Former weakling getting strong via SS- would love advice on form for all lifts

[white]

I've learned so much from this forum, thanks so much to all of you who share your wisdom. (It's especially valuable to those of us who wouldn't know anything at all otherwise!)

I'm totally new to barbells. Been doing Starting Strength for a few months, read the book a bunch of times, watched a lot of videos. Would really appreciate anyone taking the time to watch and share any advice on technique.

I made these recordings a month or so ago, but had to reshoot the squat because my head was obviously up. Improved that, and so the squat video is more recent.

Squat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTe4flV7jS4

Overhead Press
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GkcrTWjJHk

Deadlift
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgKGqLohQmI

Bench Press
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chEEDd-CTg0

Power Clean
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayx0-JtDXFI

Thanks for your help!

[Beau]

First I recommend posting these videos one at a time getting the info and working on the lift you posted then a few days later post the next lift to have it looked at.

That said the bar is too high on your traps bring it down you will have to move your hands out a bit to do it.

And don't let your knees buckle inward as you push out of the hole. Knees out!

Maybe who looks next can do the next video for you?

[Przysiad]

A few more things on the squat:

1. Bar position is too high. Here's the longer bar position video: http://startingstrength.com/index.ph...t_bar_position

2. Your grip is too narrow, and it looks like your wrists are taking some of the weight of the bar off your back. Properly placed in the low bar position, the weight of the bar is carried on the back. This is covered in the bar position video. You may find all of this a little easier if you start by placing the bar one rung lower in the rack. That way you won't have to be on your tip-toes to get the bar in and out at the correct position on your back.

3. I think your stance is too narrow. Widen up some and keep your toes pointed out. I used to keep putting my heels what I thought was shoulder width. It turns out that my shoulder width is a lot wider than I thought. Widening up some helped a lot.

4. Your weight is shifting way too far forward on the way down, and stays there for the entire squat. I can even see daylight under your heels. You need to start the downward movement by REALLY pushing your knees out wide, and reaching WAY back with your ass. This will help keep your knees back, which are basically all the way forward in your squat. At the same time, think 'toes up' to get that weight back on your heels more. The weight really should be over the mid-foot, but you might have to think 'toes up, sit back on the heels' for a while to get it centered there.

[edit]

5. You're also going a good bit deeper than you need to. Focus on staying super tight, and making lowering yourself down tight and strong. If you're reaching back with your ass, when you get to the bottom, you'll have a more natural position to rebound out of. You'll probably find this position is just below parallel, which is a lot higher than where you're bottoming out.

[white]

Thanks so much to both of you for all the comments!

That Bar setup video was great.

I fixed the bar position and grip, and then slightly widened the stance, these two things also fixed the weight balance issue almost automatically. I kept the weight back today and don't think the heels pop up anymore. I'll repost a new vid as soon as I can shoot another.

Thanks so much, today felt great!

[Przysiad]

Awesome. Yup, it takes some doing to get it figured out. Hopefully you get some useful feedback on your other lifts if you post them again one at a time - they seem to get a better response that way. I really think watching and thinking about other guys squat videos has really helped me improve mine.

[Beau]

I am going to throw out that your dead looked ok somesmall stuff but as for your overhead and your cleans I recommend reposting them to get more attention.

You are doing a strict press which if that's what you are going for then cool but its not what's in the book so worth mentioning.

And your cleans look more like upright rows with a kick I am not good enough to really coach the clean so at least post that again but I can tell you first off you are useing your arms to lift the weight and that is a no no. I recommend also rereading the stickies and the section of the book on cleans.

[Squeakyguy]

For your power cleans, it looks the weight is so light that if you exploded properly with your hips, the bar would fly over your head. Power cleans need a certain amount of weight to do the movement correctly. Add 10 pounds a side til it feels a bit more difficult, then repost a video.