Squat Form Check

[Tygerqb12]

I wanted to get some opinions on my form. These are the three work sets of 265 from today (medium day on a heavy, light, medium routine). Set 1 is a 3/4 rear view, and sets 2, and 3 are a side view.

Set 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0PB1IX8Yh4#t=19s
Set 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgXJdY3xcOk#t=20s
Set 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu7VnVDEVKw#t=20s

Any and all comments are appreciated.

[veryhrm]

Generally ok... but some thoughts submitted for your consideration:

1) Your shins are quite vertical. You could let your knees go toward your toes by several inches. The target is a little bit in front of the toes. This would have you with a somewhat more vertical torso at the bottom which would be a bit easier on your erectors so you'd move more weight while still conforming to the parameters of the squat.

2) You have some knee slide at the bottom. Knees should get to their final position in the top 1/3rd of the movement and then stay there. This is especially noticeable on the last rep of each set. Your knees could go much further forward overall (as i mention above) but they should do it early, not late AND they should stay forward on the way up. A symmetric movement.

3) More hip drive. Push the hips straight up and keep doing it until you finish the rep. This is partly related to #2, but it also looks like about half way through the rep you move to emphasize rising the chest.

Also, the heavy sets would probably have been a better thing to look at.

[MEbigUsmall]

1 and 2 are good points. I need to work on those.

[Tygerqb12]

Thanks for the input. Would you mind taking a look at today's heavy sets? I appreciate the advice, and everything felt a lot tighter today with the changes. I think there is still some work to do, especially in regards to number 3, but would also appreciate any additional feedback.

Set 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_x6-__3Oio#t=20s
Set 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBUs3ATTZcI#t=38s
Set 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48SJVx7dbpc#t=45s

[Brodie Butland]

Better, but you're still losing a lot of hip drive out of the hole.

Pick a set, any set. Note how on nearly every rep you're doing one of two things: (1) allowing your chest to collapse, which forces the bar ahead of your mid-foot, so to compensate, you noticeably shoot your knees back--which in turn shortens the hamstrings and stalls your hip drive; or (2) instead of driving hips straight up, you drive them partially back, which shoots knees back, yadda yadda yadda.

I think you need to work on "chest up" and "drive hips up" more than anything right now, because it looks like you're doing a good job of keeping the bar in a vertical path downward until you hit the very bottom...then things go haywire.

Full disclosure: Not a SS certified coach.

[veryhrm]

Better, but you're still losing a lot of hip drive out of the hole.

Pick a set, any set. Note how on nearly every rep you're doing one of two things: (1) allowing your chest to collapse, which forces the bar ahead of your mid-foot, so to compensate, you noticeably shoot your knees back--which in turn shortens the hamstrings and stalls your hip drive; or (2) instead of driving hips straight up, you drive them partially back, which shoots knees back, yadda yadda yadda.

I think you need to work on "chest up" and "drive hips up" more than anything right now, because it looks like you're doing a good job of keeping the bar in a vertical path downward until you hit the very bottom...then things go haywire.

Full disclosure: Not a SS certified coach.

I disagree w/ the phrase "allowing chest to collapse" as that is what happens when you lose tightness in your upper back and your thoracic spine flexes. I don't see any of that here. It is true that on some reps the lifter's hips go up faster than the shoulders (which i assume is what you're referring to), but i think that would be OK if it weren't for the issue you identify as "(2)" which is the hips going back instead of up.

OP, imo, compared to the first batch you've addressed the "knee slide" on the downward part of the movement (when going down, the knees are correctly established forward earlier) but you still have to fix it on the upward movement (as just mentioned). The knees should follow the same path up as they did down.

AFAICT your knees are not overall more toward the toes than they were the previous time. To reiterate, you're making the squats harder on your back (and glutes) than you have to, if you had a short torso, you'd have to squat with that really flat back angle, but you don't so you don't. Don't think it's a safety issue per se. The way to fix that would be to work w/ TUBOW, which would also address the knee slide thing.

Also, filming one of the sets straight from the side like you did the first time would have been useful. Straight from the back can be good (best angle to see knees coming in, but it doesn't look like you have that problem ).

(i'm not a coach either; certified or otherwise)

[Brodie Butland]

I disagree w/ the phrase "allowing chest to collapse" as that is what happens when you lose tightness in your upper back and your thoracic spine flexes. I don't see any of that here. It is true that on some reps the lifter's hips go up faster than the shoulders (which i assume is what you're referring to), but i think that would be OK if it weren't for the issue you identify as "(2)" which is the hips going back instead of up.

Yes, that is what I meant...sorry for the bad shorthand OP. My concern with (1) is that you're allowing the back angle to become too horizontal when you hit bottom, [insert same causal string here]. This is separate from driving the hips back (2), though the two are closely related. At least in my view, on a few occasions you maintain back angle well, but push your hips back when you begin the ascent (e.g. first couple reps of first and third sets); other times, your back angle crashes when you hit bottom, and then everything shoots back to compensate (most other reps).

Again, sorry for the need to clarify. Sometimes I get a little sloppy in my language late at night...and unfortunately I don't even have a good story for it this time...

[Tygerqb12]

I see what you are saying. I'll deload and get the TUBOW out, and work on not only touching the block, but maintaining contact throughout the bottom half (on the way down and up) of the squat. I'll start with the heaviest weight I can do, while still maintaining this standard and progress from there. If you don't mind, I'll work on my form for a while, and post an update in a few weeks.

Thanks again for the comments.

[Tygerqb12]

Here is today's worksets at 3x5x280. The first two sets are 45 degree rear angle and the third set is a side view.

Set 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz-sMBsq2M4#t=34s
Set 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w6ZlQkemcA#t=34s
Set 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri4n5WOLVxI#t=45s

I think I've made some improvement in holding my knees in place and not allowing my chest to fall forward/hips shoot back, but it looks like I'm still really fighting that reaction on some reps. What do you guys think? Are these acceptable and should I keep adding weight, or do I still need to work on form some more at lower weights?

[Tygerqb12]

I set a PR today at 3x5x305 and wanted to get some opinions on how my form is holding up.

Set 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCKsnp46Y7Q#t=45s
Set 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQyztquiyK43#t=30s

I've been really fighting the urge to let me hips and knees shoot back when the reps get tough, but it still is there (albeit less pronounced than before). The last set I really focused on the "up" cue off the bounce, and am looking for opinions on my depth. I also see a little forward knee slide at the bottom, which makes me think I still haven't truly learned to bounce off my hamstrings.

Any and all feedback is appreciated.