Form Check(Squat/Press/Bench/Power Clean) and Questions

[Cosmicstrength369]

Squat:
240 Squat 2016-05-03 Work Set 1/1 - YouTube
245 Squat 2016-05-05 Work Set 3/3 - YouTube

Press:
110 Press 2016-05-03 Work Set 3/3 - YouTube

Bench:
115 lb Bench 2016-05-06 Work Set 3/3 - YouTube

Questions:
1) I started my bench press with 65 pounds which is a really light weight considering my size and that I used to bench around 180. I'm thinking about doing two 10 pounds increases on a B/A/B week so I can at least reach 135 by the end of next week. Is that okay or should I just be patient?

2) I tried to power clean for four sessions now and I'm starting to have doubts if I'm able to rack the bar completely. Is my anthropometry for the clean or do I just poor Mobility?

Power Clean(I'm still looking for a optimal jump position):
Power Clean practice 2016-05-05 1 - YouTube
https://youtu.be/n4NhAKg8AeI
https://youtu.be/9orBEEkfb3w
https://youtu.be/lW8dr3fZC3Y

3) I'm starting to buckle underneath the bar when squatting; it feels like my chest wants to fall flat onto the floor. Is there an issue with my stance and bar position?

4)Is there any cues that I can use for abdominal tightness when squatting? Lately I feel like I've been half assing the valsalva maneuver.

Thank you for your help.

[Joe Jaloszynski]

Squat depth was iffy and inconsistent. Your toes look a little too flared. Proud chest before you descend. A belt is a helpful cue for abdominal tightness.

Admittedly, I did not watch any other lifts, just your squats.

[heath123]

No critique, but question.

What is the name of the rack you are using for squats and presses? I used the same rack today since the power rack was taken, but I have no idea what it's called.

thanks

[Bill Been]

First of all, great job on really trying hard to employ the model described in the book.

Squat: your stance may be just an inch or two too wide at the heels. There's a Happy Place between being wide enough to get all the soft tissue out of the way of your hip socket at the bottom and so wide that you run out of adductor length before you get to the bottom. I like how diligent you were about getting the bar in the right place on your back and getting your hands right. You could use a belt and in general, I think a serious concentration on bracing your whole torso like you're about to get punched in the gut - all the way through the rep - will help, especially with that feeling that things are getting a bit loosey-goosey. Turn your trunk into a cylinder.

Press: also evident that you're really trying to get the form right - grip, stance, wrists, elbows, all show you're working to get it right. Like most people, your elbows need to reset just a hair forward of the bar after each lowering of the bar. You do this when you think about it, just think about it every rep. Looks like you're doing a good hard shrug at the top. Now for the hip movement - you're a little out of time with this. Your hips go forward, but you start the bar up before the hips come back, denying yourself the little upward thrust that the hip movement generates. Your hips are not really "bouncing" off the tension generated by very hard bracing of the abs, quads, armpits, etc. I know, because I struggle with this as well. Best I can tell you is to practice this heavily braced position with just the bar (or even without the bar if you're not sure how the hip movement even goes) until you can actually feel that little upward propulsion of the bar off the rack position. Keep being as diligent as you can during your warmup sets. Also like me, you have a bit of a tendency to get on your toes during the press. Along with the 4,000 other things you're reminding yourself to do before each rep, add a reminder to stay in the mid-foot.

As for your bench press, I think you could go either way on this. On the one hand, a couple extra sessions to get you back to where you were is no big deal and you could just let your recovery be your guide. If you're having a bit of trouble being ready to go for the next session, adding a big weight jump in one of the lifts is probably not what you need to do. On the other hand, the bench and the press really do drive each other in a complimentary way, so taking a bigger jump in weight to get your bench up to a weight that is "as hard" as your press weight might be beneficial.

[Fiddler]

Judging by the bar speed, the squats aren't too heavy for you with your current depth, but you might have to back off some to be able to get down to parallel. I didn't video myself for a long time, and lacking a coach, I started squatting higher as weight increased. In order to correct that, I had to back off about 40 lbs, and video every set from warmups through work sets, correcting each set. Now, after about 3 weeks, I'm sort of back in the goove again, but those last three inches or so seem to take a lot more strength.

It really helps to get your shoulders and torso really, really tight. As mentioned, a belt is a very handy cue to push against, and I use one on anything approaching body weight or more, even though my back doesn't seem to need it. Tight abs make a huge difference, and from what you describe, that may be part of your problem. BIG breath before you squat.

I agree that it might be helpful to experiment a little with stance width. There is a sweet spot to be found. Lately I've been doing as many as 5 or 6 warmup sets with just the empty bar (videoed) to get my stance and depth dialed in before I put any weight on the bar. Eventually I'll get new motor engrams dialed in, and it won't be such a pain, but it's a lot harder to undo a habit than it is to learn it right in the first place.

I think you'll get more useful response if you'll confine yourself to one lift per post. Replies get to be way too long and involved, trying to cover more than one at a time.

[Cosmicstrength369]

Thank you everyone for your help. I was waiting to upload my Sunday lifts before replying but I gotten sick and my phone isn’t working so I wouldn’t be able to post them until tomorrow or Friday. I recorded all three of my squat work sets while using a closer stance and the results weren’t good; the 1st set were all high reps and the 2nd set felt lopsided while the 3rd felt like my legs were getting in the way. I only had time to squat and press one set before closing time (Woke up feeling like crap so it took a while to force myself to go). Based on Sunday’s workout and your suggestions I’m going to drop the squat down to 215 from 250. I’ll also add extra empty bar sets to the squat and press to work on form issues. Can’t afford a belt right now but I’ll start saving for one and focus on the big breath cue when warming up. So is there an issue with my bench and should I keep practicing the power clean or should I drop it for the snatch?

No critique, but question.

What is the name of the rack you are using for squats and presses? I used the same rack today since the power rack was taken, but I have no idea what it's called.

thanks

It’s a Hammer Strength HD elite half rack.

Squat depth was iffy and inconsistent. Your toes look a little too flared. Proud chest before you descend. A belt is a helpful cue for abdominal tightness.

Admittedly, I did not watch any other lifts, just your squats.

First of all, great job on really trying hard to employ the model described in the book.

Squat: your stance may be just an inch or two too wide at the heels. There's a Happy Place between being wide enough to get all the soft tissue out of the way of your hip socket at the bottom and so wide that you run out of adductor length before you get to the bottom. I like how diligent you were about getting the bar in the right place on your back and getting your hands right. You could use a belt and in general, I think a serious concentration on bracing your whole torso like you're about to get punched in the gut - all the way through the rep - will help, especially with that feeling that things are getting a bit loosey-goosey. Turn your trunk into a cylinder.

Press: also evident that you're really trying to get the form right - grip, stance, wrists, elbows, all show you're working to get it right. Like most people, your elbows need to reset just a hair forward of the bar after each lowering of the bar. You do this when you think about it, just think about it every rep. Looks like you're doing a good hard shrug at the top. Now for the hip movement - you're a little out of time with this. Your hips go forward, but you start the bar up before the hips come back, denying yourself the little upward thrust that the hip movement generates. Your hips are not really "bouncing" off the tension generated by very hard bracing of the abs, quads, armpits, etc. I know, because I struggle with this as well. Best I can tell you is to practice this heavily braced position with just the bar (or even without the bar if you're not sure how the hip movement even goes) until you can actually feel that little upward propulsion of the bar off the rack position. Keep being as diligent as you can during your warmup sets. Also like me, you have a bit of a tendency to get on your toes during the press. Along with the 4,000 other things you're reminding yourself to do before each rep, add a reminder to stay in the mid-foot.

As for your bench press, I think you could go either way on this. On the one hand, a couple extra sessions to get you back to where you were is no big deal and you could just let your recovery be your guide. If you're having a bit of trouble being ready to go for the next session, adding a big weight jump in one of the lifts is probably not what you need to do. On the other hand, the bench and the press really do drive each other in a complimentary way, so taking a bigger jump in weight to get your bench up to a weight that is "as hard" as your press weight might be beneficial.

Judging by the bar speed, the squats aren't too heavy for you with your current depth, but you might have to back off some to be able to get down to parallel. I didn't video myself for a long time, and lacking a coach, I started squatting higher as weight increased. In order to correct that, I had to back off about 40 lbs, and video every set from warmups through work sets, correcting each set. Now, after about 3 weeks, I'm sort of back in the goove again, but those last three inches or so seem to take a lot more strength.

It really helps to get your shoulders and torso really, really tight. As mentioned, a belt is a very handy cue to push against, and I use one on anything approaching body weight or more, even though my back doesn't seem to need it. Tight abs make a huge difference, and from what you describe, that may be part of your problem. BIG breath before you squat.

I agree that it might be helpful to experiment a little with stance width. There is a sweet spot to be found. Lately I've been doing as many as 5 or 6 warmup sets with just the empty bar (videoed) to get my stance and depth dialed in before I put any weight on the bar. Eventually I'll get new motor engrams dialed in, and it won't be such a pain, but it's a lot harder to undo a habit than it is to learn it right in the first place.

I think you'll get more useful response if you'll confine yourself to one lift per post. Replies get to be way too long and involved, trying to cover more than one at a time.

I initially wanted to post two lifts at a time but I didn’t want to be a bother. I now plan on recording my warmups set along with my work sets for personal feedback to help find my groove as I work my way back up to 250. Based on everyone’s advice I need a narrower stance with my toes pulled back in a little which I can understand seeing the video but with long legs the standard squat stance feels tight and cluttered for me.