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Thread: Form check

  1. #1
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    Nov 2009
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    Default Form check

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    I submitted a video to the q&a forum, but it didn't show up there so I'm submitting it here with the hope that someone can help me out with my squat and deadlift form.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS9Utsp07HA

    thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Squat:
    Sicne Rip and I will never see eye to eye on the issue of hip drive and such (e.g. I think you're GM'ing, esp towards the end of teh sets), I'll make these comments:

    1. I think you would benefit by bringing your stance a touch narrower. Your knees break in a bit in the hole and you'll find it easier to get depth by bringing the in a touch
    2. Slow down your eccentric. This is especially noticeable on the side view but the momentum you're carrying into the hole is causing you to round your upper back and get tipped forwards/cratered at the bottom (and this is part of what's contributing to you GM'ing it up). Slow down, fast up.

    DL:
    1. YOu might want to drop your hips a bit more at the start. I think youll find taht you get better leg drive by doing so.
    2. As the weight gets heavier, your timing gets FUBARED. Watch the last couple of reps at the heaviest weight. You start the bar off the floor, lock your knees out without hte bar really moving and then SLDL it up with your low back.

  3. #3
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    Mar 2008
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    Your knees are coming forward in a big way at the bottom of your squats.

  4. #4
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    Also, your spine is in flexion from the start to the finish in your deads. You want to at least get your back flat, and preferably extended, when you initiate the pull from the ground.

    Hex plates suck for deads, but that is not your fault.

  5. #5
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    Thanks for the comments. Strangely, the main thought I had throughout these sets was to keep my lower back as extended as possible. But right now I am having really bad flexibility issues. I feel really bad tightness in my quads/outer thighs to where it's a real struggle to get to even a half squat. I don't know.. what should I do to correct these problems?

  6. #6
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    Do you have Starting Strength? If not, there is a lot of info in there on how to lift properly. You should buy it and/or reread it. There are also a ton of form check requests scattered throughout these forums. It might take some effort, but it will be worthwhile for you to see what others have said and suggested.

    For the squat, you will want to allow your knees to travel further forward (an inch or two) in the first half of the movement. Then you need to focus on driving them out at the bottom and keeping them locked in position instead of collapsing forward. Having the knees further forward will allow you to be a little more upright and will better enable you to extend your spine. You need to keep things as solid and tight as possible for best power transfer.

    As for your tightness issues, cleaning up your form will help, as will stretching your tight areas several times a day, using foam rollers, and lacrosse balls for myofascial release.

  7. #7
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by nobody View Post
    Thanks for the comments. Strangely, the main thought I had throughout these sets was to keep my lower back as extended as possible. But right now I am having really bad flexibility issues...
    The rounding of your low back during your work set had nothing to do with poor flexibility . For proof of this, just go back and look at your warm-up sets and compare your low back there to your low back once the weight gets heavy.

    -S.

  8. #8
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    Jul 2007
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    For your squat, you have a bad case of the good mornings. Bad case. Your hips are shooting up out of the bottom, your chest is caving forward, and your being folded over by the bar. I know this is blasphemy to some people on this board, but here's my advice: put your elbows forward, under that bar, not back. Look straight ahead. Don't be afraid to let your knees come forward. Your long femurs are causing you to have to lean forward quite a bit to keep the bar over your COG, another contributer to GM effect.

    For the deadlift, start by not spending so much time in the bottom on that first rep. Get your air up top, stay tight as you go down to the bar, grab it, and use your tightness to pull up that first rep. Next, your back is a little too rounded on your heavy sets, and you're damn near stiff legging it. Your knees are locking out when the bar is at knee level. Everything should lock out at the same time, at the top. Lower the weight, sink your hips a little at the top (not too much though, don't turn it into a squat), arch your back hard, and drive your hips through the movement to avoid stiff legging.

    And back extensions are your friends. Do 'em heavy. Do 'em light. Do 'em often.

  9. #9
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    I like it when folks around here see that your having problems, their knee-jerk response is just to throw more fuckin' exercises in, when proper coaching of the lifts would make the extra shit unnecessary for at least a little while longer:
    "Use a belt!"
    "Have you tried weighted sit-ups, brah?"
    "A friend of mine said cupping your balls with your left hand while stroking your dick with your right five times up and down before each set will fuckin' send your deadlift numbers through the roof!!!!!! Just do it, brah!"

    "Keep it simple, stupid" is a good mantra to have. Rework your form, Nobody, with a weight you can manage decent form on.

    -S.

  10. #10
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    Jul 2007
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    starting strength coach development program
    Are you saying back extensions are a bad idea? And I'm pretty sure I did offer several coaching cues to help him out. Assistance exercises are necessary to build the supporting musculature for the main movements. Sure a lot of people overuse them and place too much emphasis on them without fixing form problems, but they are great way to strengthen weaknesses and add size to lagging areas, which will help the main lift. I think the guys lower back is a major weakness based on what I saw in the video and proper assistance work can help correct that problem.

    I agree that simplicity is a good thing and there's no need to overcomplicate things, but there are other useful exercises out there besides the squat, bench, and deadlift. There's nothing wrong with back extensions, they can be done with a high volume and heavy, and they strengthen important muscles.

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