starting strength gym
Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Form Check (102.5 kg Squat) Please?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Posts
    9

    Default Form Check (102.5 kg Squat) Please?

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
    • starting strength seminar jume 2024
    • starting strength seminar august 2024
    Would appreciate a form check, been learning from the book and SS YouTube videos, concentrating on leaning over more lately.

    YouTube - Set 1

    YouTube - Set 2

    YouTube - Set 3

    Also, I have some elbow pain when I squat - it's started the last few training sessions, since about 95 kg. It starts around my 60 kg warm up and is somewhere between soreness and pain, I'd say. I feel it might be me supporting the bar too much with my arms but not sure. It isn't prohibitive for benches, presses and deadlifts and subsides later in the day but thought I'd mention in case it's the start of something.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    1,541

    Default

    Hey John
    Your elbow issue is a symptom of your back looking like a candy cane when you squat. The upper back isn't tight, so the bar rolls around, and your arms are trying to adjust and control it. Before you unrack the bar, lift up your chest to get the upper back set in extension. Like you're trying to wrap your upper back around the bar. This position needs to be reset at the top of every rep. It'll help keep the elbows from cranking up (which pisses them off), keep the bar more secure, and let you confidently drive the hips up instead of lifting the chest early out of the bottom.
    Don't dive-bomb into the hole. You're letting yourself get loose and plopping in, so you're overshooting depth at times and getting off balance.
    Fix the upper back, and stay tight into the descent as you reach back with the hips.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Posts
    9

    Default

    Noted - thanks very much!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    1,541

    Default

    While you're working that out, letting the pain subside, you can press or bench first so it doesn't interfere. Just give yourself a little extra rest between squatting and deadlifting.
    I'm not a physician, nor am I giving medical advice, but when I've had this in the past I've carpet-bombed it with some NSAIDs.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Posts
    9

    Default

    Cheers - so far it's been gone by the next workout but then I think it's worse today than it has been after previous training days... I may take some ibuprofen to help sleep/as a pre-workout if it keeps bothering me

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Posts
    9

    Default

    Update:

    So excuse me if I'm over analysing but I like to see if I can pick up on things to better coach myself...

    YouTube - Set 1

    YouTube - Set 2

    YouTube - Set 3

    Firstly, my elbows feel great! I took some ibuprofen beforehand but I could really feel the difference between tight back + elbows in vs. lifting my elbows too high (I know not to lift them too high but wasn't sure what was too high). I can see I'm still candy caning early in set 2 but I think it gets better by the end of the set and overall is better. Either way, thanks!

    As for how my sets went, my take is...

    My first set felt just BAD, though looking back it doesn't look as bad as it felt. I was determined to not be a pussy so I went for 105 kg but I think on a psychological level I was worried I'd relied too much on the bounce of the dive bomb* and so was worried about lifting more. I felt like I lost ballance a couple times and decided to bail after the 4th rep because apparently I'm a pussy after all but I'd rather be a pussy with good form lol...

    Second and third set I went down to 100 kg, I think they're better but I'm at "dubious" depth on a couple and too high on set 2 rep 2.

    I was faster than I'd like on set 2 rep 4 and I don't know what happened on set 3 rep 4 (maybe not being as tight as possible?) but rep 5 went to pot on the way up, I think my body realised it wasn't gonna get it with good form so went for a bit of a good morning lol!

    Given all this my current plan is to repeat 100 next time to try and nail the form but I'd appreciate your input in that regard.

    * Which I understand to mean speeding up at the bottom as opposed to going down too fast overall? Either way I'm trying to have consistent speed for all my reps.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    1,541

    Default

    You had that last rep of the first set.
    Your upper back looks the best on the 3rd set. Do that again. But you have to lean over. There's little change in torso angle and your hips are sitting straight down instead of back. That is killing your balance and causing you to lift your chest for most of the way out of the bottom instead of using the hips.
    Drive your knees out at as you reach back with the hips and aim the nipples at toward the floor.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Posts
    9

    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    Yeah, I bailed because I honestly thought it was going to shit, didn't even look at the video until after. I'll just power through next time.

    Cheers!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •