Squat: First Work Sets

[Sean McAnally]

My training log has my background information. The short version: No youth athletic background, office job, recreational trainee; the last two years I've worked with kettlebells, which did give/restore a basic level of athleticism. I now want to focus on the barbell for strength.

Here is my second session of squats, at 115lbs (repeated from the first session where I was trying to find the right weight...125 wasn't stable). I have lifting shoes coming soon, I'm used to going barefoot.

I'm used to goblet/front squats with a more vertical back angle. The butt back/lean forward cues are new to me, which will undoubtedly help.

I've got my eye on the February 2 squat workshop near me.



Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

[Pete Troupos]

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Barbells, Sean.

The "lean over" isn't quite enough, but a couple things you need to fix first.
1. The bar is a bit too high on the back, so if you were to lean over properly, you'd likely start to feel it roll up and immediately try to lift your chest, killing any hope of correct back angle or hip drive.
Widen your grip before you get under the bar. Get under the bar and place it on your traps. Slide forward against the bar until you feel it "catch" just under the spine of the scaps and the above the rear delts. You may have to lift the elbows slightly to stop the bar, but don't crank them way the hell upward. Walk the hands in toward your shoulders, keeping your wrists as neutral as possible. A little discomfort is normal, and you'll loosen up as you warm up. Lift the chest to set the thoracic spine in extension, and the bar should be trapped nicely in place. Correct bar position and security will make sure you can lean over confidently.
2. Narrow your stance so your heels are under your armpits and turn your toes outward about 30 degrees.
Fix those two things to start, and work on leaning over and getting the hips back while shoving the knees outward.
Good luck!

[Sean McAnally]

Thank you for the feedback!

1. The bar is a bit too high on the back, so if you were to lean over properly, you'd likely start to feel it roll up and immediately try to lift your chest, killing any hope of correct back angle or hip drive.

Ah, that makes sense! I do feel it rolling up.

Widen your grip before you get under the bar. Get under the bar and place it on your traps. Slide forward against the bar until you feel it "catch" just under the spine of the scaps and the above the rear delts. You may have to lift the elbows slightly to stop the bar, but don't crank them way the hell upward. Walk the hands in toward your shoulders, keeping your wrists as neutral as possible. A little discomfort is normal, and you'll loosen up as you warm up. Lift the chest to set the thoracic spine in extension, and the bar should be trapped nicely in place. Correct bar position and security will make sure you can lean over confidently.

I'll try that, starting wider and working in. I'm trying to do it from a set grip width, but it makes sense to get set and then move hands in as able.

2. Narrow your stance so your heels are under your armpits and turn your toes outward about 30 degrees.
Fix those two things to start, and work on leaning over and getting the hips back while shoving the knees outward.
Good luck!

Narrower, got it. I goblet/front squat quite narrow, and it sounds like I went too far the other direction with the back squat.

Thanks again, I appreciate it! Can I post back here after next time?

[Pete Troupos]

Sure. Work on it for a week or two, and post back.

In the meantime, I would definitely sign up for the squat camp with Sully and Kurisko! They tend to sell out fast and there's only 8 spots left as of today. If you have the time and the means, I can't recommend it enough.

[VNV]

...
In the meantime, I would definitely sign up for the squat camp with Sully and Kurisko! They tend to sell out fast and there's only 8 spots left as of today. If you have the time and the means, I can't recommend it enough.

I strongly second that. Sully and Kurisko's camps and clinics are always up-lifting.

[TommyGun]

Sean, sign up for the squat camp. I went to one recently, I can’t say enough about them.

[Sean McAnally]

Signed up for the training camp! Looking forward to it.

[Sean McAnally]

Here is my 6th squat session, 135 x 5 x 3 sets. Now with proper squat shoes.

I can tell a difference with the shoes. I was getting on my toes before. There were a few reps that both felt and looked right. Other “false positives” (felt ok but video showed it was not).

Any feedback appreciated!
YouTube

[Pete Troupos]

Hey Sean
I can't tell if the bar is any lower because that part of the video is cut off when you're standing at the top. I can tell that you're not leaning over enough still because you're ending up on your toes at the bottom.
Adjust your grip to get your wrists more neutral and the palms facing more forward than upward. This way you won't be in a position to shove the bar up your back.
Focus on driving the knees out harder and getting your chest pointed at the ground sooner. Or think about getting the knees out and sending your hips back as far away from your feet as you can.