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Thread: Help! I'm officially a twister :(

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
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    105

    Default Help! I'm officially a twister :(

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    Alright people - so I posted a thread a few months ago about my twisting problem during the squat. Basically it appears that my upper body "twists" to the right, as I descend in the squat. This is evidenced by the bar angle changing, when viewed from overhead. I tried a bunch of stuff to correct this, which included going to visit an SSC. Overall it was a very helpful visit, and I got the advice to try pulling down with my left arm during the squat, to stop my body from twisting to the right. I tried this, and it seemed to be working okay.

    Normally, I videotape myself from the rear quarter (or directly behind) to try and look for the twisting. However, I started to suspect that some of the twisting might be obscured from these camera angles...so one day I tried videotaping from directly overhead. And boy am I glad I did - the twisting is super evident from the "directly overhead" camera angle. You can clearly see my upper body twisting to the right as I descend in the squat, and then "untwisting" as I ascend:

    Squat twist 2021-4-27 - YouTube

    When I saw that, of course I thought it might be happening during my other lifts, so I tried videotaping my overhead press that way as well. I think I see some "right twist" during my press, but it may not be as drastic as what's happening during the squat:

    Press twist 2021-4-27 - YouTube

    So my questions are: is this twisting a big deal? Is it something I should actively try to correct? And if so, HOW?

    I have found that by intentionally "turning left" (very slightly, of course) during my squat, I can mostly correct the "right twist" that happens during the descent. Perhaps my body has a "default bias" to twist right when under strain, and so I need to work to "un-learn" that behavior?

    I also plan to ask my doc for spine X-rays, to see if I have scoliosis, or some other condition that might be causing the twisting. Other than that, I really appreciate all the help and guidance you have.

    Thanks everyone!

    -skypig

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio
    Posts
    35

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    You could maybe try some pin squats, that might help you control the bar a little better and you could focus on making the right and left sides of the bar lightly touch the pins at the same time. I know the first time I tried pin squats it gave me some self awareness that I didn't have before that the bar does not always travel perfectly horizontal when I squat. I don't really see it in the press. I personally would lean towards this being a form issue and not some crazy twisting thing happening in your spine when you lift. Other than focusing on bar control I would say don't get too worried about something like this and just work on adding more weight and lifting with correct form.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
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    604

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    Are you, by chance, bow legged? Perhaps in one leg? Look at Dmitry Klokov’s lower legs. Does that look familiar to your legs by any chance?

    In so much as the squat goes, this angle sucks, but it does look like your neck is “floppy” on the descent which makes me wonder about your overall upper back tightness.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2020
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    399

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    From the squat video, it appears that the bar is set lower down on your right shoulder than it is set on your left shoulder. If the bar doesn't start out even, it seems likely that it will have more of a tendency to dip or twist.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
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    adam: thanks for the pin squat suggestion. I think the pins could be used to detect vertical tilt issues...however, I think what I'm struggling with is horizontal tilt, which pins may not be able to detect (horizontal tilt = bar is "crooked" when viewed from above. Vertical tilt = bar is "crooked" when viewed from behind). That being said, maybe I should raise my pins and try it anyway, to see if I also have vertical tilt issues .

    Frank: I did check out a few Dmitry Klokov vids, at your recommendation. I don't think my leg structure is similar to his, and I'm definitely not half as strong as he is, either! I do wonder what you meant by "floppy neck"...first time I've heard that .

    Killmond: thanks for the tip. Now that you mention it, I remember having the disturbing impression during one of my work sets that the bar didn't feel "even" across my shoulders. If this is the case, then that could definitely result in twisting during the descent...and if the bar was lower on the R side, as you said, then my body would twist R to compensate for it. Of course, this also means that I may actually have some vertical tilt to my squat, as adam suggested.

    Thanks guys - I really appreciate your time and help! Now I've gotta do some form work and figure out what's going on...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
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    604

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    I’m not a coach so fair warning:

    From the top view, it looks like as you initiate the descent, your head snaps back and your gaze looks straight ahead (instead of down). For some reason, and maybe it’s the angle, this seems more violent than it should.

    Again, maybe it’s the camera angle, but it looks like the bar is a bit low and your head is WAY out in front of it. Maybe you’re kyphotic, but it seems to me like you should be tighter up top and things should be more aligned.

    As for the legs... I should have been clearer. An uneven stance, a leg length discrepancy with an even stance, or being bow-legged (which probably constitutes a leg length discrepancy), may cause a rotational force about the frontal plane. It may help to exaggerate this to see/feel it.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
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    105

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    Well, today I think I finally figured out what's causing my "squat twist." After taking countless overhead videos of myself squatting, I noticed that at the start of the squat descent, my hips don't shoot straight back - instead, they move back but very slightly Left as well. This causes my upper body to move very slightly Right near the bottom of the squat (in an attempt to "align" with my hips) resulting in the slight "rightward twist" that is evident from the squat video.

    I am working on correcting this by looking almost straight down, so I can see both of my thighs at all times. This allows me to monitor the "alignment" of my thighs, and ensure they are perfectly straight as I shoot my hips back. The thighs reflect what the hips are doing - if the hips don't move back totally straight, the thighs (and knees) will show it, and I'll be able to see it and try to correct for it on the next rep.

    Of course I am super pissed at myself for somehow having "learned" to squat this way, although to be fair to myself (as well as to the SSC's that missed this observation during in-person coaching), the twist is not obvious or catastrophic. This means it is A) hard to identify, B) hard to feel, and C) probably not that harmful (if at all) to my body. Hopefully I'll be able to "un-learn" this annoying tendency...

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