Squat Check: 225x5

[Tim Zach]

Hello everyone. I’ve been lurking around here for a while, trying to learn as much as I can from you all. But finally decided it was time go ask for some help.

I’m a 30 year old male, 180 lb 5’9”. I have been doing the LP off and on since the fall of 2017. I started at 65lb squat and worked up to 300lb in July 2018. But my form was terrible, see for yourself:

YouTube

I then deloaded multiple times to work on my form, but never quite got it down where it should be.

More recently, in December 2018 I was hit by a car on my bicycle and separated my right shoulder. I had to take a couple months off to recover, and finally got back into the gym in February this year. I started with the safety squat bar, and finally in March I was able to low bar squat without too much pain.

Here’s where I was right before the accident:

YouTube

And this is from today (apologies for the all black attire):

YouTube

I’ve been working on keeping my lower back tight through the entire lift, keeping upper back tight and chest up, keeping weight over my mid foot and not leaning forward, and keeping knees out. But I still have trouble keeping knees from caving in and my hips from rising up out of the bottom of the lift. And up until my workout today, I was experiencing lower back pain from squatting.

Any tips and pointers would be greatly appreciated. I’m anxious to get my form corrected and start gaining strength.

Thanks,
Tim

[Pete Troupos]

Hey Tim
Sorry to hear about the accident. Glad you're ok.

In the future, please post squats from the opposite angle. As if you were turned around in the rack. We'd be able to see your back and more of what's going on. I can't tell stance width for sure but it looks ok. You need to lean over a bit more and sooner to send the hips back and keep the knees from punching forward in the bottom. That, and stay in your hips on the way up longer than you think you need to.
Give that a shot and see how it works. And if you post any more, rear oblique is the angle that would be most helpful.
Good luck.

[Tim Zach]

Thanks Pete for the quick reply. I’ll make sure to get a better video next time.

Can you explain more what you mean by “stay in your hips on the way up longer than you think you need to”?

[Pete Troupos]

Sure. When we say "stay in your hips" we mean for you to focus on driving your hips out of the bottom as part of a properly performed squat. You hip drive right out of the bottom, but then you start to lift your chest too soon and it kills the hip drive. So, drive your hips and keep your chest pointed at the ground longer than you think you need to.
Does that clarify?

[Tim Zach]

Yea. That makes sense. Thanks.

[Tim Zach]

Hey Pete (and everyone else). I have a couple more videos of my last two workouts on Monday and today. I hope the video angle better helps assess my form. Let me know what you think. I’ve been trying to focus on more hip drive out of the bottom.

YouTube

YouTube

Thanks!

[Pete Troupos]

You're cutting them off high. Keep working on it and only post squats that are to depth. You're about 1-2 inches high depending on the rep.
Don't hang your head and look straight down. Get your eyes out a few feet.
Deeper.