Squat--what caused the miss and was the bail safe or unsafe?

[Clyde]

Hello. For my own education, can you please take a look at the below (please advance to 0:50 so you don't have to suffer through the whole thing) and let me know why I might have missed and whether the bail was safe or unsafe? I am open to suggestions in the spirit of safety. I thought I was quick enough to get out of the way but the bar hit my lower back. Perhaps because my shoulders still can't get into an optimal position. It didn't hurt that bad and didn't hit me solid (at least I don't think) and I continued to the next set (lower weight) but I fear it could have been worse.

Constructive feedback is welcome, as always. Thanks.

YouTube

[Chris76]

Your torso is way to vertical . The barbell needs to stay over the middle of your foot . Mid foot being from toes to heel. So about an inch from shins. As you begin your decent lean forward with a rigid neutral spine. As far safety maybe squat in a power rack with the safeties set up correctly.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Bend Over When You Squat | Mark Rippetoe

Correcting Squat Back Angle | Mark Rippetoe

Hip Drive | Mark Rippetoe

[Devyn Stewart]

Dumping the weight like that isn't particularly safe. You really need a rack or some safety arms. This angle isn't particularly great. Might want to read the sticky.

[Chris76]

Lean forward and sit your hips back on the way down. Drive your hips up out of the bottom. Keep the barbell over the middle of your foot. Start light and work your way up. Did you read the book?

[Clyde]

Dumping the weight like that isn't particularly safe. You really need a rack or some safety arms. This angle isn't particularly great. Might want to read the sticky.

Just curious-- if I was in the same stuck position in a squat rack and there was some space between the bar and the safeties, is there a risk of the bar bouncing off the steel safeties, which may be a worse result? Or should the safeties be set at the exact height that I should be at the bottom?

I ask because I used to squat in the squat rack (hence the name, I suppose), but some bro in the gym said I was being unsafe and the bar would bounce all over the rack if I dropped it (and implied it would cut me in half if it bounced forward), so I got spooked. He said the rack in the video is a lot safer, bro.

[Dillon Spencer]

Haven't you learned about listening to gym bros after the block pulls incident?

Safest would be outside the rack with competent spotters. Usually a luxury most don't have. I know Rip's not a fan of it, but squatting in the rack with safeties seems safer for most. Unless you experience an injury that causes you to collapse under the bar, and you end up stuck between the bar and the safety somehow, it's usually a pretty simple process of just sinking into the hole and gently setting the weight down on the safeties. In this case that's all you would have had to do. Definitely don't dump the bar like you did here onto the safeties though. That would indeed be asking for trouble, and is exactly the situtation your bro was cautioning you against.

[Devyn Stewart]

Just curious-- if I was in the same stuck position in a squat rack and there was some space between the bar and the safeties, is there a risk of the bar bouncing off the steel safeties, which may be a worse result? Or should the safeties be set at the exact height that I should be at the bottom?

I ask because I used to squat in the squat rack (hence the name, I suppose), but some bro in the gym said I was being unsafe and the bar would bounce all over the rack if I dropped it (and implied it would cut me in half if it bounced forward), so I got spooked. He said the rack in the video is a lot safer, bro.

I don't think that bro gave you very good advice. Personally, I just set the pins to a bit below where the bar is when I hit depth. Then, if I am to fail, I just lower the bar slowly until it sets pretty gently on the pins, rather than crashing down like you're implying. I don't see any reason why you'd dump the weight like you did; it's not very safe.

[Justin Smale]

I ask because I used to squat in the squat rack (hence the name, I suppose), but some bro in the gym said I was being unsafe and the bar would bounce all over the rack if I dropped it (and implied it would cut me in half if it bounced forward), so I got spooked. He said the rack in the video is a lot safer, bro.

Physics and logic are usually not the bros stronger suits. Don't base decisions on what bros say. And keep working on those wrists/shoulder mobility, you're going to have a hard time leaning over with your elbows cranked up that which is probably because your wrists aren't neutral and you end up holding the weight in your hands, keeping yourself way too upright.

[Mark Rippetoe]

You missed the squat because you squatted it wrong. You have already given yourself permission to dump the bar, and you have ignored the links I posted that would help your squat. I recommend that you focus your attention on how to squat more correctly rather than planning on what to do when you fuck it up next time.