Reply With QuoteMake a conscious effort to arch your low back harder before you begin to descend. Use that deep breath before each rep to squeeze the chest up into your chin. Do those two things, and you've got it.
-Stacey
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Back Squats form check
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Make a conscious effort to arch your low back harder before you begin to descend. Use that deep breath before each rep to squeeze the chest up into your chin. Do those two things, and you've got it.
-Stacey
Member
"conscious effort" cannot be understated, coming from someone who assumed that unconscious effort was good enough for back extension. Sure enough, after making a big chest before each rep, coming out of the hole was much easier for me.Originally Posted by nisora33
Member
Sorry to nitpick here, but can you explain this a little more? How does the deep breath relate to the arched back?Make a conscious effort to arch your low back harder before you begin to descend. Use that deep breath before each rep to squeeze the chest up into your chin. Do those two things, and you've got it.
I know, I know, I really gotta get a video of myself instead of talking about this. But it seems that when I focus on arching my back hard, my descent and rebound get all fucked up. Maybe i'm doing something wrong with my breathing.
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Thank you for your swift reply and advise. It is good to hear that there are just two points to adress because I have been struggeling with the back squat technique for a longer time. Maybye I was too focused on opening up the groin and on pushing my knees out that I lost my upper body tension. I will try to implement your advise tommorrow.
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This is basic weightlifting mechanics, you shouldve read about this in any good basic weightllifting literature including starting strength which goes into a lot of detail and even has diagrams.
When you take and hold a big breath and lift your chest, this causes a rigid back extension.
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So I just got up from my chair and tested this. When I took a deep breath and squeezed my chest up into my chin, my low back automatically extended itself too. If this doesn't happen to you when you do it, then you may need to extend your low back consciously.
But the fact that your descent and rebound get fucked up when you extend your low back makes me wonder (although I can't say for sure without seeing video) whether you're one of those people who is capable of overextending his low back, which you don't want to do. Some people are capable of overextending their backs, some have to be yelled at just so that they achieve a remotely respectable degree of low back extension. And that's just the difference between people. I don't know where you fall along that continuum.
-Stacey
Member
Thanks pal. I'll play around with this tonight.So I just got up from my chair and tested this. When I took a deep breath and squeezed my chest up into my chin, my low back automatically extended itself too. If this doesn't happen to you when you do it, then you may need to extend your low back consciously.
But the fact that your descent and rebound get fucked up when you extend your low back makes me wonder (although I can't say for sure without seeing video) whether you're one of those people who is capable of overextending his low back, which you don't want to do. Some people are capable of overextending their backs, some have to be yelled at just so that they achieve a remotely respectable degree of low back extension. And that's just the difference between people. I don't know where you fall along that continuum.
-Stacey
Member
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAagtnTjacw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3iHGY9ooM4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAhJCfeL5Zo
I have used a wider stance and I have focused on keeping my back flexed. This slowed down the movement quite a bit.
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