Deadlift, squat check

[Ivor]

Hello!

Please critique my form. I personally think the squat is passable, but the deadlift not so much. Im having serious problems with my deadlift form. I try to film myself every workout and immediately fix problems but I cant get it right.

I have pretty long legs in comparison to my torso which is i believe horrible for deadlifting. I do my best to flex my lower back, but its always a bit rounded. Even when I deadlift with 60% max.

anyway,

deadlift:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbhvT0aXz78

squat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3SdzCKI7Sk


Any input would be most welcome. Thank you.

[Ivor]

Bump, waiting for help!

[John Petrizzo]

Ivor,

Let's take these one at a time.

Deadlift:
I think you need to re-read the section in the book on the deadlift. You seem to have the right idea but you make a few mistakes which I think could be causing you trouble. First, during your set-up you appear to pull the bar slightly towards your shins before you pull. Remember, when you set-up, the bar should be over the middle of your foot, you take your grip, and then you bring your shins to the bar. I think that pulling the bar towards you is keeping your shins a little more vertical than they should be and may be affecting your ability to effectively set your back. This brings me to the second thing I noticed, before each rep you throw your head back while attempting to set your back but never really lock in your lumbar spine. This is resulting in a slight loss of extension almost as soon as the bar breaks off the floor. This will get worse with heavier weights. Try searching the site for Rip's video on "Low-back Position and Control." There may be a few tips in there that will help you learn to set your lumbar better. Overall, these are not terrible, you just need a little practice after you make some of these adjustments.

Squats:
Your squats look pretty good. The biggest thing I notice is some knee slide at the bottom. Try using the TUBOW during your warm-ups and concentrate on getting into your hips more. Also, make sure to look down and not in the mirror. This will help your hip drive.

I hope this helps,

JP