Squat Coaching Help with Inflexible Trainee

[Colm OReilly]

Hi Rip,

I've a client who's extremely inflexible. He almost failed his army cadetship as a result of only barely making zero on the sit and reach test described here.

I've prescribed the hamstring stretches advocated by Kelly Starrett in the CFJ July 07 in addition to having him squat as deep as he can while he's with me.

Could you take a look at these videos and see if I'm missing any cue(s) which might augment his progress with the squat?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhusMdGkyh0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMhSJ23sG9g

He's been squatting for about 6 weeks with me 2x/week and has made some progress but appears to have stalled in the last two weeks at this depth.

Thanks for your help,
Colm

[Mark Rippetoe]

Looks to me like you need to widen his stance about 4 inches, make sure his toes are pointed out enough, make sure his knees track with his feet, and tell him to "reach back and down" with his butt. The stance in the video appears to be the main problem, but he needs to know what to do with his butt to actually get his hips deep.

[jshreck]

I agree with Rip, I would also work with him on Front Squats, he has a very forward lean with trying to reach depth. Flexibility maybe a factor but the front squatting my help a lot with his form.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I disagree, because front squats do not stretch the hamstrings at all.