Squat frustration

[Fullback33]

I can front squat just fine; no problem reaching depth. When I put the bar on my back, everything falls apart. I can't reach depth on a back squat. Why is it so much different?

I posted in another thread about how squatting regularly improves people's mobility. You told me to move my stance in and point my toes further out. I did both of those things and I still can't come up with anything resembling a properly executed back squat.

In the squat chapter you lay out a progression, starting with an unloaded squat and then at the bottom actively shoving my knees out with my elbows. I can do this, it hurts my hips, but I can do it. I feel like I benefit from having my arms in front of me, counterbalancing my tendency to fall backward when I squat down. Now when I put a bar on my back I can't achieve proper depth without relaxing my spine which is of course not cool when under load. When I maintain a rigid back and torso I can't hit depth by leaning forward and shoving my knees out. It's as if some invisible force HALTS my body, my knees will not move, my butt will not drop lower, I cannot lean forward any more. To get my butt to drop to proper depth I need to move my torso to be more upright, with a bar on my back this means I fall over backward.

I am a decent athlete, why is this configuration so difficult for my body to assume? Does this sound like anyone you have ever coached? I'm at my wits end.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Post a video of your back squat.

[Goatamon]

I've got something of a similar problem. I finally got myself into a proper strength and conditioning gym, the coach there filmed my squat and we went through it frame by frame, and her diagnosis was that my hamstrings were just so goddamn tight it wasn't even funny anymore. She noted that everything else was perfectly fine: bar path was straight and over the middle of the foot, knees were shoved out, I was able to easily control the position of my spine (by which I mean I know what my back is doing at any given moment), but the hamstrings were pulling my back into flexion. This even happened in high bar, even when I exaggerated the arch in my back, I couldn't physically stop the lumbar from flexing.

Not trying to hijack the thread, just suggesting that, for once, it could be a mobility issue. It could of course be technique as well, but I'm just throwin it out there.

[exter]

Don't back squat if you're an athlete. Back squats will tighten up your hips and your spunkamine levels will go through the floor.
Just my 2 cent.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I've got something of a similar problem. I finally got myself into a proper strength and conditioning gym, the coach there filmed my squat and we went through it frame by frame, and her diagnosis was that my hamstrings were just so goddamn tight it wasn't even funny anymore.

Her diagnosis was wrong. Have you read the part of the book that discusses this?

[Goatamon]

Her diagnosis was wrong. Have you read the part of the book that discusses this?

Re-read the section in SS3, and indeed it seems I wan't succeeding in the knee-out-shove as well as I thought I was. Still requires some work.

[Fullback33]

From today's session:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4qpF...ature=youtu.be

[David Lee]

if you can sit down on the toilet, I'm pretty sure you're 90% of the way to a full squat already. Flexibility most likely isn't your issue.

This is my standard response to people who say they "can't" squat.

[Mark Rippetoe]

From today's session:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4qpF...ature=youtu.be

The only thing wrong with this is the 135.

[JCavin]

Does not compute. This is a much better squat than most people who ask for form checks on here.