Squat form check

[pantsaregood]

I've had serious trouble with Squats. I can't get the form right, and I kept stalling in the 165-175 lb range. I'm 6'0", 175 lbs, and I've been squatting three times per week for about six months now. I can't seem to push through. I recently learned that I was "sitting down" instead of "sitting back," which apparently takes hamstrings out of the lift. After attempting to sit back, I realized my hamstrings were really tight, so I had to undergo a massive deload.

Old Squats:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUWl8R5z8D4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aOWZNOE70o

Squats exaggerating sitting back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNTNY2usw54
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpfz5ASmGgU

Recent, after deload:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu-CMWH0l8Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29IgIYL7_Sk

I don't know what's right, if anything. Also, squats are always really stressful on my lower back. Even at 100 lbs, my back was exhausted.

[mcsquared]

Whats your diet like? Do you have any flexibility issues? Your back could stand to be a little tighter for the whole lift. Bring those elbows up and back more so that your back is tighter.

Just kinda hard to believe that your lift has been stuck like this for so long...

[Nauticus]

About the stalling: diet is suspect here. If you've been lifting for 6 months and weigh that little, then you're simply not eating enough. In Rip's latest article, he talks about a novice who gained 55 pounds in 11 weeks (2 and a half months). How many calories/grams of protein are you consuming per day?

The form: You've got the right idea to "sit back", but it is too exaggerated. The cue to sit back is useful for people who think squatting should be done with an upright torso. Your old squat videos actually look better than your recent ones, I think.

[pantsaregood]

I'm taking in around 4000 calories on the average day. Most of my calories come from lean meats, with the rest from fruits, vegetables, and milk.

As for flexibility issues, I noted that I have tight hamstrings. I've been working on stretching them.

Of the videos posted, which form appears "best," if any?

Also, I have gained about 15 pounds while lifting. My other lifts have stalled a few times, but not to the extent my squats have. I successfully completed 5x5 110 lbs on Press, 5x5 145 lbs on Bench, and 1x5 225 lbs Deadlift.

[Nauticus]

I'm taking in around 4000 calories on the average day. Most of my calories come from lean meats, with the rest from fruits, vegetables, and milk.

As for flexibility issues, I noted that I have tight hamstrings. I've been working on stretching them.

Of the videos posted, which form appears "best," if any?

Also, I have gained about 15 pounds while lifting. My other lifts have stalled a few times, but not to the extent my squats have. I successfully completed 5x5 110 lbs on Press, 5x5 145 lbs on Bench, and 1x5 225 lbs Deadlift.

If you're not gaining weight every week, then 4000 calories isn't enough. How much milk are you drinking daily?

I don't think you're inflexible. Doing weighted squats quickly stretches them out, and you look to be reaching an adequate depth.

The first two videos look pretty good, actually.

[Raskolnikov]

The "old squats" are better than the rest. And if 4000 calories is what your are eating, then apparently that ain't enough. An arbitrary number isn't what you should be aiming at; eating enough to make progress and grow is the goal, whatever it takes calories wise.

(edit: sorry for basically parroting everything you said, nauticus)

[pantsaregood]

I am gaining weight, just slowly. I'll try to eat and rest more.

On the note of "old squats" being best, a lot of people have mentioned that I have terrible lower back rounding in those. Does anyone notice that? Does it not matter that in those "old squats" I didn't feel a stretch in my hamstrings?

[Raskolnikov]

terrible? Not in my opinion. Maybe you could be a tad tighter, but it's not terrible.

[Nauticus]

I am gaining weight, just slowly. I'll try to eat and rest more.

On the note of "old squats" being best, a lot of people have mentioned that I have terrible lower back rounding in those. Does anyone notice that? Does it not matter that in those "old squats" I didn't feel a stretch in my hamstrings?

Aim for 5 pounds a week. Actually, you ought to aim a bit higher, because we often fall short of where we aim.

The lower back rounding isn't "terrible", but it's also bad enough to be worried about at heavier weights. If you're not familiar with the feeling of a "tight" lower back, there are exercises that can make you familiar with it such as laying on your tummy while raising your legs and arms into the air. A common fix is simply shoving your knees out hard throughout the lift.

The stretch feeling in your hamstrings really isn't palpable. It won't be nearly as noticeable as it was in the newest squat videos. It doesn't need to be, though.

[pantsaregood]

Thanks guys. I started sitting back to such an extreme degree because I was getting attacked by the form police. I guess I just need to work on keeping my back tight.