I was always telling myself to go wide and I think I overdid it. While not sumo-wide, it was difficult to keep my knees out and it just looked weird. I noticed on a lot of videos here (including yours) that the stance is a bit more natural. I can easily squat ATG and experimented with my ideal foot placement that allows me to get all the way down. Then I just cut off the depth to SS standards and realized that I was previously using a stance that was too wide. I can't get ATG with my previous foot placement causing hip and knee pain when that deep so that should have tipped me off earlier to bring it in. But better late than never!
Thankfully yes, there are safeties and I have already had to use them when I attempted 110lbs before my vacation. The bar is slightly too short between the sleeves (I guess it is more correct to say the rack is too wide) and one side racks on the sleeve. I have to leave the weights about an inch out to leave room when racking so it takes precision. Thankfully, I don't think the weights are high enough yet for that little space to really affect the bar's balance while on my back.
On a related note, while discussing the limitations of the equipment I currently have access to, the final straw that cemented my decision to abandon ship (this gym) was the bench press. The bench is set up for the average person (meaning male) and is not adjustable. This means I am at the limit of my reach to unrack the bar and it becomes dangerous and gives me back pain to even try at higher weights (or at least the weights I will soon be benching).
I will be returning to the nearby YMCA once school begins again in a few weeks. I only have to tough it out a bit longer.
There are no gyms where I am except for an Amenzone and that is way out of my price range right now and not equipped. Everyone in the community is excited since this one only opened up at the end of May. We previously had no other nearby options. I don't have a car so to bike or bus the next closest gym takes an hour each way. I admit I probably should have looked closer at the "squat rack". Before I joined, I asked if they had a place for squats and they said yes. Stupid me didn't realize/remember that most people do squats on the Smith. They let me take a look at the equipment before joining but I have also never seen a dual-axis Smith before so I didn't notice the rails. I should have looked closer. Only 4 more weeks!
01/08: SQ-97.5x3x5 / BP-80x3x5 / DL-130x5
I filmed my squat for the first time and had to watch it 3 times before I could actually pay attention to form (I was too distracted by watching my ass jiggle). I think I am going a bit high on a lot of reps and I may have good-morninged some. Will work on that. I will also start 1lb increases on the bench press.
03/08: SQ-100x3x5 / OP-55x3x5 / PC-75x5x3
Still working on consistent depth on the squats, some are just slightly too high. Press will be 1lb increases from now on. I also may have done 6 sets of power cleans, oh well.
05/08: SQ-102.5x3x5 / BP-81x3x5 / DL-135x3
SS Squat - 102.5x5 - YouTube
Filmed squats from the side today to really see depth and back angle. I think it is acceptable but I welcome any comments. I was a bit hesitant to post a video of myself online. I feel it will come back to haunt me one day. 1lb increase on BP was a good idea. First crack at the big wheels on DL was a bust. Rested a few minutes and tried to make the last 2 reps but couldn't get it off the ground. I tried filming those but my phone ran out of space.
Yeah, depth definitely looks good. Work on tightening up the lower back to keep your upper body from flattening out into those good morning reps. If your hips are moving up the bar should be too!
Way to grind those reps out, keep up the good work.
Props to you on posting videos. It's good to have a form check.
I used to good morning on my squats. For me, it was a mixture of lack of core strength and ankle mobility. I couldn't get into quite the correct position to drive up with my hips without working on my ankles first (and getting some squat shoes). Maybe check out your ankle mobility, just to make sure that's not preventing you from getting into a proper squat. I found the dorsiflexion wall test at the bottom to be very handy, and I didn't get comfortable in my squats until I could get 4 inches from the wall: Fix Your Weak Foundation: Your Ankles | Breaking Muscle
I'm no SS coach (or coach anything)... so I'm just throwing that out there, but it was THE limiting factor for nearly a year on my squats and I couldn't quite figure out for the longest time why squats just did not feel right, and I had coaches for most of that time. If that's not it, another cue I found really helpful was to focus on driving up with my hips. Rippetoe rips a lot on hip drive.
Funny how such a simple movement can be so complicated, eh?
Those look great and hard -- awesome work!
So I tried the ankle mobility test t-money suggested and I really don't think my ankles are the issue because I got 5 inches from the wall but it was fun to see and I tried the others (yay, my ankles are optimal!).
I suspect it is the "core" strength (dirty word around here as I understand ;P) that I need the work on. I frequently find myself relaxing my abs in order to maintain lumbar extension. I need to figure out how to balance that out. It seems like focusing on one always releases the other. I guess that comes with practice though.
Last edited by Sirimiti; 08-06-2016 at 01:40 PM. Reason: Add t-money reference