Squat form with Leg Length Discrepancy

[Michaelbjergby]

First, thanks to starting strength for materially improving my quality of life. Secondly, Sorry, some special snowflake info: I have a LLD which I have not measured but based on experience with adjusting length of my trousers and using Rip's method in his article on the matter, I feel certain it is around 1 cm, hence I have shimmed my right shoe accordingly. Secondly, I had three operations in my right knee removing my meniscus and replaced the ALC.

I never had form checks and my questions are:

1) while I have shimmed my right shoe and knees appear to be same high in the bottom of the squat, angles below my hip are clearly not symmetrical and the bar is clearly not horizontal when I grind (as I do in the back-view video). Any thoughts and help on this would be much appreciated

2) the bar moves slightly forward during the squat although I feel as the balance stay mid-foot. Any cues for improving this other than to sit back more?

Any other comments are certainly also appreciated. I know my squat could use a touch more knees out but I feel less pain in right knee with it like this unless it is a disaster for my form. Thanks again.

Side-view: YouTube

Back-view: YouTube

[whale]

Your stance is too wide. Your knees don't track your toes. Don't do that weird hip hinge at the start, unlock at knees and hips simultaneously.

Get your LLD accurately measured by someone else and shin accordingly. I don't know why is the bar tilted. Could be shoulders or not putting the bar in the right place. For asymmetries it's probably best to hire a coach.

[Adam Skillin]

Your stance is too wide. Your knees don't track your toes. Don't do that weird hip hinge at the start, unlock at knees and hips simultaneously.

Get your LLD accurately measured by someone else and shin accordingly. I don't know why is the bar tilted. Could be shoulders or not putting the bar in the right place. For asymmetries it's probably best to hire a coach.

LLD's are hard, especially over video. A tibial LLD responds well to accurate shimming, but femoral LLD's require a little more black magic. You might want to see if you get a more complete response in the Staff Coaches Q&A forum.

[Steven Danielson]

Another LLD guy chiming in here. Your left hip is coming up much higher than your right, that's for sure. It's very clear in the rear view.

I'm not expert enough to comment on the squat itself, but I am very educated and experienced in breath retention. To me it looks like you're not getting a very full breath. Is it possible you're belt is too tight?

Anyway, do you happen to have a link to Ripp's LLD article with the 'trouser method'? I read one of his articles, but I don't remember a trouser method.

[Michaelbjergby]

Thanks Steven. Agree that my lift hip is higher than my right which may also be the reason for the tilted bar. I will try to have my belt more less tight next time and take a bigger breath.

Regarding the measuring - I was referring to two methods 1) the difference in adjustment of trousers that I have always experienced and 2) the RIP method. The second is described in details in this article Leg Length Discrepancy | Mark Rippetoe. Thanks again.

[Michaelbjergby]

Thank you Whale

[Michaelbjergby]

LLD's are hard, especially over video. A tibial LLD responds well to accurate shimming, but femoral LLD's require a little more black magic. You might want to see if you get a more complete response in the Staff Coaches Q&A forum.

Thanks - I will check it out today