Squat Form Check

[Tim K]

Heads up, I'm squatting high bar currently. My shoulders are not flexible enough to get into the low bar position. When I started lifting in November I couldn't even get into the high bar position without a lot of shoulder pain, so I was using handles that I made out of nylon rope and PVC to squat with. That allowed me to do high bar but it never felt secure/safe in the low bar position as the bar was able to roll forward if I leaned over to much, so I stuck with high bar. Last week I decided to try again and found that I was a little more flexible, although it still takes a lot of warm up and stretching. Anyway now I'm doing high bar without the handles, and hopefully over time I will be able to gain some more flexibility and get into the low bar position.

Ok, so here's the video:




315x5, I had gotten up to 355 and had to reset to 325, then I tweaked my back last Friday so I have been going lighter until that's back to 100%.

I thought I was getting below parallel but in the video it looks high to me... not sure what to do about that. I am going as low as I can without relaxing my back and rounding my lumbar spine, and my knees are out. Any thoughts or tips will be appreciated, thanks!

[Steve Hill]

I think these are fine. On the early reps it looks like everything is moving forward onto your toes - knees, torso and bar. If you've read the book, think about the master cue - bar stays in a slot over the middle of the foot. Additionally, I think you could bend over a little more and get more hip drive into the ascent.

[Tim K]

I think these are fine. On the early reps it looks like everything is moving forward onto your toes - knees, torso and bar. If you've read the book, think about the master cue - bar stays in a slot over the middle of the foot. Additionally, I think you could bend over a little more and get more hip drive into the ascent.

Thanks, I have read the book and initially I was leaning over and looking down more as Rip describes, but when the weight started to get heavy I started goodmorning it up on the 4th and 5th reps. Then I thought that maybe it was because I was trying to lean forward like a low bar squat but with the bar in the high position... so for the past couple of workouts I was trying to stay much more upright and look forward more. Today though I tried leaning forward a bit more but not as much as before and it seemed like a better balance. I was able to get a little deeper and I think the hip drive is better. I got some different angles today too. BTW I forgot to mention my right foot is elevated because I have a short right leg.

[Steve Hill]

Changing my initil comments about these being fine. You're not bending over enough. Note the bar path - on the way down, everthing os moving forward until you're on your toes. Bar stays over the middle of your foot. Your weight stays over the middle of your foot. Bar should travel in a straight line.

Your knees are travelling too far forward. Also, you're not bending over enough. Let your knees come forward and stop them somewhere just in front of over your toes (instead of 3" in front of them). Sit back. Bend over.