Squat form check

[pantsaregood]

About a month has passed since I checked. I deloaded, did some wide stance squats to hit my hip abductors hard, and now here I am:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LxzdtEo0mU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N4kII1JMe4

My knees are starting to wobble a little again, but I'm up to squatting 235 from squatting 200. Comments on my form?

[Tom Campitelli]

I can't make it out on either of your videos, but what is your lower back doing at the bottom of your squats? Is is staying in extension, or rounding? You already noticed your knees coming in. It may be time to move your stance back in and see how it feels.

You have a tendency to shift on to your quads about halfway up on the ascent. Just keep driving with the hips and the rest will take care of itself. That will also help with the bar path and speed through the middle.

[pantsaregood]

I'm pretty sure I could keep driving with my hips, but wouldn't that result in me GMing the shit out of the squat?

Also, I'm not squatting wide now. This is me squatting wide:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAfPQ611wqk

I didn't think the knee wobble/buckling that's going on now was too bad. I'm coming from this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeEbF7DzHjY

[PVC]

Also, I'm not squatting wide now.

Yes you are. Not as wide as before, but your feet are still spaced wider than your shoulders. Try narrowing your stance a little more and see if it helps.

[pantsaregood]

I didn't realize I was squatting outside of shoulder width, but you're right.

I'll bring it in tomorrow and see how it goes. I'm kind of unsure of how it will work, because it seems like a tighter stance would be more quad-dominant. I actually learned to use my glutes and hams by squatting extremely wide. I'd never felt them fire off while squatting until I squatted with my ridiculous "durr im in a monolift" stance.

I'll try anything, though. Here's hoping 3x5x235 goes over well.

[LaHabra]

As you narrow out your stance, point your toes out more. Look up Zachs video, he seems to be around your height.

[pantsaregood]

Narrowed my stance as advised. Seemed to provide a more noticeable bounce out of the hole.

As for my form: Am I squatting with dangerous form? Am I at risk of severe injury or anything like I was the first time I squatted 200?

Also, to answer the first question: yes, my back is in extension.

[milesdyson]

no, your form is much better now.

la habra, foot angle widens with stance width.

[Tom Campitelli]

I'm pretty sure I could keep driving with my hips, but wouldn't that result in me GMing the shit out of the squat?

Not when done correctly. Driving with the hips all the way to the top is more of a cue than a literal command. It keeps the posterior chain under tension and makes for a smoother squat. Try it in the middle of the squat. Where you start to lift your chest, keep your focus on the hips instead.

Am I squatting with dangerous form? Am I at risk of severe injury or anything like I was the first time I squatted 200?

Also, to answer the first question: yes, my back is in extension.

Then you have answered your own question. Generally, the biggest risk you will face in the squat is hurting your back. As long as you keep your spine in a good solid position, your risk of injury is low.

[pantsaregood]

Yeah, I wasn't really worried about my spine because I've learned to keep it pretty rigid. I was worried about my knees because, from what I've heard, knee buckling can result in some serious knee injuries.

Also, something I've noticed since I started doing extremely wide squats to strengthen my abductors is that it seems that I don't have to think "SHOVE THE KNEES OUT" now. In the past, I would think "shove the knees out" while I began to push, but they'd still buckle. Now they seem to naturally track. Is this normal?