Problems with squat with long femur, short trunk

[LondonTiger]

Hi Coach

Wondering if you could give me your comments on my back angle. It's starting to bug me because every time I squat people at the gym just stare, and I've had a few people even come up to me and tell me that appartly I'm leaning forward too much and putting my back at risk.

I know that I should expect these comments from an uneducated average gym-goer, but it's started to put some doubts in my head.

Here are two videos

1. 20kg naked bar

2. 112.5kg (a bit too heavy and dirty squat), but this is what my back angle is usually like during my work sets.

AFAIK, the issue with long femur and short trunk is only covered briefly in SS, I would like to know more about what is the ideal squat for my body type. Is there more info on programming?

[Mark Rippetoe]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with your back angle, but your depth is bad enough that I am embarrassed for you.

[elVarouza]

Anyone who thinks his/her back angle is too great really needs to go watch a video of Ed Coan squatting.

[Greg C]

Shoes, please.... no VFF slippers... good god

[Bif]

...long femur and short trunk...

Welcome to my world LT! I discovered on my own that a low-bar, leaning squat was best for my build, but instead of listening to myself, I allowed the weight training illuminati to influence my thinking.

For years I tried to make the high-bar oly squat work for me because I was "supposed to". Once I got to a substantial weight, I got jack-knifed. I always thought it was me not doing something right, so I'd drop weight and work back up to the jack-knifing level, to only get folded again. Well afer a few years along comes Mark Rippetoe videos on Youtube. He not only clearly demonstrated "my" style of squat, he advocated it! Liberation!

I think one of the most popular misconceptions re: the squat is the idea of a "straight" back. "Straight" means straight -- NOT vertical. People are put together differently and will look different when squatting. Many in gyms are under the impression that your back should look like a chair back when squatting; hence dispense their free advice to you. It took me a long time to understand the folly that is trying to force my body into positions that are not natural for it. I know that I will never look like Chakarov ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTQeilNzZRw ) when I squat, and am ok with it. I will just keep trying to get stronger in the style that's best for my proportions.

Take heart; our builds make for more efficient deadlifting. So, ignore the free advice and squat the way that Rip teaches; it's ideal for our proportions.

HTH,

~ bif ~

[LondonTiger]

Thanks for the reply coach..

I am embarassed too, and I will redeem myself by posting a 120kg squat with good depth.

Have a nice weekend!

[jep6095]

He should be embarrassed for himself about his choice of footwear.
jp