Noob Squat Form Check

[canceldon]

Just began SS, here is my last set. Sorry that the angle is not ideal.




LBSquat - YouTube

My thoughts:

- I have very long limbs so I don't know how much my knee travel is due to that and how much due to bad technique?

- Clearly my head position is wrong, and I've have made a note to focus on that next workout.

- I got a bit of shoulder and lower back ache after my workout - is the lower back pain likely due to excessive lumbar rounding?



What do you see that I need to work on?


Thanks a lot for your time.

(I also know I did 2 extra reps at the end, somehow I managed to lose count.)

[Brodie Butland]

You're way too deep, which means you're almost certainly rounding. Cut these off 5 inches higher, and tighten up more.

Also, focus on getting your knees planted earlier. Your knees may have to travel forward a bit due to your proportions, but they still need to be planted 1/3 to 1/2 of the way down.

[Scott Hanson]

canceldon,

You are essentially doing a high bar squat, regardless of the actual bar position, which we obviously can't see (looks okay, but impossible to tell for sure). Specifically, you are too upright and going too deep, by at least 2-3 inches. Do you have the book?

You are correct, in that your head position is wrong. Look at the floor a few feet in front of you. Imagine holding a tennis ball under your chin. Find a way to squat without a mirror in front of you, if at all possible.

Sit back and point your nipples at the floor as you descend. Bend over at the waist much more than you did for these squats. Then drive up from the hips, imagining that the load is pushing down on your sacrum.

Your lumbar does round at the bottom, but cutting 2-3 inches off your depth will help. Also, make sure you are pushing your knees out, hard (can't tell from this angle if they are sufficiently out).

These aren't your only problems, but fixing them may cure some/most of the others.

Try to video from the rear, waist height, at about 45 degrees next time.

[canceldon]

Thanks a lot for the advice.

Do you have the book?

Yes

I've had another go at it, am I heading in the right direction?



20160307 105539 - YouTube

My thoughts:

- My lower back arches a lot - is this a case of tightening up the core and glutes?

- My knees still seem to travel forward a little at the bottom, so I guess I need to make sure they are set earlier on.

- I maybe wasn't quite pushing my knees out enough, I'm not entirely sure.


Thanks again!

[Scott Hanson]

Hopefully Mr. Butland will advise.

These are much improved, but you are still going too deep. Cut them off another 1-2 inches less deep. This will help with the knees. By arching, you mean lumbar extension? (there seems to be some confusion on this board, arching to me means accentuating the normal lumbar curve, vs rounding or flexion (the mad cat position)). I agree. Brace harder (big belly breath, tighten your mid-section like someone is about to punch you in the belly). You are actually still getting flexion/rounding at the bottom, but again, cutting the depth may lessen or eliminate this.

[kfreeman85]

I would say that the lumbar extension seems to be lumbar over-extension. Am I alone on this one? If others agree the "get tighter" you've heard is what will fix it. You've got to squeeze everything tight. With your lumbar spine this will be standing up tall, squeezing tight, and bracing, as opposed to "arching harder."

[canceldon]

By arching, you mean lumbar extension?

Yeah that's what I meant. I don't think I was focusing on bracing my core, so I'll make sure to work on that aswell as the other points you've made.

Thanks a lot for the help, I'll probably post another form check in a few weeks.

[Brodie Butland]

Hopefully Mr. Butland will advise.

My dad doesn't squat, so I doubt he'll be checking this thread.

These are much improved, but you are still going too deep. Cut them off another 1-2 inches less deep. This will help with the knees. By arching, you mean lumbar extension? (there seems to be some confusion on this board, arching to me means accentuating the normal lumbar curve, vs rounding or flexion (the mad cat position)). I agree. Brace harder (big belly breath, tighten your mid-section like someone is about to punch you in the belly). You are actually still getting flexion/rounding at the bottom, but again, cutting the depth may lessen or eliminate this.

Agreed. The overextension, then flexion, and excessive depth can all be fixed with abdominal bracing. And given that you can very easily overextend, that can really cause some back pain as the weight gets heavier.

[Scott Hanson]

Brodie,

Was looking forward to your dad's opinion, but will settle.