Identifying Weaknesses

[stonkus]

Hello Rip,

Stats

BW: 225
Squat: 470x1, 380x5x3
Deadlift: 525x1, 415x5x1
Press: 185x1, 155x5x3
Bench: 315x1, 270x5x3

I'm still following SS, just deloaded all my lifts after stalling and will start increasing by 1.5#/workout. My form with regards to my squat is pretty bad but working on it, Justin from WFAC gave me some helpful hints/cues to work with. Also I realize my press strength is quite low relatively to my BW and hoping to improve upon that as well. I attended your barbell cert when you were with CF when you came to Oakville, Canada. I learned a lot, still have a long way to go with regards to my form but I gained some good insight to where to start.

Anyways my question is going a little bit more into intermediate/advanced programming. By viewing a persons movement how do you identify what muscular weaknesses are responsible for missed lifts, assuming their form is optimal. I have limited kinesiology/exercise science experience and was wondering if you had a couple pointers on indentifying the muscle groups. For example: a person struggles to drive out of the very bottom of the hole in a squat, or a person can pull a DL to their knees but can't lockout; what muscles are responsible? I realize there are a shit tonne of scenarios I was just wondering if you could give some insight into the most frequently encountered. My real problem is indentifying and fixing a person that has either weak hamstrings/quads/glutes with reference to the squat.
Once diagnosing the muscular weakness I realize the solution can be can be found with the assistance lift chapter in your books which I've read.

I used the search function, and couldn't find anything relevant. If the answer for most of the problems is simply where you are stuck at, train that partial movement, ie. press from pins or rack pulls for the deadlift then no need to respond. I can also see you saying read up on the functions of said muscles and derive from there identifying what the problem is, but just thought I'd ask anyways due to your experience.

Thanks

[Mark Rippetoe]

You want me to teach you biomechanics over the internet? Is this a reasonable request?

[jacob cloud]

Hello Rip,

Stats

BW: 225
Squat: 470x1, 380x5x3
Deadlift: 525x1, 415x5x1
Press: 185x1, 155x5x3
Bench: 315x1, 270x5x3

Just wanted to comment that you have exceptional 1RM abilities considering your working set weights. I only notice because I'm at a pretty similar strength level, but...well, for instance, my shit:

Squat: 507x1, 415x5,5,5
DL: 523x1, 455x1 (! this is the biggest difference)
OHP: 185 when I was doing 162.5x5,5,5
Bench: Let's not talk about my bench.

Anyway, back to your question. As a coach, it's usually fairly obvious when watching a lifter which part of the actual lift they have a problem with, based on form failures, bar speed, effort, mistake patterns, etc. I imagine this observation process is what led Rip to really analyze the lifts, eventually leading to the books. I mean, if a trainee's squat is stalling everytime they come out of the hole and crane their head up...just as an example. The easiest is probably DL. If the bar flies off the floor but the intermediate lifter can't lock it out, he needs rack pulls. Etc.

[stonkus]

any reference materials that you would outside the ones you mentioned in the thread reagarding what books you would recommend? otherwise, nope.

[Mark Rippetoe]

This shit is merely applied anatomy. To that end, learn muscular and skeletal anatomy. Netter is good for this, and Grey's is useful as well.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Like Rip said, most of this shit is just basic anatomy and if you watch enough people lift you'll start to understand that some body types are better at some lifts than others.

At a quick glance of your numbers (assuming no fatal technique errors) I'd say you have fairly long arms, leading to a good DL and a shitty Press.

[stonkus]

Thanks, I'll look into those reference materials.