Squat Failure and Deadlift Check - Thanks!

[Matthew Jones]

Here's my deadlift:


Squat with failure:


Here are my thoughts:
1. I wasn't hitting depth, I've since reset to climb back up with proper depth.
2. My hips are driving back and up instead of just up...

Criticism appreciated!

[JamesCurtis]

You're right about the depth. You are getting knees in position early, everything looks good on the descent, but you're stopping short. A reset should do it, keep filming your sets, or get a training partner who knows what they're doing.
You're also right about the hips. As they come back, so do your knees, which should be staying forward. You are shifting your weight onto your heels, focus on keeping it over the midfoot. I can't tell from here, are those lifting shoes?

e- deadlifts look damn good. Looks like you can handle much more weight than that. Are you making 5 or 10 pound jumps?

[Matthew Jones]

Thanks for the reply. They aren't lifting shoes, I plan to purchase some very soon. Will those help my form?

I feel like my deadlift form is pretty good, good to hear a confirmation. I think I can handle a lot more weight, it's just that around 225 I started getting dizzy after my work set and it kind of freaked me out a bit. I paused at 225 for a couple weeks and have only been doing 5lb jumps since then. I now stand up slower which has helped prevent me getting dizzy.

[JSK]

Only thing I noticed on the deadlifts is that when putting the bar back down you break the knees too early and have to go around them. But the pull looks good.

[Matthew Jones]

ahhhh... yes that makes sense, I'm always wondering why I have trouble clearing my knees on the way down, thanks!

[JamesCurtis]

Exhale at lockout. I can't remember if Rip recommends or forbids this, but it will completely fix the dizziness. Obviously do so in such a way that you can still stay tight and lower the bar safely.

[Jsutt]

One minor critique on the deadlift is that your hips are moving a couple of inches up before the weight is breaking from the floor, which means they're starting a bit low.

[toonttm]

OK, guess who has been reading the book a lot (me), so I could be really wrong here.
On your squat your right shoulder is slightly obscuring the view of the bar, is that your tee or do you need to put the bar slightly lower?
Also, is your stance slightly wide? You might also want to drop the safeties by one pin?
I know that it distracted me and I dropped mine and got better depth. (on second look when you put it on the safeties your legs (to me) look like they are just touching 'proper' depth?)
Deads: And as mentioned by others, the bar path upwards is straight but on the way back down it deviates.

Shoes, got mine on the way so I am interested how they 'work'. From what I read you need to alter your technique a little initially, but once you use them you will always wish you had bought them earlier.

P.S. I like the idea of the board in front of the mirror, gotta try that.

[JamesCurtis]

I had my first session with my 2012 DoWins yesterday. Any minor form changes were made in warmup (I was squatting in Chucks previously). My hamstrings felt stretched and engaged way more than they ever have. I'll never squat without them again.

[Matthew Jones]

I think you're totally right, on my reset I've been using the pins one hole lower and it has helped. In the past I've hit the pins on the way down and so psychologically I might have been stopping early. I'm ordering shoes today for sure!