205 lb Squat - can I keep adding weight?

[Jeff LC]

second set YouTube

third YouTube

I know on one hand the mantra is to keep adding 5 pounds to the bar, but on the other hand, you're only supposed to do it if you can complete the previous reps with clean form. I see a bit of a grey area in this regard when it comes to squat form because novices rarely have great form (novices without coaches, at least), so sometimes it can be hard to know whether my previous session counted as "clean completed reps", enough to justify continuing climbing in weight.

I've really been learning as I go, posting here every day, trying to take advice. But i still don't feel that confident that my form is good enough to shoot towards 315.

Anyone have any thoughts? Think i am ok to keep going? Any tips? Any glaring deficiencies?

[Jeff LC]

The first thing i notice is that my hips are breaking before the knees, and I've already been told i need to have them break at the same time. I think this is a result of me trying to follow the multiple critiques about being too vertical. I'm focusing on getting less vertical, and then just bending down without breaking the knees simultaneously.

Man, this is really just so, so hard without a coach.

I know there are stories of people getting to 315 on the LP, but are there any stories of that happening with someone who is going solo with no live coaching? I just can't imagine ever being good enough with my form to get up to 315 without injuring myself.

[danomite!]

That looks like a highbar bar placement. Watch this and adjust as needed The Squat - Bar Position. Also, are you getting set before starting each rep? It seems like you are still taking a breath as you start the descent. Make sure you take a breath and brace before unlocking your knees/hips. I'm sure others will contribute with more insight than I posses.

[Jeff LC]

That looks like a highbar bar placement. Watch this and adjust as needed The Squat - Bar Position. Also, are you getting set before starting each rep? It seems like you are still taking a breath as you start the descent. Make sure you take a breath and brace before unlocking your knees/hips. I'm sure others will contribute with more insight than I posses.

I know it looks like it because of this video, but it is definitely low bar placement. It's sitting on my delts, right below the corner bump on my shoulder.

The white glare of the shirt and the bar is causing them to blend together, and the angle of the video is also causing the bar to obscure view of my traps, making it look like it could be sitting on them. If you pay attention to how my elbows look though, and how my humeri are positioned, how the delts look, plus how wide my grip is in order to even allow myself into the position, you'll see that it's a low bar position. I have posted videos from the past 5 sessions and received comments from many people and this has never been mentioned; but I originally learned the form by having a private session with an SSC and have read the book and watched every video including the one you linked to... I'm fairly certain that I'm in the correct position.

As for the breath, and the bracing... yes, you are totally right, for the life of me, i cannot remember to brace properly. Every single time, it just escapes my mind as soon as the weight gets on my back. Thanks for the tip.

[Ivan Stepic]

You can add 5 pounds. You will probably not get injured if you do your homework with nutrition and sleep.

Fix your head and your eye position.
Stay in your knees a bit longer. Your knees extend too soon. Think about pushing the hips up, not up and back.

[Jeff LC]

You can add 5 pounds. You will probably not get injured if you do your homework with nutrition and sleep.

Fix your head and your eye position.
Stay in your knees a bit longer. Your knees extend too soon. Think about pushing the hips up, not up and back.

Thanks - honestly, My priority is to avoid injury and I don't want to get up to 250, 300 pounds still not knowing if my form is acceptable, lol. Maybe that makes me a wuss.

As for staying in the knees longer, i knew something was wrong there, i could see in the video that my knees were straightened out before i had finished the squat and the rest was all bending at the waist. I hadn't figured out why, but your idea of shooting the hips up, and no up/back, seems to make a lot of sense. I just don't get how to focus so hard on the hip drive that is supposed to be so important, and yet not have the but shoot backwards. If it doesn't go backwards, then I feel like I'm not doing hip drive.

i will work on it - thanks for the tip.

As for the eye/neck/head, i seriously can't stand having to squat in front of the mirror. I thought i had this under raps but here it rears it ugly head again. I can't seem to shake this damn habit; really wish i had access to a rack that wasn't in front of a mirror. i see the video and see my head jerk up every time and it makes me so angry at myself.

Anyway... I feel like all the stories of people getting a 300 or 400 pound squat are all really young guys, particularly guys who have coaches yelling at them about form cues every time they do a rep. I struggle to imagine myself somehow getting my form correct without having live coaching. It's really frustrating to feel like no matter how many times I post a video, i don't seem to make any progress with my form. I know i am making progress on the weight, because I'm pushing weight and eating a lot, so of course i will adapt, but if i don't make progress on the form, i WILL get injured. Maybe not with 5 more pounds, maybe not with 20 more pounds, but it will happen. There's no way for someone with weak genetics like me to get to a 315 squat without proper form and it feels sometimes like there's no way to get proper form without a live coach. Anyway, i feel pretty frustrated about it because, during the moment, while I'm actually squatting, i have no way to know what needs correcting.

OK , end rant..

[Ivan Stepic]

Your form is not that bad, really. I don't think thinking about driving your hips up will mess with your hip drive. Post back.

Your sets don't look hard. There's absolutely no reason not to progress from there. A few reps that are not perfect will not get you injured.

It seems like you're catastrophizing and making a lot of excuses. With that mindset you will certainly not get to 300. Give your best shot and you will probably exceed your expectations.

[MitchellCole]

Thanks - honestly, My priority is to avoid injury and I don't want to get up to 250, 300 pounds still not knowing if my form is acceptable, lol. Maybe that makes me a wuss.

As for staying in the knees longer, i knew something was wrong there, i could see in the video that my knees were straightened out before i had finished the squat and the rest was all bending at the waist. I hadn't figured out why, but your idea of shooting the hips up, and no up/back, seems to make a lot of sense. I just don't get how to focus so hard on the hip drive that is supposed to be so important, and yet not have the but shoot backwards. If it doesn't go backwards, then I feel like I'm not doing hip drive.

i will work on it - thanks for the tip.

As for the eye/neck/head, i seriously can't stand having to squat in front of the mirror. I thought i had this under raps but here it rears it ugly head again. I can't seem to shake this damn habit; really wish i had access to a rack that wasn't in front of a mirror. i see the video and see my head jerk up every time and it makes me so angry at myself.

Anyway... I feel like all the stories of people getting a 300 or 400 pound squat are all really young guys, particularly guys who have coaches yelling at them about form cues every time they do a rep. I struggle to imagine myself somehow getting my form correct without having live coaching. It's really frustrating to feel like no matter how many times I post a video, i don't seem to make any progress with my form. I know i am making progress on the weight, because I'm pushing weight and eating a lot, so of course i will adapt, but if i don't make progress on the form, i WILL get injured. Maybe not with 5 more pounds, maybe not with 20 more pounds, but it will happen. There's no way for someone with weak genetics like me to get to a 315 squat without proper form and it feels sometimes like there's no way to get proper form without a live coach. Anyway, i feel pretty frustrated about it because, during the moment, while I'm actually squatting, i have no way to know what needs correcting.

OK , end rant..

You could try to consciously think about keeping your knees forward as you drive out of the whole (with proper back angle) and it might work things out instead of thinking about hip drive.

[Ivan Stepic]

As for the eye/neck/head, i seriously can't stand having to squat in front of the mirror. I thought i had this under raps but here it rears it ugly head again. I can't seem to shake this damn habit; really wish i had access to a rack that wasn't in front of a mirror. i see the video and see my head jerk up every time and it makes me so angry at myself.

I also squat in front of mirror. It is possible discipline yourself not to look up.

[Jeff LC]

Your form is not that bad, really. I don't think thinking about driving your hips up will mess with your hip drive. Post back.

Your sets don't look hard. There's absolutely no reason not to progress from there. A few reps that are not perfect will not get you injured.

It seems like you're catastrophizing and making a lot of excuses. With that mindset you will certainly not get to 300. Give your best shot and you will probably exceed your expectations.

Thanks - well, i may just be slightly discouraged because i just feel like my form is sloppy. but i am 100% adding 5 to the bar every single time, literally no matter what, as long as i completed the reps last work out. So if the injury is going to come, i guess it will come; but I'm not going to stop doing that. I just... really want to do it right, I guess.