Is there too much bounce on my squats?

[The-Gym-Is-A-Scary-Place]

Hi everyone,

I know high-bar squats are discouraged and frowned upon, and I wouldn't post this question under normal circumstances, but I think even my high-bar squats may be super flawed. I apologize for this, but I really need some help. This post has all the ingredients to piss off the community (e.g., high-bar squats, questionable depth, wrong video angle, etc). So I will understand if this deleted.

I have been told that I am relying on the bounce (stretch reflex?) a bit too much. And this may be causing me to miss the depth in some of my reps. In addition, my squats yesterday felt a bit hard and it didn't move well, whereas my squat session last week (5 days without squatting since) moved much better. The difference in weight on the bar was only +5 lbs. My question is, is my decent too fast? In some of the reps (e.g., rep 5 in Set 2) you can see that I do pause a little at the bottom (this happens as I realize I didn't reach depth in the last rep and I try to correct that).

Yesterday's session: 220 lbs Set 2.

Previous session: 215 lbs Set 3.


Due to Covid-19, my gym sessions are restricted to once a day, 60 mins per session for each person. And I have only 30 mins for the squat (not allowed to use the squat rack or any other area for more than 30 mins). So I can learn doing the low-bar squat in that 30 min from ~45 lbs again, or continue with my work sets (@220 lbs) and increasing the weight doing the high-bar squat. During the Christmas holidays, I plan go to the gym more often (may be 6 days a week from 3 days a week). I will then have enough days to dedicate to just learning the low-bar squat.

[AndrewLewis]

Your squat depth is questionable and the video angle is wrong and you're high bar squatting, but I love the self-awareness and the way you phrased it.

First of all, the stretch reflex does not cause missing depth. However, you are descending fast on these (I only watched the 220lb video) so you probably don't know how to hit consistent depth - right or wrong. So for that reason, you need to slow down.

You need to stay midfoot. There are other issues here, but you really need to get squat shoes and low bar squat. Your first low bar squat workout will probably finish at 185 and you can work your way up from there with a few 10lb jumps and then the normal 5lb jumps. Fnd a new gym if possible.