Squat Form Check

[LTDPILOT]

Hi All,

Would like to get a form check on my squat.

I have been lifting SS for about 8 months now and am on the Advanced Novice program in the app and still making progress. I never had received any technique coaching until two weeks ago when I managed to get an hour of coaching in at Starting Strength Orlando with Pete Troupos. That session was mostly focused on the squat as I've never been happy with my technique. He gave me some great pointers and this video is after about 6 sessions of practice on those pointers at home. After the visit to SS Orlando I did a return from extended vacation deload to facilitate working on my technique as well as work back up from my 9 days away from home for work training hiatus (as per the gray book). The set videoed below is back up to my pre-work trip work set weight.

Note, I have never been happy with my squat technique. I've watched every video I can find of Rip or another SS coach teaching the squat and tried to emulate the tips and techniques. Pete had me adjust my stance width in, a couple inches, and adjust my gaze up slightly (in this video my head may be down too much). He also had me focus on midfoot balance as I tend to get on my heals (at least one rep below I get on my heals but I adjust for the next rep). Also, Pete noted that I have a longer torso so I may be slightly less horizontal than some and he had me slightly adjust my back angle. Of course, this doesn't mean that I made all these adjustments correctly once I got home.

(I know I need a leather belt, I have one on order at the suggestion of Pete.)

Work Set 3, 5 reps, 270lbs
Body Weight 170
Height 5'7"

Set 3 - 270#

[Jason Donaldson]

Good job sticking with the program, learning on your own, and getting to a coach. You're doing quite a bit correctly, but I'm pretty sure you're going to get Rip's "Do not post above parallel squats on this board." Your first first rep looks pretty much dead on - can you do them all to that depth?

At 170 lb, are you eating to gain weight?

If you can get your camera a bit lower, that would be a better angle.

[Satch12879]

You definitely need to lean over more at the start. These are also high.

My opinion is that you are underweight. How old are you?

[Mark Rippetoe]

No, Bare, they are in fact high.

[LTDPILOT]

Thank you Rip, here is my final workset from a few days prior. Are these high? Better angle Set 3

[LTDPILOT]

Good job sticking with the program, learning on your own, and getting to a coach. You're doing quite a bit correctly, but I'm pretty sure you're going to get Rip's "Do not post above parallel squats on this board." Your first first rep looks pretty much dead on - can you do them all to that depth?

At 170 lb, are you eating to gain weight?

If you can get your camera a bit lower, that would be a better angle.

Thanks, through my coached session in Orlando and two form checks through the app, I've never been told I was squatting high, kinda feels like a gut punch but as Rip says "fix it". The video angle is a bit weird and I used the phone's wide angle setting which is kinda fish eye (most noticeable top right), so combined that may have made depth harder to judge (not saying I'm not high, Rip says I'm high, I'm high). I'll fix the camera angle for my sets tomorrow. Regarding these work sets, I wonder if I drifted a bit high during set 3, here is set 1. And to answer the question, yes I can go deeper, in my misguided Crossfit days I squatted ATG, I thought I was squatting a couple inches below parallel now (apparently not).

Set 1 - 270

I video analyze each of my sets for depth prior to the next set as I don't have a coach, I literally live in the mountains not near anyone including a SS coach. Here is a screen grab from the app I use to check form each set...From a few days prior, I think I was a couple inches below parallel, no?

Screenshot_20241003-071007.jpg

Here is the video from the screen grabbed set:

SET 3 - 250

And finally here is Set 3 from my last light Squat day. This is definitely better depth? Too deep?

Light Squat - Set 3

I'm 41, I started at 153 and skinny fat. My body composition has changed significantly. I would like to be at 180 and should get there eventually.

Appreciate the help from everyone.

[LTDPILOT]

...

Sorry, one more post, this is an older video screen grab (lighter weight), roughly 2 inches below parallel, no?

I'm going to use 2 phones videoing my heavy sets tomorrow and want to ensure I am checking correct depth throughout...

Image.jpg

[Mark Rippetoe]

Sorry, one more post, this is an older video screen grab (lighter weight), roughly 2 inches below parallel, no?

I'm going to use 2 phones videoing my heavy sets tomorrow and want to ensure I am checking correct depth throughout...

Image.jpg

This is about an inch below parallel. This is discussed and illustrated in the book you should have read.