Muscular Imballances

[329329]

Hi Rip,

Have a really annoying problem here and it seems to stump most people, the reason I am contacting you is to find out if you have ever encountered this in the atheletes you have coached and know what to do about it.

I have an crazy annoying muscular imballance which means my back does all the work in squats and deads, and thus becomes incredibly overtrained. I had a slight pull two weeks ago because of this and I'm not putting up with it anymore. To combat this I am doing front squats twice a week for 3 months to try and strengthen the legs enough to get them back in the equation, yet even when front squatting I am not entirely sure I am using enough legs!

Just 185lbs on the bar today, this is the first session after a 2 week layoff due to injury, my best back squat is 380lbs in a PL meet if that matters at all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=927AUrK--KA

Does that look like too much low back to you? I know the forward lean has to go, and I am sticking to the girly weight for sunday's session too until I am satisfied with the back angle, but how does that front squat look to you?

Thanks for your time

[Mark Rippetoe]

Have you read the book?

[329329]

Yes I have read edition 1 many times and edition 2 once, though it has been a while now. From looking back I'm trying to think of something in the books which will fix me but it's not coming at the mo, I remember you mention front squats and the need for the back to be verticle (which mine isn't), but I think you also said that if the back is not verticle at any point you'll lose the bar, thus giving me the impression that maybe the back angle is not too much of a problem? . Form wise I was under the impression that front squats were different from back squats in that you break from the knee, or atleast, thats what watching videos of olympic weightlifters suggests. Bit confused right now, maybe it's an issue that will be rectified with practice, maybe it's just a case for adjusting, don't know to be honest, just wanted to see if you thought I was falling into my old trap of squatting with too much low back. I don't need that again.

Thanks for your time Rip

[confuzzl3don3]

FWIW i skipped over the squat variation section in the accessory exercises section in SS 2nd ed. but i'm pretty sure Ripp talks about the front squat there.