Form checks on bench, deadlift, squat

[DaveSev]

This is my fourth week or so of PP. I've been drinking 1/2 to 2/3 GOMAD on top of my normal diet, and putting on about 3-4 lbs per week, also doing creatine. My bench is progressing excellently, but I think I could use some help on deadlifts and squats. I have read the book but my mother fucking workout buddy hasn't read the book. I give him great cues and tips because I know what to look for and he doesn't know shit. His form is probably better than mine in fact.

Athlete my whole young life (multiple soccer and basketball leagues every year) except for the last two years of college. Always had shitty flexors, and a nasty back, and poor flexibility (seem to be related, the more I read). When I wasn't playing sports I was sitting on my ass. Currently, I sit on my ass for 8 hours before lifting, so you can understand how my hip flexors may be a problem. Started at ~175-180 lbs, I'm now at ~192 or so. 6'. 21 years old.

*note, sorry about the angle of videos...hope it doesn't hurt your neck...

I started at 115 on squat, it wasn't *hard* but it was my first time squatting so it was okay. Worked up to 145, my hip started hurting bad, so I started doing some stretching (Pavel's Relax Into Stretch) on off-days and some dynamic warmups along with tennis ball stuff ("self myofascial release" or whatever) that seems to be helping. I had problems with my knees travelling forward, and getting hip activation seemed to piss off my hip flexor. Did 145 for a few more times till I felt good, moved to 155, felt good, 165, bad. Form felt terrible. So I tried 165 again today, wasn't good. Backed off to 155 and took some videos, one from the side and one from a back-angle. Back looks like it is rounding? Breaking at knees and not hips?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSJ35A3ufQg
(sorry, didn't know he was filming....you caught me working on my "self release"....don't worry its safe to watch though)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4QR-EyG4Fg

(Yeah I know my head position is whack....its hard when there is a god damned mirror a foot in front of your face)

Would box squats be a good idea?

Deadlifts, I felt fine doing, but once again it looks like my back is rounding. Currently working at 190 lbs and it really doesn't feel that heavy at all. Sorry for the twenty seconds of shit, I didn't know he was recording, blame him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5qS438R-wY

Benching. I fucked up my shoulder/rotator cuff about 6 weeks ago, before SS. I don't think I hurt it benching (think it might have been from trying upright rows....god those are terrible....I was ignorant, forgive me), but benching was pretty much the only thing that aggravated it. However, I could do dumbell bench press, so I subbed that in the first two weeks, until I felt comfortable putting a good amount of weight on a normal bench, and my shoulder is fine now. I think my elbows were too high/square (as in, back towards my head; see page 79 SS ed.2), so I focused on getting a lower angle, though when I saw my bench from the side, I was surprised at how low it was, and how not-straight of a bath the bar is making on the way down. The bar is hitting me square in the nips though. Does this look bad? This is at 155. Perhaps an inconsistent position at the top (I'm trying the "make the bar hit the same place on the ceiling" thing). Yes, I bench as much as I squat right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO6YbMAqPIA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQQj_A6-q0c

Presses are doing okay (just did 105 today). My biceps and lats I feel are weak as shit (can do about 7 chinups on my first set, 2 pull ups maybe) but I'm not too concerned about them since I'm less likely to hurt myself doing a chinup/pullup. My numbers aren't progressing on chinups but I am gaining weight and I think I cheat a bit less every week.

Ergh, even as I am sitting now, my back feels a little crappy, right in the middle.

Oh and yeah, I know I need shoes, I will work on that this weekend. Figured barefoot ("hot pizza on roof of mouth") is better than running shoes ("stabbed in eye with fork"), according to Rip.

[confuzzl3don3]

Only took a look at the 2nd set of squats, but i can tell you now that people on this forum won't be happy having to crane their head 90 degrees to watch it. This made depth pretty hard to judge, but i'd say with the way you sometimes had a fair bit of butt wink at the bottom means that you should be getting good depth. Try tightening up a bit more (if your getting ample depth maybe cut some depth to avoid too much butt wink.

And maybe try to get your wrists straightened out instead of bent under the bar as this could intercept some of the weight and lead to a case of bad elbow tendonitis (been there, done that)

Other than that well done

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Only took a look at the 2nd set of squats, but i can tell you now that people on this forum won't be happy having to crane their head 90 degrees to watch it.

right-angledly seconded.


IPB

[DaveSev]

Ack, again I am really sorry. I will try to find software to fix the problem (Windows Movie Maker didn't recognize the file format from my camera).

I know my wrists are a problem on squatting, I just don't have the flexibility to fix the issue yet. It does kind of funk up my right elbow though.

Thanks for the tip about depth, I think you are right and I might be going down a bit too deep and sacrificing tightness.