What am I doing wrong!?

[MattJ.D.]

Four videos here all squats, trying to understand why I keep losing extension at bottom of squat.

Is it because my hamstrings are weak, inflexible, both? After reading squat chapter I'm to trying shove knees out ass back keep lumbar extension but it just doesn't want to happen (the lumbar extension).

(Video that made me spend a session trying to figure what I'm doing wrong)


then these are from today

[Mark Rippetoe]

You are trying to keep your chest/upper back too vertical. When you get tired at the end of the set, your enable to hold it there and you see your back angle go horizontal as you drive your hips. You feel this, and you try to re-lift the chest, slowing you down on the way up.

[MattJ.D.]

Not to sound stupid but how would I go about to stop myself from trying to keep my chest/upperback too vertical. I read your response and im just not exactly sure how to do that

[Mark Rippetoe]

Sit back, lean over, shove your knees out, and drive your hips up without worrying about your chest.

[hopsluvr]

That mirror is a form-killer. Best thing I ever did was get rid of the mirror that I thought was helpful.

[Ian Kovtunovich]

Also, you are like a mile out of the squat rack, which means you probably are unracking the bar, walking it out, THEN taking your breath and setting your back, and then squatting. BUT, you are also taking a few breaths between reps. None of this is going to do good things for your squats. Try instead getting under the bar, getting your feet set at the right width, settling in, taking a nice big breath and locking everything down, unracking the bar, taking two steps back, and firing off your first rep. When you stand that one up, take a little sip of air if you need it (Rip covers breathing and the Valsalva maneuver in the book, which, since you have the shoes and a belt and are on this board, you must have), and repeating for the rest of the reps. As not-the-best-squatter-in-the-world, believe me when I tell you that this is helpful. Much easier to keep your form solid through the set, especially when you start out with everything set well.

[Rezart Erindi]

When you stand that one up, take a little sip of air if you need it

This is wrong. It's imperative to be tight during the squat, but you've got to breathe between reps. I don't think anybody can do a heavy squat on a single breath or by just sipping a "little" air if they need it. You need to breathe deep between reps, but apply the Valsalva maneuver during the reps.