wtf is up with my squat?? [squat asymmetry]

[rjharris]

Hi guys,

Relevant details: 29 y/o male, been doing SS for a couple months cumulatively (took breaks of a couple of weeks due to work / working on form issues / etc.)

work sets:
S : 235
OP: 105
BP:140
DL: 280

As detailed in my log, I had been dealing with a squat asymmetry of undetermined (to me) origin. I thought I had defeated it, but, alas, it is back. Here are videos of two sets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzmqaFe8BSA


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omdt3O0u7E4

As should basically be clear to everyone, there's a noticable squat asymmetry, in that the left half of my ass basically gets lower than my right half of my ass. There is some knee wobble, but is it enough to account for this? I note that I have a film at 105 (decided to test it out on my press) and the asymmetry is still there...

Thanks for any help. This is really quite aggravating to me.

[Gunnhild Bruno]

As detailed in my log, I had been dealing with a squat asymmetry of undetermined (to me) origin. I thought I had defeated it, but, alas, it is back.

As I was saying to Chickma2 in another thread, this often isn't the kind of thing that just goes away magically when you fix it.

It's something you need to stay on top of and monitor, at least for several months, sometimes years, sometimes forever.

If you've ruled out structural reasons for this, then I would advise you, since you've only been squatting for a few months, to not be satisfied with feeling like you've fixed it. Find a coach or a buddy who knows what s/he is doing to watch you squat regularly and alert you when you slip back into bad habits. If you can't find someone qualified to help you, video your squats for at least six months straight to make sure you're keeping straight. If you start to slip, fix it.

[Mr_Rogers]

Have you ruled out structural issues? I was able to set PRs with squat asymmetry and not really know it. It was also missed by coaches so it wasn't something that was super obvious or they just weren't looking for it. I'd basically shift to my left side in the hole. I went to a chiropractor and it turned out I had a LLD caused by my hips. My left hip was tilted forward and my right hip was tilted backwards. I've had a series of adjustments, but things are gradually improving. Best of all my squat hasn't really been impacted, if anything the fact that I lift weights has helped the adjustments hold.

[rjharris]

If you've ruled out structural reasons for this, then I would advise you, since you've only been squatting for a few months, to not be satisfied with feeling like you've fixed it. Find a coach or a buddy who knows what s/he is doing to watch you squat regularly and alert you when you slip back into bad habits. If you can't find someone qualified to help you, video your squats for at least six months straight to make sure you're keeping straight. If you start to slip, fix it.

I actually have not ruled out structural reasons. The reason why I did some reps with my pressing weight was to see if the asymmetry is an artifact of me not having the requisite strength to shove my knees out symmetrically at the higher weight. I didn't upload the video, but it seems to show the same thing: left side gets deeper than right in the hole, and the knees look properly shoved out (to me).

I *think* that the squats I posted look somewhat similar to the ones posted in this thread:

http://startingstrength.com/resource...t=38237&page=2, particularly post 15 (though the video isn't perhaps the best) where Steve Hill recommended a shim under the right leg. I won't have time to go get my legs measured until after I squat again, so I may just try a couple of shims to see.

Thanks for the advice.

[Gunnhild Bruno]

I actually have not ruled out structural reasons.

Then, yeah, you should do that. It's really hard to tell these things on video unless the problem is very obvious, and in that case, you would most likely not need our help to figure out what the problem is.

[rjharris]

Then, yeah, you should do that. It's really hard to tell these things on video unless the problem is very obvious, and in that case, you would most likely not need our help to figure out what the problem is.

Okay, will do this ASAP. Thanks.

[rjharris]

Okay, will do this ASAP. Thanks.

Just wanted to follow up on this in case anyone is paying attention.

Went to a chiro this AM and found the following

1) no LLD as measured from ASIS to the ankle.

*but*

2) A leg raising test indicated that I could raise my right leg ~ 3 inches higher than my left while lying facing down, indicating (according to him) that the sacrum was impinging my left pelvic bone.
3) X-rays confirmed this and also found my right pelvic bone to be rotated to the posterior.

I got him to do the relevant adjustments. Afterwards, the leg raising test indicated equal mobility to both legs. I am planning on going to do some squats tonight, so we'll see what happens.

[rjharris]

Have you ruled out structural issues? I was able to set PRs with squat asymmetry and not really know it. It was also missed by coaches so it wasn't something that was super obvious or they just weren't looking for it. I'd basically shift to my left side in the hole. I went to a chiropractor and it turned out I had a LLD caused by my hips. My left hip was tilted forward and my right hip was tilted backwards. I've had a series of adjustments, but things are gradually improving. Best of all my squat hasn't really been impacted, if anything the fact that I lift weights has helped the adjustments hold.

This is exactly what the chiropractor I went to found and did an adjustment for. I squatted tonight, and, while things weren't totally symmetric, they were much, much better than in the videos above (also only at 185 lbs)

[kessg]

This is exactly what the chiropractor I went to found and did an adjustment for. I squatted tonight, and, while things weren't totally symmetric, they were much, much better than in the videos above (also only at 185 lbs)

Interesting. I have a similar situation going on (pelvic tilt) and either a functional or actual leg length discrepancy. Same thing - right hip rising faster than the left (the left leg is shorter/weaker). I'm still dealing with it; recent example - looks pretty bad: http://youtu.be/LbT8v7G6ZY4

I see a physical therapist who taught me to do a self-adjustment for my pelvis. But unfortunately it does not stick (i.e. keeps getting out of alignment).

BTW, do you get one-sided back pain?

[rjharris]

Interesting. I have a similar situation going on (pelvic tilt) and either a functional or actual leg length discrepancy. Same thing - right hip rising faster than the left (the left leg is shorter/weaker). I'm still dealing with it; recent example - looks pretty bad: http://youtu.be/LbT8v7G6ZY4

I see a physical therapist who taught me to do a self-adjustment for my pelvis. But unfortunately it does not stick (i.e. keeps getting out of alignment).

BTW, do you get one-sided back pain?

Take heart that your set looks much better than the one I posted at the beginning of the thread. It doesn't look to me like one side gets deeper in the hole for you (as it does for me). It just looks like your favoring one side coming up out of the hole.

Fortunately, there is precisely zero pain that I am dealing with (yet).