Novice Squat check

[lowfreq77]

Squat check please--About a month into novice progression, 41yrs. old, 6' tall, 158lbs. Yes, I know I need to eat more--it's working so far, I'm up almost 15lbs. Thank you for your input!

Video:

YouTube

[Satch12879]

These are intermittently high, but not by much. Hips are breaking slightly before knees. Lean over more at the start. Knees out harder; they are riding on the inside of your feet/over your big toe right now.

Lose the Chucks.

[lowfreq77]

Thanks!

[Greg Snider]

lowfreq,

I agree with satch and I wanted add a couple of points. First, consider how you're unracking and re-racking the bar. When you unrack, you're taking about two and a half large steps back and you end up squatting very close to the outer end of the safety supports. There really isn't a need to go back so far. If you're trying to get away from the supports, you could take them off while squatting. Or, if you are wanting to stay over the safeties, you should be farther forward. I use safeties, however many people (including Rip I believe) don't advocate using them for safety reasons. Your video cuts just as you are re-racking, but it looks like you are re-racking with one foot forward. This may not be a problem right now, but its a bad habit that could cause problems when the weight gets really heavy. Try to get in a habit of re-racking with your feet aligned the same way you would start a squat.

Also, be sure the position of the bar on your back is low enough. Having the bar too high is often consistent with the problems that Satch mentioned. I can't be sure from your video that the bar is too high, but I think it may be. Refer to the SS book or SS videos regarding bar placement to be sure that you have the bar in the right place.

Good luck!

[lowfreq77]

Thanks Greg, I agree with your advice about safeties and racking--In this video I only went back that far to try to keep them from blocking video. I have SS and PP books, I'm pretty sure I'm good with the bar--I can always feel it settling right behind spine of scapula when I'm setting up. I will try to unlock my hips and knees more simultaneously, as well as try to get my knees out harder, ALTHOUGH, whenever I have done so in the past, it feels like the weight distribution has left the mid-center line of feet, and is moreso on the outside edges of feet--does this mean the width of my stance needs to be narrower/wider?

[Greg Snider]

Before your next set of squats, spend some time in the unloaded squat position mentioned in SS; the one where you're pushing your knees out with your elbows. If your knees outside of your feet then you might consider pointing your toes out more or widening your stance. Make sure your knees are out over the middle of your feet and take mental not of how it feels. Then when you're on your working sets, record yourself with the camera in a position that will help you clearly see the path of your knees. They should be tracking over the center of your feet in a straight line. I don't know why the weight would shift to the outside of your feet if your knees are tracking in-line with the feet. Your foot width in the video doesn't look too narrow or wide.

[lowfreq77]

Great thanks--I will double check my knees when pushing out w/ elbows next time, and will try to get a different video angle to check as well.

[lowfreq77]

I wasn't sure if I should have posted a brand new thread, or just keep on this one, so if I screwed up I apologize. On these I am trying to consciously keep the groin stretch to keep my knees out more, as you recommended previously. Hopefully these are better. The guy at the gym that was nice enough to video it said I was getting a bit of butt wink. I'll try to keep my butt set better next time--mainky on these I was hoping my depth and knees out are better than before. Any advice would be appreciated--pretty sure the guy at the gym was not a SSC. Thanks!

Video link:

YouTube