Squat form check.

[petchvery]

3 weeks of illness (flu followed by pneumonia) kept me out of the gym. When I was coming back I reread the book section on squats and realized that I'm an idiot, and never really put my back into extension. These squats felt the best they ever have, and for the first time I felt the weight in my hips. But as I've demonstrated, I'm ignorant, so I would appreciate any help.

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[Pete Troupos]

Glad you had a breakthrough.
Get leaned over a bit more in the descent. See your back angle on the way up? It should look more like that on the way down. Reach your butt back at the start and point your chest at the ground. It'll keep you midfoot throughout the rep, and keep the knees in place at the bottom.
You could do with bringing the stance in slightly as well.
Lifting shoes should be your next investment, if possible.
Good luck!

[petchvery]

I bought lifting shoes, but unfortunately they had lifted heels, and I think they contributed to balance issues. I'll look into flat ones.

[petchvery]

Put lifting shoes back on. Tried to get bent over more. Brought my stance in. Weights going up and feels easier. Though I can see I'm losing tension at the bottom and it's making me fall forward slightly. Guess I'll keep stretching. If anything else is apparent, I'd appreciate it.

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