First post and Squat check please

[JohnRaab]

Hey everyone, first post here. Started lifting a month ago but didn’t follow SS well in either form or programming, that work hardly counts as I only got 5 workouts in all of February. A week ago I started following it by the book and also read Barbell Prescription (which is awesome), and now have four workouts in following the strict SS linear progression (Rank Novice A/B).

Age 41 (42 very soon!)
weight: 225 (now 227 after a week)
waist (navel): 42” (now 41”)
goals: originally was to lose this gut but after reading Barbell Prescription my goal now is to avoid “The Sick Aging Phenotype” and lead a healthy active life. (also would like to lose the gut but I know that’s tough during SS)

Workset progress: (month ago to now, note incorrectness of starting sets)
Squat: 145x6x3 to 200x5x3
Bench:145x6x2 (missed 2 maybe started to heavy) to 150x5x3 (felt good)
Press: 75x6x2 to 85x5x3
Deadlift: 125x6x3 to 175x5x1

I’d really appreciate it if someone would check on my form. I’ve watched a lot of vids and re-read the Squat chapter in SS but I know my form still has problems. Used to be much worse, I was high bar squatting mistakenly until three workouts ago and I just recently fixed a problem where my knees weren’t out and my back wasn’t stiff/set.

Latest squats, 200lb
set 1: YouTube
set 2: YouTube

[wiigelec]

If your intention is to squat using the model presented in SS than there are some corrections to be made.

1) When you begin your descent you need to sit your hips back further and point your chest towards the floor your back angle is too vertical. Ass back and nipples to the floor. Keep your chest down and drive up with your hips.

2) Move your knees forward ONLY in the first third of the descent after that the knees are not traveling forward the ass and hips are moving back. TUBOW TUBOW TUBOW

Check out this video for some good instruction on TUBOW: YouTube

3) Just a hair more depth shove your knees out hard so you have some room for your hips to get lower WITHOUT LOSING TIGHTNESS in your back. It may help to turn your toes inward slightly your feet are approaching a 90 degree angle they should be closer to 60.

Any particular reason for the thumbs around grip?

[JohnRaab]

I appreciate the response, thank you!

Regarding the grip, wow, didn’t catch that. I had been doing the grip incorrectly until very recently when I finally corrected it but it appears I sometimes revert back without realizing. I will be more cognizant of this, thanks.

That TUBOW video is great. I’ll definitely be trying that. I’ll be working on all of these things you mention. I can’t believe how difficult this is to perfect, thanks again!