Reply With QuoteThat's your body's way of telling you that it desperately wants to do a low bar squat.Originally Posted by El Rojo
Did you learn low bar first, is that why you're asking on this forum?
Member
300lb high bar squat form check
Hi everyone,
My hips shoot up out of the bottom of the high bar squat and I don't know if thats a big deal. I actually feel strongest this way and inevitably resort to this when weights get heavier, as you can watch in the last warmup set which I included in the video (I try to come back up upright but resort to some degree of forward lean/hip drive). Lifts are done beltless at @180lb.
Any input will be highly appreciated.
Member
That's your body's way of telling you that it desperately wants to do a low bar squat.
Did you learn low bar first, is that why you're asking on this forum?
Member
This has nothing to do with my question.
Maybe someone can shed some light on whether I can improve my technique?
Member
wlangstroth's actually pretty much right. You're resorting to hip drive because the weight is heavy enough that you have to. If you want to maintain a more vertical torso (in the pursuit of "doing quads" or whatever your goal is), you'll have to take some weight off the bar. If you don't choose to do that, and you actually want to continue adding weight to the bar, you could embrace hip drive and move the bar into a position where you can take even greater advantage of it. Like somewhere just below the spines of your scapulae.
Member
Honestly, I thought you would get the joke. It's the Starting Strength forum. You were doing a high-bar-low-bar thing ...
Member
@wlangstroth Gotchu but I don't have time for that.
Thanks Adam. I thought a high bar squat was a difficult thing to screw up lol.
Member
You should pay attention to Adam Skillin. It's the same comment I would have made.
Member
In the absence of wanting to use your posterior chain... the only other option I know of is More Quads™.
On the subject of not having time for membership responses in a free forum on a question about a lift variation not endorsed by the model or the community...
...pay for a fucking Olympic lifting coach.
Member
@David A. Rowe, not only I do value my own time, I also value yours. I couldn't care less for internet drama, specially with so many people out there willing to help like Adam.
Ok so today I've tried the low bar for my volume day. You were 100% right, I was born to low bar squat, I'm in love with it now. The bar was weightless on my back, the movement felt so natural to me, it was embarrasingly easy (last weeks volume squats were like an RPE @8,5, todays I rate them as @7,5), I was recovered for the next set in only two fucking minutes. But nonetheless bar speed was so grindy, I don't understand why.
So what should I improve in my low bar squat?
More in the programming side of things, would you go for the programmed PR in my intensity day? Or reset a little bit to get used to the new technique?
Thank you!
Member
The bar is too high on your back. Your back angle doesn't change at all. All of the usual issues (forward knee travel, loss of tension in the hamstrings, hips moving to the rear on ascent, etc.) are present and need to be corrected. It's still a high-bar squat with some hip drive. Judging by lack of change in the perceived visual length of your upper leg (foreshortening) your toes aren't pointed out enough, but that would require a different angle (rear 45 degree) on the video to confirm. Your chest (thoracic cavity) is slightly collapsed, but it's not worth addressing until you get the bar in the correct position from a correct setup before unracking.
Also, I think for your perceived age and weight (assuming no weird diseases/disorders), you should probably be on a Novice Linear Progression and try to put on another 10-15 lbs.
Just curious... have you read either Starting Strength 3rd Ed. or Practical Programming? If you haven't you won't find many willing to help you given that absolutely all of these topics (besides foreshortening) are covered.
Posting Permissions