Squat form check

[Radnor80]

Hi all. As explained in a previous post Squat form check without bar, I experienced some lower back pain last week. I've eased back into it and I'm better now.

I had noticed that my lower back was rounding at the bottom of the squat. So I've been working on my form at bit and also bought some weightlifting shoes. I think this has helped, I hope you agree:



Any pointers for further improvement much appreciated.

[AndrewLewis]

Get a little more bent over right away and keep your foot pressure midfoot. You're getting forward on a few of these. Sit your butt back to hit the last few inches of depth.

Also, please crop your videos in the future to include just the part where you get under the bar and do the set.

[Roy Thomas]

Wear thicker socks next time, and put on a belt.

Leaning over and sitting back are intimately related. If you sit back, you'll have an easier time leaning over and keeping the weight over midfoot won't be such a challenge.

[Radnor80]

Get a little more bent over right away and keep your foot pressure midfoot. You're getting forward on a few of these. Sit your butt back to hit the last few inches of depth.

Also, please crop your videos in the future to include just the part where you get under the bar and do the set.

Thanks Coach. I have been focusing on the mid foot as I descend, hopefully it will be more obvious over time. I'm a little worried if I sit back more, my lower back will round again, and I'll get hurt.

Regarding the videos, I though 'shorts' weren't allowed, so I purposefully made it longer than 1 minute - although I could have cut off 10 secs or so.

Wear thicker socks next time, and put on a belt.

Leaning over and sitting back are intimately related. If you sit back, you'll have an easier time leaning over and keeping the weight over midfoot won't be such a challenge.

Thanks Roy. Interestingly I felt like the weight was over midfoot...

I will order a belt.

[AndrewLewis]

Thanks Coach. I have been focusing on the mid foot as I descend, hopefully it will be more obvious over time. I'm a little worried if I sit back more, my lower back will round again, and I'll get hurt.

I know this isn't a super helpful response, but you'll have to keep your back flat. That's what lumbar muscles are for, and they get trained a lot in these movements. If you find that you physically cannot keep your back flat when the weight is heavier, the solution isn't to squat more upright and forward of the midfoot. It's to make your lumbar better controlled and stronger which is usually caused by doing squats correctly as you progress in weight.

Regarding the videos, I though 'shorts' weren't allowed, so I purposefully made it longer than 1 minute - although I could have cut off 10 secs or so.

I'm going to have to look into this 'shorts' issue. There's got to be a way to post a video shorter than one minute without it getting converted to a short.

[Roy Thomas]

I'm going to have to look into this 'shorts' issue. There's got to be a way to post a video shorter than one minute without it getting converted to a short.

There is! Most computers come with a video editor of some kind (mine has windows movie maker, free version). By simply putting the video in the editor and saving it as an HD MP4 you can upload any length of video as an actual vid, not a short.

[AndrewLewis]

There is! Most computers come with a video editor of some kind (mine has windows movie maker, free version). By simply putting the video in the editor and saving it as an HD MP4 you can upload any length of video as an actual vid, not a short.

That's good to know, but I suspect no one is going to do that because they're just uploading from their phones. Any ideas on how to do it on the Youtube end?

[Roy Thomas]

That's good to know, but I suspect no one is going to do that because they're just uploading from their phones. Any ideas on how to do it on the Youtube end?

My phone is linked to my PC so all my stuff goes across platforms. Short of that, I've got no clue. There isn't much about this online either.

[Ryan Arnold]

There is! Most computers come with a video editor of some kind (mine has windows movie maker, free version). By simply putting the video in the editor and saving it as an HD MP4 you can upload any length of video as an actual vid, not a short.

I believe if you film in landscape it won't become a short, but filming vertically it will

[AndrewLewis]

Let's see if it worked.