Squat Form Check

[iamcase]

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

This video is me on my second working set from a couple of weeks ago. I've had a rough time with squat form in general. I really feel like I don't have any hip drive at all.

Unfortunately, I don't really have access to any real experienced lifters and while I've re-read Starting Strength a few times, I just get the feeling I'm doing something wrong here still.

Any suggestions would be appreciated... I really want to see my squats keep going up but only if I'm doing it safely.

[bamzi]

Straighten your wrists and squeeze your shoulderblades together.

As you break at the knees, stick your butt out and lean over. It looks like you are trying to keep your back upright as though you are doing a high bar squat.

Tense your calves and hamstrings so that everything stays tight when you hit the bottom.

Your knees are collapsing inwards on some of the reps; shove them out as hard as you can.

On the ascent, look down at the floor a few metres in front of you so that your head is in neutral alignment with your (now angled) torso. This should help your hip drive. Consider squatting the other way around in the rack so that you aren't distracted by your reflection in the mirror.

Your shoes are on the way?

[Bloodninja666]

Consider squatting the other way around in the rack so that you aren't distracted by your reflection in the mirror.

The rest of your advice is good, but I don't want to see our guy racking with his back to the rack. Very dangerous.

[Carnivroar]

Ｎｏｔｈｉｎｇ　ｗｒｏｎｇ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｌｏｏｋｉｎｇ　ａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｍｉｒｒｏｒ．

Ｙｏｕ　ｍｉｇｈｔ　ｗａｎｔ　ｔｏ　ｓｗｉｔｃｈ　ｏｖｅｒ　ｔｏ　ｈｉｇｈ　ｂａｒ　ｉｆ　ｔｈａｔ　 ｆｅｅｌｓ　ｍｏｒｅ　ｎａｔｕｒａｌ　ｔｏ　ｙｏｕ．　

[iamcase]

Shoes actually have arrived... this video is a few weeks old.

I'll work on the wrists thing... it's a flexibility issue for me that is slowly getting better.

Tense calves and hamstrings should be do-able.

I'm kind of stuck with facing the mirror, unfortunately. It's very distracting but at least once the weight is heavy enough I don't pay attention anyway. I'll work on the neck alignment though.

How is my foot width? Wide enough?

[bamzi]

The rest of your advice is good, but I don't want to see our guy racking with his back to the rack. Very dangerous.

Not if he moves the j-pegs to the other side of the rack, which is what I meant (but failed to be clear about).

[Chode]

you seem to be dropping into the squat with no tension, makes it quite hard to bounce out of the bottom. Get your hips backwards more and bend over, this will stop your knees from shooting out in front.

[Tom Campitelli]

A previously mentioned, you are essentially doing a high bar squat with the bar low on the back. This is why you feel like you are lacking hip drive.

Here's what you need to do:
Keep the head in a neutral alignment. Keep your chin down and look at a spot on the floor. This will help to negate the mirror issue.
Sit back and keep the knees back more than you are. The knees still come forward of the toes, but less so than now.
You will be more horizontal doing things like this. By keeping your knees back, they should wobble less, but you need to drive them out actively, too.
Think of initiating the movement by moving the hips upward (not back) aggressively.
Reread Starting Strength's squat chapter and Rip's article on active hip.

Stance width looks fine.

[Chode]

Think of initiating the movement by moving the hips upward (not back) aggressively.
Reread Starting Strength's squat chapter and Rip's article on active hip.

Stance width looks fine.

I'm assuming you are talking about initiating the hip drive out of the bottom. Not the squat from the top.

[Tom Campitelli]

I'm assuming you are talking about initiating the hip drive out of the bottom. Not the squat from the top.

I am. I should have been more clear. It would be interesting to see someone try and move their hips up agressively while standing up straight.