Squat form check

[manlord1129]

Hey guys -- 5'9'', 190 lb male here. Haven't had any direct issues with my squat but wanted to get a form check after a really bad case of tennis elbow yesterday and especially today, and I figure my squat grip may be a factor.

Side back angle - YouTube - rear angle

Side angle squat - YouTube - side angle

Unfortunately forgot to film in landscape mode.

Noticing that my elbows have a tendency to wobble as I re watch these, but I'm struggling to narrow my grip due to (I think?) shoulder mobility.

Thanks in advance!

[Hayden-William Courtland]

1) Grip doesn't have to be narrow. It depends on your flexibility. You can potentially go wider as long as the bar is secure.
2) Stand up all the way when you take the bar out of the rack.
3) When you breathe do it slower and try to keep your back flat. Also, minimize wobble/bouncing of the bar due to your breathing.
4) Lean over more as you go down and keep your back flat.
5) Your feet aren't really visible here (see the sticky), but I think they might be a bit too narrow.

[manlord1129]

Thank you for your reply!

>1) Grip doesn't have to be narrow. It depends on your flexibility. You can potentially go wider as long as the bar is secure.

Are there any specific cues to follow here? I just tried a narrower grip today with a more conscious focus on keeping chest up, back tighter, and elbows down; on a couple sets I walked out of the rack with some tennis/golf elbow as well as lower forearm strain, and on another I felt fine. Is there a checklist I can mentally follow to make sure I'm definitely keeping the bar secure without putting undue stress on my hands/elbow?

>2) Stand up all the way when you take the bar out of the rack.

Just to clarify, stand up all the way as in locking out my hips and knees as well? Wouldn't straightening the upper back cause the barbell to roll down?

>3) When you breathe do it slower and try to keep your back flat. Also, minimize wobble/bouncing of the bar due to your breathing.

Can you expound upon this a little more? Should I take slower breaths in, and also breathe out out both slower? Noticed the wobbling of the bar, but I never thought to tie it to my breathing. Is this something I just have to be tougher about mentally -- really not letting any air out until I'm finished with the rep no matter how much I want to explode? Breathing has always been something I've struggled with at an applied and an intuitive level, any guidance or pointers or reading here you can point me to would be great

>5) Your feet aren't really visible here (see the sticky), but I think they might be a bit too narrow.

I don't know why I didn't also upload the shot I took from the rear that I think gives you a decent view of my feet. I usually am outside of shoulder width apart. From what you can tell, do you think I'm still too narrow?

Back angle - YouTube

[Hayden-William Courtland]

Grip: You just have to assess everything once trying a specific grip. There is no one-size fits all. If you are having elbow pain from going narrower, I would go wider and see how it feels.

Stand-Up: Yes, knees locked out and just enough lean at the hips to balance the bar.

Breathing: Breathing out is at the end of the rep, so it's not a big of a deal. When you breathe in go slow as if sucking the air in between narrow lips. The goal is to prevent excessive raising/twisting of the torso which can alter bar position and work against tightness you are trying to achieve. And yes for the SQ you should be able to hold your breathe until you are done with the rep. Ideally you would do this for all the lifts.

Stance: Based on the new video feet are too wide. Narrow to shoulder width.