Excessive Forward Lean On Squat

[Adam Stevenson]

I have this posted down in the technique forum, but it's getting zero love. One more shot to get some input.

I've been having some right adductor pain in the hole, so I've been working on form again - Any input would be appreciated.

DISCLAIMER

I apologize in advance for the audio in the clips - The most efficient way for me to get these uploaded was straight from my phone, so there's some loud background music and some to-and-fro the camera action. Videos may be blocked in some countries due to copyright issues with the music.

3 sets at 135.

Set 1 -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilyjGrpKw_0

Set 2 -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bORoxKTaEk

Set 3 -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfnvywMlSAU

My head position is off, but the main problem I see is that I start leaning too far forward about halfway down, and the bar travels forward of mid-foot. If I don't lean forward, I will (and have) fall backwards. Maybe this will fix itself as the weight gets heavier? I'm not sure I can keep my chest "up" any more, but maybe that's my problem? Additionally, I don't think I'm going deep enough, but I wind up leaning even farther forward to achieve greater depth.

[Tom Campitelli]

Another thread from the backlog. Never let it be said that I didn't care.

A low bar squat is not done with a vertical back. You are trying to keep your chest vertical through overextension of the lumbar spine. Embrace the forward lean. Widen your stance, keep your spine more neutral, lean over, and be balanced. All will be well. This will help to get you proper depth, too.

[Adam Stevenson]

Another thread from the backlog. Never let it be said that I didn't care.

A low bar squat is not done with a vertical back. You are trying to keep your chest vertical through overextension of the lumbar spine. Embrace the forward lean. Widen your stance, keep your spine more neutral, lean over, and be balanced. All will be well. This will help to get you proper depth, too.

Now I feel like a bit of a douche - I made a comment about being ignored down in the technique forum, although it wasn't specifically directed at the coaches Q&A.

I understand the lean forward thing, but when I lean forward, I lean forward and the bar goes in front of mid-foot.... I cannot for the life of me maintain a vertical bar path. That slot above mid-foot thing? I hit a snag halfway down, and have to go around it. At first I thought it was a hamstring flexibility problem, then I thought maybe my knees needed to go a little farther forward. Now I'm probably overthinking it.

I appreciate the reply, Tom.

[Tom Campitelli]

This is a problem you can solve. If you lean over, you will need to send your butt back the appropriate amount to keep the bar over the mid foot. Otherwise, you start doing more of a good morning. Hamstring mobility is unlikely to be your problem. Keeping the knees in the right place (out, with femurs in line with the out-turned feet, and slightly in front of the toes - depending on segment length) and sending the hips back will keep you in balance. Overextending the spine will earn you a painful injury at some point.

[Adam Stevenson]

Thanks again, Tom. I need to squat with a narrower squat for awhile, at least until my hip pain goes away, but I'll work on what I can in the meantime.

While I'm at it, any advice for squatting with a narrower, toes-pointed-forward stance until a hip heals? Do all the other hallmarks of a lbbs apply? I don't think I can reach proper depth in this situation, but I don't know if I have a choice right now.

This is a problem you can solve. If you lean over, you will need to send your butt back the appropriate amount to keep the bar over the mid foot. Otherwise, you start doing more of a good morning. Hamstring mobility is unlikely to be your problem. Keeping the knees in the right place (out, with femurs in line with the out-turned feet, and slightly in front of the toes - depending on segment length) and sending the hips back will keep you in balance. Overextending the spine will earn you a painful injury at some point.

[Tom Campitelli]

Is it your hip that is hurting (as in where the rectus femoris originates), or your adductor that is hurting?

[Adam Stevenson]

My bad. I’m throwing around “hip pain” like it’s a specific term. The pain seems to be where the psoas or iliac attach to the femur. I think... I know jackity-shit about anatomy.

Interestingly enough, last night’s sets were the most pain-free I’ve had in weeks. Call me crazy, but I think you’re on to something with that “sit back” thing. You should inform Rip right away, and it should definitely be in the 4th edition of SSBBT.

Sets 1 and 2 (3rd set didn’t turn out so well quality-wise).

http://youtu.be/Ahb6L-SaxVo

http://youtu.be/G00Q0_MfRnQ

- I made a conscious effort to keep my head down more, although it doesn’t look that way in the videos.

- I also tried not to extend my thoracic spine as much, although again, it doesn’t look that way to me.

- Pain level last night afforded me a slightly wider stance than Tuesday’s sets, but not quite as wide as I’d like.

- Bar path is still sucks, but looks better to me than my last videos.

[Tom Campitelli]

The psoas inserts on the lesser trochanter of the femur, which may or may not be where you are actually hurting. You might not actually describe that location as the "hip," either. Methinks you need to describe where it hurts better. The Internet can help you with this.

You are still trying to keep your chest perfectly vertical. This changes, as it must, as you descend. Based on your anthropometry, you will probably be more upright than some, but the back angle change you experience in the middle of the squat is fucking you up. You are going to need to find a way to keep the bar over your midfoot while not arching the hell out of your back like you are currently doing. Crunch down with your abs and make your spine more neutral at the top. I am not lying to you. Try it.

[Tom Lang]

This sounds all-too familiar. I have similar problem, with a related knees-sliding-forward problem. In this thread downstairs, Spar has been helping me out with both the lean and knees problem. Using TUBOW. Tom C, would TUBOW use help the OP out here?

[Tom Campitelli]

I'm not sure that the block of wood would (ha!) be the answer here.