Squat Form Check

[nwalkner]

Hi,

Squats have never been my strong suit. Id really like to try and make them one of my better lifts. I read Starting Strength to try and get some help with the technique. The video below is one of my first sessions trying the low bar style squat that is taught in the book. Iv always had trouble with stance width and keeping my knees out. At the bottom of the squats in the video it looks like my lower lumbar relaxes and rounds a little. I also lose my balance at one point and fall back which tells me my weight is too far back on my heals. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I feel alot stronger using this technique. I just want to make sure I'm practicing the proper technique. Thanks for the help in advance.

Nate

[Eric Schexnayder]

You need to go deeper. The hip crease is above the top of the patella but needs to be just below it. Also your lumbar is not rounding a little, it is quite severe.

Some things that will help with this:
1) Shove your knees OUT and lock your lumbar. Read the Active Hip 2.0 article by Rip to learn more.
2) Narrow your grip, big time. Do this by shoving your chest up and out and tightening your shoulder blades before un-racking the bar. You need the narrowest grip you can manage.
3) Look down. On a few reps you are staring into the mirror. This kills hip drive, of which you have very little. You tend to lead with the chest out of the hole. Shove your ass up instead.

You are probably doing #3 because of #2. The lack of tightness in the upper back is causing the bar to roll forward, so to compensate you extend your neck.

Personally, I'd say lose the belt for now. Your rounding lumbar spine indicates that you may lack the proprioception needed to lock your lumbar into extension (common in males). Rip has a video and an article on this, go find them and do the exercise he teaches. In addition, shoving your knees out gets your femurs out of the way of your ASIS, allowing you to go deep without rounding your back.

[nwalkner]

Thanks for the review. Now that you pointed out how bad my lower back rounds I can see what I need to devote some major time to. I read the active hip 2.0 article and retried squats again this morning. I’m still having the same rounding issue even when I actively lock it in at the top before descending, it seems to round around the same point near the bottom of the squat. Could it be do to a flixibility issue or mainly just stance? I also had my adidas lifters on this morning. Not sure if that variable through it off a little too. I really want to get this form down. Thanks again for the help.

[Eric Schexnayder]

Thanks for the review. Now that you pointed out how bad my lower back rounds I can see what I need to devote some major time to. I read the active hip 2.0 article and retried squats again this morning. I’m still having the same rounding issue even when I actively lock it in at the top before descending, it seems to round around the same point near the bottom of the squat. Could it be do to a flixibility issue or mainly just stance? I also had my adidas lifters on this morning. Not sure if that variable through it off a little too. I really want to get this form down. Thanks again for the help.

From what Rip writes, most people do not have such poor hamstring flexibility that it restricts squatting properly. It is more of a stance issue.

The absolute best way to fix this is to assume the position at the bottom of the squat, as illustrated in the Squat section of Starting Strength. Squat down and put your hands together, shoving your knees out with your hands. Do this and try extending your lumbar and thoracic spine, both at the top before you squat and then at the bottom again so you can learn to recognize the difference. Spend some time in this position to get used to it. When you go to squat with the bar on your back, the only difference is that you must shove your knees out yourself.

Regarding the stance, it just takes some practice. Again the bottom position squat practice will help solve this. It must be wide enough to facilitate depth without being so wide that the hip adductors reach the limit of their their extensibility (not flexibility).

With practice, you will get it. Narrowing your grip significantly will also help. Takes time to achieve this but let me say that if I can, most people can.

[nwalkner]

I tried that technique getting in the bottom position and trying to extend the lower lumbar and thoriacic spine. I can really feel the thoriacic is extended. I don’t feel the lower lumbar at the bottom as much as when I extend it at the top. I think it will take a little practice like you said to really get the position at the bottom down. I still have a really tough time even pushing my knees out with my elbows when I get in the bottom position. It will take some practice. I really appreciate the critique. I’ll try and post another video after I’ve practiced it awhile.

[Eric Schexnayder]

YouTube

Happy to help. My squat is not perfect by any means, but when I first started I had many of the problems you are displaying. I used the bottom technique like I described to help get better.

Not sure if you’ve seen the above, but Rip shows some exercises at the end to help you make sure you have lower back control. Try them and then try to squat position exercise.

[renzhenghe]

cues i remember SSC use to fix lumbar position (if im wrong please correct it) are 1. stick you butt out when standing. my interpertation/imagination is to try and put a coin on your butt. some super flexible people will hyperextend when this cue is not used correctly, but I don't think that's a problem for you. 2. point your toes out a little more. toes out/ knees out positon, along with a wider stance mentioned above will clear more space for your gut to descend into the bottom without having to flex the lumbar to get the depth. hope this helps.