Form Checks

[tlewis3348]

I have videos of all my lifts here: https://youtu.be/bARmPwL9z-g.

For a couple months now I've been having persistent pain in my left butt cheek (about the place where my tailbone feels like it hits a seat when I'm sitting) that I'm guessing is related to something I'm doing wrong in my squat or deadlift. If it matters, I do not generally have a wallet in my back pockets, and if I do, it is on my right side.

Also, there has been pain in my right deltoid towards the back which seems to be stretched (and to some extent relieved) when I put my fist on my hip and rotate my elbow forward. If it matters, I have been doing weighted chin-ups (I just recently did 3x5 at 45 lb with the last rep being only half completed).

In these videos, I am lifting the following weight (links are to the last set for each):

Squat: 250 lb (link)
Bench: 150 lb (link)
Press: 100 lb (link)
Deadlift: 300 lb (link)

When I first started experiencing the pain, I was up to the following weight for each lift:

Squat: 280 lb
Bench: 170 lb
Press: 110 lb
Deadlift: 335 lb

A few weeks later, due in part to the pain, but also in part to a business trip, I took ~1.5 weeks off to see if it was due to a lack of recovery. However, the pain only decreased slightly over that time. When I came back, I decided to try just lifting the lighter weight to see if that helped anything, but if it has helped at all, it hasn't been much.

[tlewis3348]

I'm very interested in getting this figured out, but as it stands, I'm completely in the dark, and I don't want to cause permanent damage. So, if there is more info I could provide, a better camera angle, or something else that would help identify the root cause of the pain, please let me know. Also, please let me know if you think the pain will just eventually go away if I continue at the lower weight.

[BareSteel]

Tim, sorry your thread didn't get a response yet. To be honest, a review of every lift is more for a full consultation. Let me help you out on a few of these.

I can't see the squat well enough from this angle to make a fair assessment of your technique. Try a rear 45 degree angle, camera staged not too high up or too low to the ground.

Deadlift, you're doing something at the top that's not too great. You're soft at the top and sort of leaning back with your torso, neck a bf head to compensate. Simplify this and just finish standing up at the top. It should look smooth and crisply locked out. If you need to use the alternate grip because it's heavy, that's fine. If you're doing it because you observed strong guys do that and it looks cool, go back to double overhand. Double overhand has its limits, but it's more symmetrical than alternate. Use it as long as it is practical. I prefer the hook grip for when it gets heavy, but opinions vary. Let's start there. Take a little weight off of you can't do a smooth lockout with this load.

For your press, firm up your wrists and think "armpits" to get your elbows in line with your forearms. You want to be tight.

Hope this helps.

[tlewis3348]

Thanks so much for taking the time to help with this.

I can't see the squat well enough from this angle to make a fair assessment of your technique. Try a rear 45 degree angle, camera staged not too high up or too low to the ground.

I'll take some new videos of my squat from the different angle tomorrow morning.

Deadlift, you're doing something at the top that's not too great. You're soft at the top and sort of leaning back with your torso, neck a bf head to compensate.

Maybe I'm mistaken about what "standing up at the top is". It at least feels like I'm continuing the motion until the hip joint is fully extended. Am I mistaken, or is that not what I should be doing?

If you need to use the alternate grip because it's heavy, that's fine. If you're doing it because you observed strong guys do that and it looks cool, go back to double overhand. Double overhand has its limits, but it's more symmetrical than alternate. Use it as long as it is practical. I prefer the hook grip for when it gets heavy, but opinions vary.

I don't really care about looking "cool". It was originally motivated because the weight got too heavy to lift with a double overhand grip, and while I tried the hook grip for a little while, I ended up switching back to the alternate grip because it was easier, and from what I've read, the benefits seemed pretty minor. Maybe I'm mistaken. If that could resolve the pain issues I've been having, I'll definitely try to hook grip again.

For your press, firm up your wrists and think "armpits" to get your elbows in line with your forearms. You want to be tight.

Noted. Thanks.

To be honest, a review of every lift is more for a full consultation.

There's a Starting Strength gym starting up in a few months, and they have a squat and deadlift camp in October I might attend, if I can find the $300 somewhere to be able to afford it.

[BareSteel]

Sounds good, Tim.

For deadlift, what I see is almost like a mini hitch at the top. Not smooth and you have a little excessive layback at your torso.

Grip: Sounds you have a legitimate reason to use the alternate or mixed grip. Carry on, if you like it. I lack the experience to suggest if it can cause the pain you're experiencing, since I prefer the hook.

Good idea on the in-person session. They'll clean things up for you quickly.

[Jason Donaldson]

There's a Starting Strength gym starting up in a few months, and they have a squat and deadlift camp in October I might attend, if I can find the $300 somewhere to be able to afford it.

I definitely understand that it can be hard to scrape together money, but I'll encourage you on this point. Early in my training career, I was able to make a deadlift/power clean camp, and it was absolutely worth it for the deadlift alone. I was also able later to get back to that affiliate gym for a session on squat and press with the SSC, which was even more valuable to me.

And I say this with the fact that it meant going down to Illinois both times, which is saying a lot right there....