Squat check!

[Brian Zahn]

Hey guys, squatted 327.5x5x3, still in full LP (no light day yet)

Here is a video of the last set.

Some things i noticed, first 2 reps i think look pretty good.

Gotta get my head looking down, so easy to fix, so stupid not to do.

Next 3, while still good weight starts to shift towards the toes and the barpath gets less than pristine to say the least. All in all i think all in all a solid lift.

Clearly i will be needing to make wednesday a light day soon i believe, but let me know what you guys think

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7tbjio2LKo

[Tom Campitelli]

Good squats, but what you are doing is more of a high bar squat. You are trying to keep your torso upright, you are going well below parallel, your knees come pretty far forward, and you are looking forward. Are you trying to do high bar or low bar?

[Brian Zahn]

The only reading i've done on form or videos i've watched are Rip's so i'm going for low bar.

I have the thumbs on top of the bar (not wrapped around), and i have the bar lower than i would assume for highbar, but i suppose I could serve to go lower.

As for the head position, i want to kick myself everytime i see it because i know its dumb and I know i can fix it easily.

when you say "you go well below parallel, you mean that as a good thing right or as something typical to high-bar?

[Tom Narvaez]

You're doing a high bar squat. Knees come forward past the toes. It's too deep. Your head is up. You're leading with your chest. I also think you're taking too long between reps.

It's hard to see the bar position from here, but I'd bet on it being incorrect. Have you watched the platform video on bar position? You need to look down, really, really focus on KNEES OUT, and stay mid-foot with your weight distribution.

327.5x5 is not bad for a high bar squat. If you get the low bar form down, you'll be in the high 300s in no time.

[MattJ.D.]

You know some people can get great depth even with low bar. It depends on the anthropology of the person. My squats look similar, but I feel my hamstrings and ass being worked the whole movement so it doesn't matter, and my quads don't get fatigued at all. I can make my low bar squat quad dominant too and use little to no hamstrings at all.

OP do you feel your ass and hamstrings being worked? Also, your knees are moving forward a bit too much, no forward knee movement is does not happen, just focus on shoving your knees out more.

Edit: granted I don't have a lot of experience only with myself, and I've noticed, with myself, that knees going forward is fine as long as your knees don't back on the way causing the hips to raise faster than the chest.

This is all coming out of my ass, from my experience trying to teach myself to low bar.

[Tom Campitelli]

Brian, you should check out the book. There's a lot of info there about the low bar squat that would be of interest. Most folks cannot go super deep in a low bar squat without relaxing something. That applies even to highly flexible females. So, for a low bar squat, going several inches below parallel is not generally desirable. You are a strong dude. If low bar squats are the goal, I agree with Tom, you will be able to move even more weight.

[Brian Zahn]

@mattj.d. the only part of my legs that is ever sore are my hamstrings.

@Tom N i've watched the bar position video, do you feel that adjusting my technique to low bar will cause my weights to temporarily go down? or can i bump the weight to 330 tomorrow and make the adjustments?

@tom C read the book a few times, check up on it once a week or so, but will re-read squat before my workout tomorrow

question to all... I cant seem to be able to force the bar any further down my back. Will spreading my hands out further allow me (in an acceptable way) to get the bar into the 'low-bar' position?

[Carlos Daniel]

You know some people can get great depth even with low bar. It depends on the anthropology of the person.

Yes. For example, the !Kung people of the Kalahari are know for having proportions favorable for bench pressing while the Masai from Kenya, being long limbed and used to diet rich in animal protein, are naturally gravitating towards strongman competitions and make for formidable deadlifters.

[Gunnhild Bruno]

Yes. For example, the !Kung people of the Kalahari are know for having proportions favorable for bench pressing while the Masai from Kenya, being long limbed and used to diet rich in animal protein, are naturally gravitating towards strongman competitions and make for formidable deadlifters.

Ha, Carlos. You funny.

[Carlos Daniel]

Ha, Carlos. You funny.

I try.