Squat Form Check

[Joshua Tenpenny]

Hi! I am new to weight training. 37yo, 5’8” 165lb. I got a copy of Starting Strength last year, and spent a few months trying out the lifts at a gym. I’m just getting back into it now, working out in my own space. So I picked up a pile of free weights on craigslist and knocked together a light squat rack. I figure I’ll reward myself with real equipment when I exceed the capacity of this stuff, which would be a 175lb squat and a 220lb deadlift.

In the meanwhile, I would like to get a form check on my squat. This is my last 3x5 work set, with 110lb. I'd previously gotten up to 140lb, but that was with the bar a little higher.

Squat Video

1) In the video, I’m walking back a whole lot further than I usually do, so that my foot position would be clearly visible.
2) I noticed from the video that I often don't straighten my hip all the way at the top of the squat. I’m working on that.
3) My shoulders and upper back are really tight. It is improving, but I can’t get my wrists any straighter at this point.
4) Is the bar position okay? It is vastly more comfortable just a bit higher than this. Reviewing The Book (fig 2-19 for example) I'm not sure. The text says "just under the spine of the scapula" but from the diagram, it looks like that means just below the more prominent outer portion of the scapular spine, not below the entire length of that bony ridge all the way to the inner margin of the scapula. (I'm not sure if I am describing it clearly, so I drew a picture.) The text also says "it should feel as though the bar is resting on a 'shelf' under the traps and below the posterior deltoids." which leads me to think I should bring it back up a smidge, but that shelf comment may only apply to backs significantly less scrawny than mine.
squat-scapula-position.jpg

[Steve Hill]

1) Bar appears to be a bit low. About half an inch, maybe. This is always hard to tell with precision in a video unless shot close up.
2) Yes, you need to stand all the way up between reps.
3) Your wrists are fine. When you move the bar up a little bit, they'll be finer, and you should work on gettting your hands closer together. See Paul Horn's shoulder stretch video if you need to.
4) Most important: You have ZERO hip drive - you're leading out of the bottom with your chest. OUt f the bottom position, drive your HIPS up first. Think about KEEPING your chest pointed at the floor.
5) You need to widen your stance about 1-2"
6) and then get your knees out HARD.
7) While I'm talking about your knees, you see how about halfway down how your knees stop moving forward for an instant, then start moving forward again until they reach the bottom? Well, at that point that they stop the first time, DON'T LET THEM MOVE ANY FARTHER FORWARD, for the rest of the rep. Keep them there, and as you continue to descend, SIT BACK, and BEND OVER.

That's it for now.

[Joshua Tenpenny]

Thank you so much! I've adjusted my stance wider, and brought the bar a just a little higher.

I checked out Paul Horn's shoulder stretch video - I think that will help. Just doing the squats has been extremely good for opening my shoulders already.

The other cues will take some work, but I printed them out and put them on the wall in front of the rack.

I've been videoing myself and reviewing them between sets. It seems like I am keeping the knees from going forward, but next time I'll get a friend with a piece of wood to help me on that one. I am able to push the knees out, but kept forgetting when I was trying to get all the other things.

I'm not sure if I'm getting the hip drive any better.

Form Check - Squat on Vimeo

Is this better?

Thank you again!

[Steve Hill]

This is better, but you're not bending over. We're serious about this. Right from the start- BEND OVER. MORE. From the bottom, drive your hips up. I think getting your head down (you should be looking at the joint between the floor / wall, not looking at the wall) and KEEPING IT DOWN ON THE WAY UP will help with this. GET AND KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN.