squat review

[hambulance]

this is a little old, I've since moved the bar down lower and been trying to think about sticking the butt out/ chest up.

thoughts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcDNXjNw1Yk

I hope that works, uploading from the hard drive is not.

[gtl]

Do you have a more recent vid?

The bar does look too high for the setup you are using. If you are going high bar, I think you need a more vertical torso.

Also, are you wearing tennis shoes?

[hambulance]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75iuNx3D-00

also this

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

was a very bad day

that's a little more recent, tried to correct the bar position.
Yes I'm wearing tennis shoes. I would like to get weightlifting shoes but I sort of have problematic feet and I've only been able to find one reliable good fitting pair for the past decade. Really high arches, my feet are like hooves not kidding.

I'll take another video when I go in tomorrow.

[gtl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75iuNx3D-00

also this

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

was a very bad day

that's a little more recent, tried to correct the bar position.
Yes I'm wearing tennis shoes. I would like to get weightlifting shoes but I sort of have problematic feet and I've only been able to find one reliable good fitting pair for the past decade. Really high arches, my feet are like hooves not kidding.

I'll take another video when I go in tomorrow.

Going off the 2nd vid, because the 1st one isn't a good angle..

1) the bar still seems a little high
2) your wrists aren't straight
3) you don't see very tight

I think fixing your bar position/grip/etc will fix the lack of tightness

http://startingstrength.com/index.ph...t_bar_position

Do those and re-film

[hambulance]

Okay here's an update. I watched the video and moved the bar down and tried to fix my grip, wrists. It seems that by the fifth rep that my wrists are bent back again which would mean that the bar is travelling down or my arms are engaging to try and help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgX5anXhvgE

It was after my work set that the built guy in the gym said that running shoes are the worst for squats and that I'd be better off barefoot.
I gave that a try with just the bar and was surprised at how it was painful in the hams and my left ankle.

[Tom Campitelli]

Don't worry about your wrists at the moment, they are just fine. Instead, get your knees out more and keep them there. Make sure you get deep enough each time. Almost every rep was a little too high. Avoid overextending your lumbar spine at the top of the squat. Put yourself in normal anatomical extension and then lock everything in with a big breath. Get a proper pair of lifting shoes. I predict you will like them and never want to return to your running sneakers.

[gtl]

Okay here's an update. I watched the video and moved the bar down and tried to fix my grip, wrists. It seems that by the fifth rep that my wrists are bent back again which would mean that the bar is travelling down or my arms are engaging to try and help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgX5anXhvgE

It was after my work set that the built guy in the gym said that running shoes are the worst for squats and that I'd be better off barefoot.
I gave that a try with just the bar and was surprised at how it was painful in the hams and my left ankle.

Hey. I like that a lot better. And like TomC said, don't worry about your wrists..come the 5th set you are probably feeling fatigue, which is making it harder to keep them straight. It'll come.

Regarding running shoes/lifting shoes/no shoes.. I would agree that barefoot is better than running shoes, and lifting shoes is better than all of the above. I'd be curious if that little toe raise you do at the top of each rep goes away barefoot.

[mwhities]

Focus on keeping the bar mid-foot. At the top of each squat, your toes some up. A signal that you are leaning back. Get some Chucks, Vans, or invest in a good pair of lifting shoes. The squishy hell does not help at all. You do seem to have the bar between high and low bar. For SS, go low bar and watch the video gtl posted.

[hambulance]

I actually started doing that toe lift intentionally because I found I was leaning forward. It was a re-centering technique but I was probably just getting too forward because the bar was too high. I'll watch that video again and today squat either barefoot or go get some hard soles beforehand. Thanks much for all the input and pointers. I'll surely be saving these notes in a convenient place ie the back of my log. Will post again when I've corrected.

[jep6095]

Do not squat barefoot. Period.

You're not forward from your toes, you're forward (as TomC said) because you're leaning over with your torso. A common error when people believe they are setting their back; however; all they're doing is moving the bar out in front of the mid-foot balance point. Don't overthink this. Just stand up. Keep it simple.

Where are you located? Do you have an opportunity to get some real time coaching?

jp