Please check my squat and deadlift

[meanerelk]

Thanks for any advice for improving my form. There are two points in particular about which I would appreciate feedback:

• My lower back is sore after squatting and deadlifting. Am I rounding it too much?
  
• After squatting my left elbow and bicep hurt, making the bench press painful. Am I pulling my elbows too high?

All my work sets are in the video: squat 220x5x3, deadlift 255x5x1.

[MikeC1]

First, get some shoes.

Your back doesn't look rounded in either the squat or the deadlift. Don't be too alarmed if your back gets sore, those two lifts are both very back intensive.

You're bouncing a little too literally in the squat, it would be better if you try to make it more controlled, like a slow motion bounce.

I don't see anything unusual in your grip. Just do your best to find a grip that's comfortable, and have as much of the weight supported on your torso as you can, rather than supporting it with your arms. Shake it out and massage whatever is still bothering you after your squats.

Your deadlift is almost a SLDL, use your quads instead of your posterior chain to lift the bar from the ground to ~knee level.

Doesn't your equipment have safety spotter arms or something? I personally don't like when a spotter is touching me when I clearly have the rep.

[IndividualThoughtPatterns]

Well, I really like Squat and don't think he is bouncing too much...

[meanerelk]

MikeC1, thank you for your comments.

First, get some shoes.

Usually I use Chucks, but I forgot them at school that day. Figured barefoot was better than running shoes.

Your back doesn't look rounded in either the squat or the deadlift. Don't be too alarmed if your back gets sore, those two lifts are both very back intensive.

When I am struggling with the last rep on the squat, it feels like my hips go up, my back rounds and I good-morning the weight up. I was worried that was causing the soreness. For instance, see at 1:16. Is that form acceptable?

You're bouncing a little too literally in the squat, it would be better if you try to make it more controlled, like a slow motion bounce.

Thanks for mentioning this; I would not have noticed it otherwise. It looks like I relax too much and drop the last few inches into the bottom position before bouncing out. Maybe focusing on keeping everything tight and controlled will help.

Your deadlift is almost a SLDL, use your quads instead of your posterior chain to lift the bar from the ground to ~knee level.

Would this be fixed by lowering my hips a couple inches during the setup? They do look higher than I expected.

Doesn't your equipment have safety spotter arms or something? I personally don't like when a spotter is touching me when I clearly have the rep.

I usually squat inside the rack, but I wanted to get out in the open for the video. He did not actually touch the bar.

[MikeC1]

When I am struggling with the last rep on the squat, it feels like my hips go up, my back rounds and I good-morning the weight up. I was worried that was causing the soreness. For instance, see at 1:16. Is that form acceptable?

That rep looks fine. As far as your concerns about GMing it, it could be much worse. You're right that your back could be more extended though. But that has to be taken care of before you come back up.

Thanks for mentioning this; I would not have noticed it otherwise. It looks like I relax too much and drop the last few inches into the bottom position before bouncing out. Maybe focusing on keeping everything tight and controlled will help.

Right, it's not really that bad to be honest, but what you describe, relaxing and dropping the last few inches, is counterproductive. You would be fine if you kept squatting the way you are now, but this is just a detail that you can change if you want.

Would this be fixed by lowering my hips a couple inches during the setup? They do look higher than I expected.

No, your setup isn't so much the problem, it's that when you start to go up, your hips are going up and your knees are straightening, but the bar isn't going up proportionately. It's actually pretty minor in your case, again it could be worse.

[Kregna]

I'm a newb to weightlifting so I may be completely wrong, but...

for the squats it looks like you've got that butt wink going on where your hips sort of dip under your torso at the very bottom of the movement, which might be causing your back pain (used to cause tailbone pain for me)

are your wrists completely straight when you squat? I find my elbows only hurt with straight wrists if I pull on the bar for heavy reps

is the bar touching your shins when you set up to deadlift?

btw crazy music you've got there

[cheesedips]

barefoot is ok..form is pretty good really..little less bounce maybe.

[meanerelk]

for the squats it looks like you've got that butt wink going on where your hips sort of dip under your torso at the very bottom of the movement, which might be causing your back pain (used to cause tailbone pain for me)

I have noticed this. It's gotten better, especially since I started pushing my knees out and trying to keep my chest up. After reading this discussion I decided to stop worrying about it unless my lower back is rounding.

are your wrists completely straight when you squat? I find my elbows only hurt with straight wrists if I pull on the bar for heavy reps

Yes, my wrists are straight. I had the same problem of pulling on the bar, and my elbows would rotate so high that they were parallel to the ground, which trashed them to the point that I could not do anything else for the rest of the day. I am trying to keep them lower, now. Looking down helps, because for some reason looking up also made my elbows rise.

is the bar touching your shins when you set up to deadlift?

Yes, and it touches all the way up and down. That's one part of the form I'm sure of.

[IndividualThoughtPatterns]

barefoot is ok..form is pretty good really..little less bounce maybe.

Less bounce will result in less weight. I would go for more bounce if anything, but it looks just right.

[Briks42]

I like both the squat and the dead generally. Don't see any back rounding on either. As the weight goes up though, I think you are going to have trouble going so deep on the squat. You are 2-3 inches below parallel, which is good for now, but you can cut it off a little higher as it gets tougher and still be plenty good.