Squat check

[JCavin]

215x5 - YouTube

Weights felt heavy today. Doesn't appear to be moving as slow as it felt

[JCavin]

I can see I am still overextending. I don't know how to stop dang it.

Meeting with Scott Hambrik in October, so if I don't get it figured out by then hopefully he can help me clean it up.

[Jeff Illingworth]

You may want to try having the hooks one notch lower as your unrack looks kind of high and a little loose to me. It helps me a lot to have the bar start lower in the rack so I can get tighter under it before taking it out.

[Mia Inman]

Great that you have an upcoming session with Scott.

As to your overextension, think of your spine as a steel rod from your shoulders to your hips. So, when you push back with/hinge your hips, your chest MUST point down toward the floor. I.e., your hips going back rotates your chest toward the floor.

Right now, at the start of the rep, you're leaving the top of your chest vertical, while pointing the bottom of your ribs/your belly towards the ground. This results in overextension.

You may be leaving your chest vertical if you're nervous about making your back angle more horizontal and maintaining a rigid spine. Further, if you keep your elbows up, the bar has more of a tendency to roll up your spine as you lean over, so you may be trying to stay vertical to avoid that.

The solution is:

1. Get even tighter in your torso. So, huge breath and brace your entire torso (abs, obliques, erectors, everything) as hard as you possibly can. Brace against the belt. Once you've gotten tight, really focus on HOLDING that braced position (steel rod) as you reach back with the hips. This will be uncomfortable - very uncomfortable. Imagine me or Scott yelling at you to get tighter.

2. Even though you're going to point your chest down, you're still keeping a "proud chest" so that the bar doesn't roll up your back. Keep that slightly lifted/proud chest and crank those elbows down even more, and hold them hard and tight to your side. Squeeze your armpits throughout the rep.

Obtain a neutral braced torso using these cues and absolutely commit to pointing the very top of your chest down, at the very start of the rep.

So:
1. Proud chest/elbows down
2. Big breath and brace much harder
3. Top of the chest to the floor at the onset of the rep

Lastly, is that a tapered belt? If so, do you have access to a belt that is the same width all the way around?

Also, I concur with Jeff, try and unrack the bar from a bit lower on the rack.

[JCavin]

Thanks guys!

Yeah my belt is tapered. It's the gym belt. I have a 3in on order from Best

[JCavin]

220x5 - YouTube

Really frustrated with this. I have solved the knee slide, but seem to have traded it for other issues.

I feel like I am trying to bend over artificially, which FEELS like the weight is forward of midfoot.

This, in turn, seems to cut my depth because the weight isn't allowing me to use the stretch reflex.

Felt awful today.

[Mia Inman]

Your depth got better as the set went on - because you shoved your knees out more. Keep doing that.

As for the bar path, rather than "bend over" (which can take you forward of the midfoot), think about "hips back" to pull the bar straight down. That might help.

You're doing good. Keep working at it.

[JCavin]

225x5 - YouTube

Last one I will post for a while.

I feel like I'm slowly getting there. These felt much better than last time. Still working on the elbows down.

[Mia Inman]

Definitely getting there. These look pretty good.

Could be my imagination (or eyesight) but it looks like you shift your whole body/lean forward right before you start the rep. Make sure you're balanced over the midfoot just as you start.

I think on the last rep the bar may have rolled up your back a bit, probably because your elbows came up just a tad.

Nice work sir. Keep moving up in weight.