbiUKQtAZ38.

Thanks for any input.

-Rob

These are better; still need work, but better. Looks like they could still be a little deeper. Knees are improved, but not locked in yet. For reference, the first couple reps are better in terms of knees than the last couple.

[Jr_Geezer]

Michael,

Thanks for all the input; very useful stuff. I'm glad I saw the word "better" in your response so I know I'm at least heading in the right direction. The more horizontal torso position will take some getting used to and will require a deload before I'm completely comfortable with it.

Thanks again.

-Rob

[Michael Wolf]

The publication of this article is rather timely, then, isn't it? http://www.t-nation.com/training/squ...-deep-analysis

[Jr_Geezer]

I almost feel like I was the inspiration for the article.

-Rob