Squat form check

[slhuckstead]

Yes, I know I am fat. Now that is over with, light squat, but first one show a bit of the issue those who watch me say I exhibit. Everyone says it looks more like a good morning than a low bar squat. I also think I am looking too low (the guy filming is old school, keeps telling me to look up and I ignore). Recovering from an injury in my back so my workout sets are only 350.

Here you go:

[Kelli Nielson]

The bar is a little high on your back. Push your hips back farther at the start.

[Brodie Butland]

So, a couple things I'm noticing here.

(1) The bar doesn't appear to be in the right position...needs to move down a little bit.

(2) There's not a lot of hip drive here because your back is too vertical. Point your chest at the floor, and do it early. (Fixing the bar position will help with this as well.) Then lead with the hips out of the hole...resist the urge to leg press the weight.

(3) Several of the reps appear to be high. More knees out.

[slhuckstead]

So, a couple things I'm noticing here.

(1) The bar doesn't appear to be in the right position...needs to move down a little bit.

(2) There's not a lot of hip drive here because your back is too vertical. Point your chest at the floor, and do it early. (Fixing the bar position will help with this as well.) Then lead with the hips out of the hole...resist the urge to leg press the weight.

(3) Several of the reps appear to be high. More knees out.

1. I saw that right away as well. Been doing this for a year and this is the first time I've had the gumption to post form check. Feels low enough, but feelings, as we know can't be trusted.

2. Question here, I feel like I am getting stuck at the bottom of the squat, what can I do to increase the power? Box squats? The guy filming me kept saying to get my back straighter, as he thought it looked like I was doing good mornings when I was doing my work-set at 350. I moved down to 225 just so I could concentrate on form, but it felt horrible.

3. I'll do that, I cue myself to go up when I feel the lower part of my hamstrings touch the upper part of my calves.

I used to loved squats, but I really hate them right now, partly cause I keep getting stuck, injured when I hit 400 lbs, and have to go down to much lighter weights to recover. I imagine that injury is due to form, but I keep getting conflicting advice on my form from fellow gym rats. Going to ignore them and just listen to you guys. We have quite a few very strong lifters, but man do they dislike SS.

[Brodie Butland]

2. Question here, I feel like I am getting stuck at the bottom of the squat, what can I do to increase the power? Box squats? The guy filming me kept saying to get my back straighter, as he thought it looked like I was doing good mornings when I was doing my work-set at 350. I moved down to 225 just so I could concentrate on form, but it felt horrible.

I don't see a problem with this video of you getting out of the bottom--in fact, you seem to get out of it quite easily (albeit not low enough)--so I'm not sure I can tell you much about this. Perhaps a video of you doing 320+ will show me a little more.

I used to loved squats, but I really hate them right now, partly cause I keep getting stuck, injured when I hit 400 lbs, and have to go down to much lighter weights to recover. I imagine that injury is due to form, but I keep getting conflicting advice on my form from fellow gym rats. Going to ignore them and just listen to you guys. We have quite a few very strong lifters, but man do they dislike SS.

This stuff is hard--if it weren't, everyone would be doing it. What I will say is that if you're going to do SS, you have to do it all the way--which I think is the realization you've come to. The SS model relies on hip drive and a more horizontal back angle to facilitate it. That's incompatible with "back straight" (which I assume means more vertical) or high-bar-esque squats.