Squat Form Check: Heels leaving platform

[Geoff Bischoff]

Gents;

This is my most recent working set. I see several deficiencies, nothing that's got me wanting to drop weight -- I plan to just continue the NLP with my next prescribed weight unless one of you tells me this is train-wreck territory. I'm working on the knee-cave, and it's better than it used to be. Any cues that might help this are appreciated. However:

Of greatest concern to me immediately: I can see at this rear angle that my heels are leaving the platform on every rep. I looked up IPF rules and this isn't a disqualifier, but it's still a deficiency. Will one of you guys please tell me what I'm doing wrong that's causing this, and how to fix it?

Video at YouTube

[Pete Troupos]

Hey Geoff
Bring your stance in about an inch on each side.
Your heels leave the platform because you're squatting with your weight on your toes. It can happen if you don't get leaned over soon enough at the start and/or allow the knees to continue to travel forward throughout the descent.
Sometimes the fix is simply thinking about keeping the bar over midfoot.
Get leaned over sooner and send your ass back away from your feet, while you drive the knees outward and stop them from going froward about half way down.
Give that at try.

[Barry Charles]

Hey Geoff
Bring your stance in about an inch on each side.
Your heels leave the platform because you're squatting with your weight on your toes. It can happen if you don't get leaned over soon enough at the start and/or allow the knees to continue to travel forward throughout the descent.
Sometimes the fix is simply thinking about keeping the bar over midfoot.
Get leaned over sooner and send your ass back away from your feet, while you drive the knees outward and stop them from going froward about half way down.
Give that at try.

Far be it for me to attempt coaching, but a tactile cue that works real well for heels lifting, is to forcibly raise your toes inside your shoes (extend your toes towards the ceiling). It seems to work because you feel it, and because its hard to raise your heels when your toes are lifted. A few sets doing this seems to help. Not sure if this should be a first correction or a last resort or avoided completely, but Ive seen it cure heel lifters very quickly and allows them to focus on the other aspects of correcting their squat form.

[Geoff Bischoff]

Squatted yesterday, brought the stance in just slightly: This fixed a lot. I had maxed out my adductors' ability by standing too wide.

This one move fixed most of the heel problem, most of my remaining knee-cave, and really felt like I could get my lower back into the lift. Good stuff.

Ass-back is my next conscious target; it's kinda happening, but not to the level it should. Tomorrow I'll incorporate that, Lord-willing.

Video at YouTube

Thanks again!

[Pete Troupos]

Looks better. Still a little on the toes, but better.
Think about driving the knees outward as soon as you start. Aim them toward the safeties and try to touch the safeties with your knees.

[Pete Troupos]

Far be it for me to attempt coaching, but a tactile cue that works real well for heels lifting, is to forcibly raise your toes inside your shoes (extend your toes towards the ceiling). It seems to work because you feel it, and because its hard to raise your heels when your toes are lifted. A few sets doing this seems to help. Not sure if this should be a first correction or a last resort or avoided completely, but Ive seen it cure heel lifters very quickly and allows them to focus on the other aspects of correcting their squat form.

Appreciate the input, but this usually gets people to squat on their heels rather than moving them off their toes to midfoot.