Squat stuck with balance problems (with videos)

[nsipid]

Hoping to get some insight into my squat form problems. Thanks up front for any advice!

Have been following SS for about 4 weeks.

I am having a very difficult time balancing during the squat on the way up. I feel like I am going to fall over to one side, and I even occasionally will hit the supports with a plate when this happens. Keeping my left knee from caving on the way up is becoming extremely difficult. Left hip usually hurts right after a set and then continues to ache throughout the day. I have reset twice, but once I get to about 180 this problem presents itself again.

Here are my last 2 sets:

Rear video: Squat Form Check 180 (Rear) - YouTube
Angle video: Squat Form Check 180 (Angle) - YouTube

Age: 30
Height: 5' 7"
Body weight: Has gone from 115lb (disgusting) to 155lb (needs more work). Still eating and gaining weight, hoping to get past 180lb as soon as possible and I don't mind putting on fat
Squat: Started at 70lb and is now 180lb

[Royce Nichols]

Hey bud,
Watched the rear view and it looks like you shift your hips to the right on several reps. Think level hips. Brace your abs hard and drive knees out equally. You may have to drop the weight a little to focus on it. I had a shift to the left for a little while. Can you see a SSC?

[Peter Nathan]

Hello Royce,
First, your stance is too wide. Get your heels under your shoulder joints. For depth, just get your hip crease below the top of your kneecaps. Yes, you have some weight shifting, but try altering your stance before you do anything weird.

[nsipid]

Thanks, ill bring my heels back in. That was a recent thing I was experimenting with (on my second deload) in order to help with the weight shifting that you guys have mentioned. I have a couple of follow up questions.

1. Is there a cue that can help with the horizontal shifting? "Shove both knees out" seems to result in success for only one knee.

2. Squat depth described by Figure 2-1 in the book (Kindle Loc 236) was one of those confusing things for me. A points at the part of the knee protruding forward and I am not sure what B points at. How do I identify hip joint/crease? Is it the center of the hip or the top of the leg where it connects to the hip?

3. Am I not going deep enough or is it too deep?

I will post a new video with narrower stance once I do my Monday session.

Seeing an SSC will involve a bit of a road trip. I certainly would like to do that as soon as I can work out the logistics.. probably several months. In the mean time, I must squat

[Royce Nichols]

Coach Nathan will no doubt have much better information than I to help you. I went and saw a coach (a good hike for me too! It's well worth it!!) but just to recant what he told me when he saw my shift.

I had a much more dramatic shift than you did, but it popped up at work set weights (I had no clue I was doing this). He brought in my stance, as coach Nathan suggested to you, and I really, really had to focus on bracing my abs hard and having equal balance on both feet throughout the whole lift. When I rushed the rep and didn't set my abs, the shift was much more pronounced. I had to drop to a weight to where it wasn't bad and go from there (took about 20-30 pounds off the bar). It's gone away, thankfully, but it took seeing a coach to nip it in the butt.

Thinking about these things may or may not help you...everybody is different. Also, nice job with gaining weight! Keep working hard!

[Lane.Foulks]

Looking at your rear video, it looks like you're not even under the bar. Your left shoulder is almost touching the knurl and your right shoulder is a couple inches from it. This may be causing your imbalance and your hip shifting to compensate for the imbalance.

[nsipid]

Okay thanks; I tried moving my heels in more and going a little deeper. I tried to think really hard about countering the shift, but was unsuccessful. The left hip pain is very troublesome, it is a sharp pain when rotating the femur (think sitting with ankles on knees). It definitely shows up while squatting heavy too.

Squat Form Check Again (Rear) - YouTube (Rear)
Squat Form Check Again (Angle) - YouTube (Angle)

[Royce Nichols]

I would see a coach my man.