Squat Check

[JFord]

Hi all.

I'm still increasing weight but VERY slowly (2.5 lbs/workout) and every rep is a grind and I'm even wondering if I can say i completed the set given how much time I had to take between reps 4 and 5 to catch my breath. I'm struggling to keep my form. I'm wondering how this 3rd set of 5 at 190 looks (a PR). I was up to 220 (3 sets of 5) but Steve Hill tuned me up at a seminar and I had to drop my weight down significantly to 155 to even begin to get it right.

SQ 2017 02 07 190 Set 3 - YouTube

[Tom Campitelli]

This is a fairly troubled squat. You need to move the bar down to the low bar position. Narrow your stance. Stop dropping into the bottom, getting loose, and going too deep. Control your descent, get just below parallel, stay tight, and avoid rocking back into your heels. Stop lifting your chest and instead, drive your butt up. I would recommend paying a visit to Ness or The Legend over at Horn Strength & Conditioning.

[JFord]

This is a fairly troubled squat.

Hi Tom, I have a session scheduled with "The Legend" but I wanted to try to straighten out some of the key issues you pointed out on my form before. Is this better?

SQ 2017 02 12 185 Set 3 - YouTube

I lowered the bar on my back, narrowed my stance, tried to slow my descent, and kept the cue "stay tight" in my mind. I tried to emphasize hip drive more as well. I'm not sure how to avoid lifting with my chest or going back on my heels so this will probably take a lot more work on my part.

Am I at least on the right track to improvement?

[Tom Campitelli]

Those are definitely improved. The bar is still too high on your back, or it appears to be that way from here. Your descent is much better, however. Things to work on: get the bar in the right place. It will probably necessitate a wider grip. Don't let your knees go quite so far forward. This will cause you to lean over more. Without crashing into the bottom, or changing your descent, turn it around more quickly as you come back up. Your initial ascent is too gentle. You did a better job with driving your butt up. Keep thinking about that.

Ask Paul how his ebook tentatively entitled Guns of Steel is coming for me. He doesn't like to talk about it, but the residents of the Hollywood Hills sing a folk song about him. If you ask nicely, he might hum a few bars for you.

[JFord]

Thanks for the help Tom.

the residents of the Hollywood Hills sing a folk song about him. If you ask nicely, he might hum a few bars for you.

As for Paul, it's whispered that he has an operatic voice that makes women swoon and men weep.