Any1 up to comment on my squats with pussy weights

[confuzzl3don3]

Ok hope you guys can check this out for me. This is from today's workout.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPeIaG2IKoQ
I did 85.5kg for first set (5 reps but 4th and 5th you can see lower back rounding badly :P), SO i dropped the weight to do 2 more sets with 78kg both for 5 reps. The thing is it's really strange....i workout at the uni gym and i can get those lifts even if its hard. I workout at my home gym, and i just can't seem to lift the same weight. My form dies on me....i just have no idea what's wrong. The only difference is i lift at home. At first i thought maybe it was the carpet throwing me off, so i slipped a plank of wood under me but that still didn't seem to work. Lost on why...
Anyways this is 2nd set for 78kg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoW6sIC61M8
Thanks again

[MAD9692]

The carpet and mat are definetly affecting your lifts. I would suggest not going so deep into the squats. Rip addresses this in the dvd.Oh and stop looking around so much. Other than that they did'nt look so bad. Just lift in the gym or someplace without a carpet.

[confuzzl3don3]

The carpet and mat are definetly affecting your lifts. I would suggest not going so deep into the squats. Rip addresses this in the dvd.Oh and stop looking around so much. Other than that they did'nt look so bad. Just lift in the gym or someplace without a carpet.

But i won't be able to have acess to the gym again until march next year. I put a board of wood on top of the carpet so it seems pretty firm now. And looking around so much?? I try looking down but when things get hard my head seems to want to lift up like in an attempt to help me get the weight up. I'll continue working on it. Also am i really going that deep? just looks a bit below parallel to me. Just 1 quick question as well, before you do each rep, do you squeeze everything tight including glutes, abs, etc. I think i tighten everything but not like extremely tight if u know what i mean. I have tension but ain't like squeezing the crap out of my glutes and abs and stuff

[Tom Campitelli]

I have a couple of comments. You are squatting on a piece of carpeting that has pictures of Pooh Bear and Tigger. This will immediately take 5 kg off of your squat. Aside from Pooh getting in your way, you can see how the carpeting is absorbing your force and shifting you around. Real lifting shoes on a solid surface will help as you can attest from being able to lift more at the university gym.

Your squats go a bit too deep for low bar, but aside from the rounding you already noticed, they are not that bad. When it gets difficult, you shift the weight on to your toes and things go down hill. Your knees don't slide forward at the bottom, but your excessive depth does seem to indicate that you need to tighten up the posterior chain a bit. Rip's constant suggestions to push your knees out and send the butt back may help.

My recommendations:

Eat more. You are underweight and putting on muscle will help everything.
Beware of Pooh and Tigger.
Squat on a hard, non-carpeted surface.
Sending your but back a little more may help keep your spine in extension.

[Tom Campitelli]

I have tension but ain't like squeezing the crap out of my glutes and abs and stuff

You need to take a really big breath in and use your diaphragm to push out your belly. Then tighten down really hard around that. This will help lock your spine and trunk in extension.

[confuzzl3don3]

I have a couple of comments. You are squatting on a piece of carpeting that has pictures of Pooh Bear and Tigger. This will immediately take 5 kg off of your squat. Aside from Pooh getting in your way, you can see how the carpeting is absorbing your force and shifting you around. Real lifting shoes on a solid surface will help as you can attest from being able to lift more at the university gym.

Your squats go a bit too deep for low bar, but aside from the rounding you already noticed, they are not that bad. When it gets difficult, you shift the weight on to your toes and things go down hill. Your knees don't slide forward at the bottom, but your excessive depth does seem to indicate that you need to tighten up the posterior chain a bit. Rip's constant suggestions to push your knees out and send the butt back may help.

My recommendations:

Eat more. You are underweight and putting on muscle will help everything.
Beware of Pooh and Tigger.
Squat on a hard, non-carpeted surface.
Sending your but back a little more may help keep your spine in extension.

Haha good eye for detail. Basically i got a piece of wood from my book shelf and chucked it on top of the carpet, then because i didn't want to get it dirty with my shoes i placed a bath mat on top of it. It's a really thin bath mat so i didn't think it would be a problem. Would it be better to squat without it, just on the wood?

And yeah i know i'm skinny (148lbs) working on that
And about sending my butt back more, i try but then it feels as if my back becomes more vertical (maybe because i'm just not leaning more forward to balance out the butt back). I'll try to work on it.

PS. im still mucking around with my stance width trying to find the best for me. Is the typical width just wider than shoulder, shoulder, or narrower?

You need to take a really big breath in and use your diaphragm to push out your belly. Then tighten down really hard around that. This will help lock your spine and trunk in extension.

I read that a lot but never seem to understand how to get air to push the belly out. When you take a deep breath in i always think of performing like a stomach vacuum.

[misspelledgeoff]

I think your technique looks pretty good.

in my opinion, the best thing for your squat is about a gallon of whole milk a day plus a lot of McDonalds. try it. i bet you'll love the results.

[confuzzl3don3]

I think your technique looks pretty good.

in my opinion, the best thing for your squat is about a gallon of whole milk a day plus a lot of McDonalds. try it. i bet you'll love the results.

thanks. i guess my question is what should my next move be from here? should i deload since my back is rounding under the weight on those 2 last reps? should i keep going again even if i've been stuck on that weight for like 2-3 sessions? i don't want to risk injuries seeing as ever since i've started squatting my knees have been complaining (not an acute pain, just an annoying strain/pain) and i don't want to risk a devastating injury. so what should i do

[coreJack]

You need to take a really big breath in and use your diaphragm to push out your belly. Then tighten down really hard around that. This will help lock your spine and trunk in extension.

Tom, I really like this cue. I'm going to try using it during my next session under the bar.

But i won't be able to have acess to the gym again until march next year. I put a board of wood on top of the carpet so it seems pretty firm now.

Just cut out the section of carpet inside the rack, and replace it when you're done squatting. Your parents will never figure it out.

[confuzzl3don3]

Tom, I really like this cue. I'm going to try using it during my next session under the bar.

Just cut out the section of carpet inside the rack, and replace it when you're done squatting. Your parents will never figure it out.

Lol my parents would kill me :P any other suggestions. I'd rather put something on the ground rather than destroy my carpet