Squats and PC Form Check

[jayknow05]

Sorry about the repost, but I'd really like the feedback before my workout tomorrow. This was originally posted at the bottom of another thread:

It's my 3rd attempt at correct PCs so I took the best set of 5:

Power Clean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOxsJ8pViKE

Warmup Squat Set: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLFF_beZFoc

Depth is pretty representative of all following videos, usually breaking parallel by a half inch, but sometimes stopping a little high. That's at least what I think.

First 285lb set: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBDf4rT46iM

Last set, I fail, on a good day I feel like I complete this rep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdudNuUbxd0


I was really feeling pretty beat at this workout, mega pain in the knees and left hip flexor. Workout suffered due to this. I also apologize for the poor camera work, it was pretty crowded in the gym tonight so it was tough to get far enough back without getting in everybody's way.

EDIT: I was searching through the forums to find a cause/solution to my hip flexor pain. It seems that loose hamstrings and letting the knees slide forward is the culprit. Do you think that I should drop some weight and fix this problem? Or keep going forward until I stall and fix it along the way?

[Sami]

Not sure what is causing your pain. Your knees aren't sliding forward, and the squats look decent to me. You could probably get a little deeper more consistently. Maybe not reset, but stay the same weight and try?

[Sami]

Those looked like the most painful power cleans I've seen in a while. You're almost pausing before the jump, trying and coordinate everything together and make it a more fluid movement. I think you're also pulling with your arms too soon, too.

[jayknow05]

Not sure what is causing your pain. Your knees aren't sliding forward, and the squats look decent to me. You could probably get a little deeper more consistently. Maybe not reset, but stay the same weight and try?

Thanks, my previous videos showed a little movement at the bottom. Somebody commented that there was a knee slide on this video when coming out of the bottom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8WlxMRYXzE

Depth without sacrificing the arch in my lower back is what I'm working on the hardest right now, I also think that I'm a bit too bent over.

[Sami]

I don't think the knee is that bad there either. I've had knee slide problems which were giving me pain in the hips. I corrected to look pretty much like yours, and they pain went away a long time ago.

[Tiburon]

Squat: Knees are still moving forward at the bottom.

Clean: Agree with Sami about the pause. Maybe try the hang position for a while, work from the "top down?"

[mcsquared]

Squats- I don't think your knees are moving terribly much. The most you could do is push your knees out more.

Cleans: Everything thats been said already

[Tiburon]

Squat: Knees are still moving forward at the bottom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBDf4rT46iM

I just watched the 2nd rep, from 0:05 to 0:08, about 15 times in a row. Keep your eyes focused on the on the back upright of the rack and pay attention to the daylight between the knee and the rack. Notice how much the knees come forward at the bottom.

Also, from the back, it is clear at ~0:17 that the knees are coming in. Agree with Mc^2 that your cue should be keeping the knees jammed WAY out.

You aren't looking down, which might be part of the problem. Is there any way you can turn around in that rack, so you aren't facing the mirror and tracking yourself with your eyes? If not, try wearing a baseball hat real low and looking down at a "fixed" spot on the mirror. Or can you bring in a giant poster of Carol Alt and hang it up every time you squat?

Some of these reps are a little high. Keeping the knees out will help you get a little more depth.

If I were you, I would take off 50-60 pounds and get your form rock freakin solid. In 3 weeks you'll be back up to where you are.

Good luck, keep us posted

[JT in MD]

Hey, just saw your post on the other thread. I work out in Howard County ... a small commercial gym. Pretty much sucks, but no one uses the weight room at all, so I'm pretty much free to roam as I please. And it's cheap and 2 minutes from my house...

Where do you work out? Judging by the brick on the interior walls, I'd say somewhere in the city?

[jayknow05]

Hey, just saw your post on the other thread. I work out in Howard County ... a small commercial gym. Pretty much sucks, but no one uses the weight room at all, so I'm pretty much free to roam as I please. And it's cheap and 2 minutes from my house...

Where do you work out? Judging by the brick on the interior walls, I'd say somewhere in the city?

I'm at Merrit in Federal Hill, it's pretty much a shitty commercial gym as well. Although there is plenty of eye candy that go along with the 100 or so treadmills and aerobics classes going on. I made the comment that the free weight area is pretty small when I signed up and he looked at me like I was speaking another language, unfortunately it's my best option because it's 2 minutes from my apartment.