Squat form check

[Jalps]

So last wednesday, I did 285lbs just fine. Tough, but did all 15 reps. Friday comes around, and I go for 290. I go down the first time, and it doesn't come back up. Today I repeat the same weight, and I got the first two sets fine, but the same thing happened on the third set ... went down and couldn't come back up. Any idea what's wrong?

Set #2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEVw4A2Hkpo

Set #3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtAn0fiGdMA

I know the last rep on set #2 was definitely lacking in hip drive ... perhaps they all are. But with the third set ... maybe I went down too fast and spent energy trying to slow the bar at the bottom? Not sure.

[milesdyson]

tough to judge from this angle, but it looks like your knees are tracking mostly straight ahead.

[Jalps]

tough to judge from this angle, but it looks like your knees are tracking mostly straight ahead.

I bet you're right ... I just did some bodyweight squats and I think my tendency is not to track my knees over my toes unless I really think about it. I'll definitely take that into consideration for next time. And now that I see that depth isn't a huge issue, I'll try and get a front-facing angle next time I go back to verify that you're right.

[Nauticus]

You look pretty loose going into the hole.. which likely indicates a failure to keep your knees out.

And just curious, how wide is your stance?

[Jalps]

Stance is wider than shoulder width, maybe about 14 inches between the heels, and feet are pointed out at about 30 degree angles. (Shoulder width would probably be about 7 inches between heels).

I've had some trouble trying to find a comfortable foot position for the squat. Maybe the reason I'm able to go so low and am loose in the hole is because I'm too wide? I guess I'll give a narrower stance a shot ... though I always feel like my gut is ramming into my quads whenever I drop to proper depth, or that the stomach is even preventing me from hitting proper depth. Should this be a valid concern?

[Nauticus]

Stance is wider than shoulder width, maybe about 14 inches between the heels, and feet are pointed out at about 30 degree angles. (Shoulder width would probably be about 7 inches between heels).

I've had some trouble trying to find a comfortable foot position for the squat. Maybe the reason I'm able to go so low and am loose in the hole is because I'm too wide? I guess I'll give a narrower stance a shot ... though I always feel like my gut is ramming into my quads whenever I drop to proper depth, or that the stomach is even preventing me from hitting proper depth. Should this be a valid concern?

As for a wider stance making it too easy to attain depth: no. A wider stance makes depth harder to achieve, and a narrower one vice versa. However, it's harder to keep your back extended with a narrow stance, because of how far forwards your knees must travel over your feet. Based on your video, I'd try wider before narrower.

You commenting about the feeling of your gut against your quads is another sign that you may not be keeping your knees out. And I'm pretty sure this is your problem. Keep it in mind next workout.

[Jalps]

As for a wider stance making it too easy to attain depth: no. A wider stance makes depth harder to achieve, and a narrower one vice versa. However, it's harder to keep your back extended with a narrow stance, because of how far forwards your knees must travel over your feet. Based on your video, I'd try wider before narrower.

You commenting about the feeling of your gut against your quads is another sign that you may not be keeping your knees out. And I'm pretty sure this is your problem. Keep it in mind next workout.

I just did some more bodyweight squats to test your theory, and you're on the money. I think my apprehension to a narrower stance was because I was still having my knees go forward instead of out .. and i fixed the wrong problem. However, I'll stick with the comfortable, wider stance but really work on tracking my knees properly. Hopefully I'll report back on Wednesday with happier news.

Thanks for your assistance, it's appreciated.