Squat form check?

citteacat

video;
http://tinyurl.com/mdy9375

May take a moment to buffer.

I feel like I'm doing them horribly wrong.

I know I lean forward way too much, and I seem to have the..'butt wink' problem. ( still can't get over the name of that. )
I can't seem to stop myself from leaning forward that much.

Does anyone have any tips/suggestions? Would increasing my hip mobility and and general flexibility probably fix this problem?
I'm only on day 12 of working out, and I just wanna fix this problem before I end up with bigger problems.

Also sorry I couldn't get the lower portion of my legs into frame, but I am keeping my weight on my heels. And from what I can tell my knees don't go past my toes.

I can feel my glutes & thighs being worked, should I take this as a good sign?




The video is short, but I usually do 10-20 reps at a time. I haven't added any weights.

12by311

Increasing mobility and flexibility in your hips and hams should help the butt wink.

I can't tell from vid but I think you need to widen your stance so your butt has room to go down more. If you've ever seen a baby or toddler squat, they usually do it perfectly!

And remember to drive heel down.

/non-expert input.

citteacat

Thanks for the reply!

I was actually just trying out a wider stance just now, also trying to make sure my knees went out instead of in; I did seem to go down a bit further! Not completely sure since I didn't record, but I definitely felt more burn in the muscles than usual - like they were being targeted better.

xsmilexforxmex

Def looks like the winder stance should help... but everything else looks good to me to be honest. I'm not sure I understand what I butt wink is.. after googling it and watching videos it seems like they just mean rounding your back vs keeping a straight back? If that's the case the widened stance should help and keep your eyes up, and shoulders back and down

WakkoW

I agree with the wider stance. You could go down a tad bit more.

Here is a link for "third world squats" I sit in this position several times a day because I find it comfortable.

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1856085

Your back looks good. If you had a bar, you might find it easier.

geekyjock76

I only got a quick view because I'm going to bed but it almost looked as if you were actively flexing your trunk and had very relaxed hip flexors as you descended. Your pelvis is certainly tilting too much. Are you contracting your glutes and hip flexors and maintaining so as you descend? Do you have something sturdy to hold onto with outstretched arms so you can concentrate of keeping the hip flexors tight and your torso more upright with chest and shoulders back? Maybe even a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell to use as a sumo squat? Also, if you lack ankle flexibility, you may not be able to keep your torso upright enough without falling backwards. Even people with great flexibility may need squat shoes to raise the heel to prevent that from happening.

citteacat

That looks like the position I go into to look for food in lower pantries and lower part of the fridge. Go figure! haha



I think I might try using an old broomstick as a bar replacement, to see if that helps.
Unfortunately the only actual bar in my house is a bit too heavy for me at this point in time.

citteacat

I have a quick question.. Could tight hamstrings also be part of the problem?
To be quite honest...I can't even touch my toes.

I really just want to make a mental list of all the tings i need to work on.