Squat form check

[JimB]

Hi everyone,

Please find below 3 videos of my recent squat workout - I am following Wendler's 5/3/1 and this is week 3 of my last training cycle (1 set of 5, 1 set of 3, and 1 set of 1+ reps).

As you can see, my left heel comes up a bit, which I think might be due to the fact that I'm not getting my hips back far enough, however, would very much appreciate everyone's feedback.

Thanks so much

Jim

Set 1 - 340 x 5
https://youtu.be/sNt5Rt513Io

Set 2 - 375 x 3
https://youtu.be/YRrEwdmLTdc

Set 3 - 420 x 4
https://youtu.be/zVNlcmO-BzQ

[Adam Franklin]

Watch the path of the bar during any your squats. The bar is well forward of midfoot in the bottom of your squat, causing you to be out of balance (hence, your heals raising a touch).

Imagine a vertical column directly over mid foot. The bar should ride inside that column the during the entire movement. (Search "master cue")

If you have a hard time visualizing/implementing that cue, look up TUBOW.

In short, get your knees out and forward to a block of wood aligned with your toes during the first 1/3-1/2 of your descent. Then sit the hips back and down. It can be useful to think of the squat as 2 distinct movements:
1. breaking at the hips AND knees
2. only hips.

Try making your warmups two distinct movements with the TUBOW. Once your understand the movements, blend the 2 into one smooth motion.

[JimB]

Watch the path of the bar during any your squats. The bar is well forward of midfoot in the bottom of your squat, causing you to be out of balance (hence, your heals raising a touch).

Imagine a vertical column directly over mid foot. The bar should ride inside that column the during the entire movement. (Search "master cue")

If you have a hard time visualizing/implementing that cue, look up TUBOW.

In short, get your knees out and forward to a block of wood aligned with your toes during the first 1/3-1/2 of your descent. Then sit the hips back and down. It can be useful to think of the squat as 2 distinct movements:
1. breaking at the hips AND knees
2. only hips.

Try making your warmups two distinct movements with the TUBOW. Once your understand the movements, blend the 2 into one smooth motion.

Adam,

Thanks! This is really helpful. I can definitely see that the bar path is not straight. I had my first squat session of my new training cycle today which was sets of 5 during which I tried to implement your suggestions. During my warmups, I definitely did a better job of keeping the bar over mid-foot. The idea of squatting in 2 movements (hips and knees then only hips) was really helpful in learning the new pattern. I not only felt more stable squatting this way, but the weight moved more easily, I was able to get deeper into the squat, and there was much less stress on my back (I guess as the bar was not moving out as much past the mid-foot).

On my top set, my form did revert back to my old habit a bit, however, I am going to continue to practice this and will re-post videos in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks again for this - very helpful.

Jim

[JimB]

...

[JimB]

Hello,

I've spent some time re-working my squats, and think I've made some good progress towards getting my bar path more vertical and engaging my posterior chain more. Tweaked my back deadlifting this week, but was still able to hit my prescribed weights on squats.

I know I need to speed up my descent, but was hoping everyone could please let me know how I'm doing in the videos below.

Thanks again

Jim

Set 1 - 330 x 3
330x3 - YouTube

Set 2 - 380 x 3
380x3 - YouTube

Set 3 - 425 x3
425x3 - YouTube

[Adam Franklin]

Looking better. You are squatting too deep, causing you to lose tightness in your lower back and hips. Cut your squats depth off 2-3 inches sooner (hard to tell from the quality of the vid), or where the crease of your hips are just below your knees.

Don't squat so deep next time while staying tight during the eccentric, and you get more out of the stretch reflex in your adductors and hamstrings.

[JimB]

Looking better. You are squatting too deep, causing you to lose tightness in your lower back and hips. Cut your squats depth off 2-3 inches sooner (hard to tell from the quality of the vid), or where the crease of your hips are just below your knees.

Don't squat so deep next time while staying tight during the eccentric, and you get more out of the stretch reflex in your adductors and hamstrings.

Adam,

Thanks for the feedback. Going to work on that + get faster with my descent. Will get back with more videos as I progress.

Jim

[kfreeman85]

Jim,

Have you ever had pain in your hip flexor while or after squatting?