Squat Form Check

[mpierson]

Hello!

Can I get a squat form check? YouTube

My knees start caving in more and more throughout the set, so I'm trying to use the "knees out" cue. Is there anything else I should work on?

Details:
36 yo M @ 230 bw

squat set is 310 lbs x 5.

I've been doing the advanced novice program for a few months and it feels like I'm starting to get to the point where my sets will be grinders. I've deloaded a couple times on squat because I've been worried about form breakdown.

Thanks!

[Michael Wolf]

The bad news is there is a lot to fix in your squat.
The good news is you came to the right place to improve it.

We'll start with a few of the most fundamental things and see if we can get those better, and then move on to the other stuff.

1. You over-extend your low back right before you descend. Stop doing that extra movement. Go from normal standing posture, where you back is in normal anatomical extension, into your squat descent. Don't add the over-extension beforehand.

2. Initiate descent with "lean over and knees out" simultaneously. Your knees will go forward, they're going too far forward in fact. If you immediately focus on OUT instead of forward, they should end up going closer to the right place.

3. Cut off 2 inches of depth and drive your hips straight up from there. Not back. Up.

[mpierson]

Thanks Wolf! I'll get to work on it. Do you think I should continue on the progression or should I deload and work back up?

[Michael Wolf]

Take off whatever it takes to get it right, but not more than that. My guess is 255-275. Work back up from there, probably in 10 lb increments the first few workouts (on a Mon/Wed/Fri schedule that'd be something like: 265, 225, 275; 285, 235, 295; 305, 240, 310. And then you're back where you were. But only use 10 lb increments if you can maintain the proper technique that you're dropping down to establish, otherwise switch to 5s).

[mpierson]

Thanks again for taking the time to help me out! Can you see if I'm doing this right? 255 x 5: YouTube

[Michael Wolf]

It looks better, but unfortunately only because there's less weight on the bar, not because you've cleaned up those three things. 255 just doesn't get you as badly out of position as 310 did. But you still need to fix the same things.

Rigid spine, not over-extended low back. Cut off a few inches of depth. Keep knees out.

[Randy Winfrey]

I'll give you another set of eyes here. Continue to do everything Wolf has mentioned. My additional comments are; Raise your head slightly so it is in line with your torso. I could tell you are almost looking straight down, which usually changes your position. Lock you head in line with your torso and look at the ground about 6 feet in front you, not straight down. Speaking of straight down, don't squat "down", rather sit back and as Wolf has said, push knees out. Those things will fix many other issues. Keep posting videos so we can keep making the necessary adjustments.

[mpierson]

Thanks Randy! I appreciate it. I think I've had these issues for awhile so it seems like it's taking me a bit to fix my bad habits. I'll post again as soon as I think I'm improving.

[mpierson]

Hey guys,

I've been focusing on the cues you gave me and I've been doing my sets in the 255-275 range. Like I said above, I feel like I'm trying to fix bad habits that I've had for a while. Here's a set I did today: YouTube

I'm not sure if they are any better but:

I've tried to get rid of the over extension of the back. I didn't even know I did this. It happened when I was taking a breath, but hopefully I'm bracing better.
I'm trying to use the "lean over, knees out" cue and the hips straight up cue. It feels better, but I'm not sure it looks better.
Still might be going too deep.

Thanks for any advice.

[Tom Campitelli]

Exaggerate the knees out. More than you think you should.