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Thread: Should I cut my depth higher to prep for a meet?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    Default Should I cut my depth higher to prep for a meet?

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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_W-32lRdgc

    I'm training for a USAPL meet Dec 4 (my first). Made video for the first time the other night. This is a heavy single, probably 10lbs below max. I was pretty sure I was consistently below parallel, but I did not know I was going this deep.

    I'm wondering if I should train to cut the squat off a bit higher in preparation for the meet in order to put a few more pounds on the bar. I know USAPL is fairly strict on depth, so should I just keep it where I'm at or work on cutting it off higher? Any thoughts?

    Thanks,
    Sean

  2. #2
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    Mar 2009
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    Think "tight," especially in your hammies. Think "up." It does not seem like your are feeling the rebound at all. That is probably due to a relaxing of the hamstrings.

    I'd be worried about changing up form too much beyond the above at this late date, unless I had someone to coach me.

    As a side note: I think the bar is a bit high on your back, but it is hard to tell for sure.

    sb

  3. #3
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    Better to have a really deep squat than one that the judges have to think about.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by toddmr View Post
    Open lighter than you think you need to and bury that motherfucker. If you bounce your nads off the floor, that's deep enough. It'll give you confidence and might buy you a little benefit of the doubt if you need it later. And the weight can feel heavier on meet day, so be conservative and make sure you get a valid total.
    From this thread: http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=18045

  5. #5
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    You are going too deep for a low bar squat and probably sacrificing some lumbar extension to get there. For the sake of your back, it would probably be wise for you to not go as deep and to stay tighter at the bottom.

  6. #6
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    What TomC said. I can't quite tell if you're wearing a belt in the video -- if you are, I might consider pulling it a little tighter.

  7. #7
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    Given that you're a month out, I think you have enough time to learn to squat a little closer to parallel without throwing off your form and messing up your meet performance.

  8. #8
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    The coach in me says that you really need to fix the squat before you go up in weight or go into competition. There's more there that's wrong besides your depth. Back angle? Maintain it.

  9. #9
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    Jan 2010
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    Thanks for the advice. I've watched the video with more attention to my back angle and noticed that my hips rise faster than my chest at the beginning of the drive. Would this be where a "chest up" cue would be useful?

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    Quote Originally Posted by 30French View Post
    Thanks for the advice. I've watched the video with more attention to my back angle and noticed that my hips rise faster than my chest at the beginning of the drive. Would this be where a "chest up" cue would be useful?
    So glad you asked this, since I am in the exact situation as you. Just last week I did a 365 lb single as ATG as it gets.

    You posted that back in Jan. How much are you squatting now?

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