Form critique thread, post your videos here.

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Replies

  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    Would be interested in your feedback on my deadlift form. This is a 1RM (365lb @ 165lb bw), since it's the only video I have. As such it's probably my form at it's worst.

    Deadlift 1RM

    At some point I'll get around to getting a vid of my squat form and put that up too.

    Edit: Might want to turn the sound down before watching - I'm a shouter.

    Pretty damn good form for a 1RM attempt if I'm honest.

    My one suggestion for you would be to consider extending your legs before you start (the period in the video where you're crouched down preparing for your lift). When you're ready, take a big breath, THEN get down into position and pull. Reason being, you can take a bigger breath when you're not all scrunched up and in a position to pull. You'll have to hold your breath for an extra second or so as a result but it's not a big deal.

    Thanks, I shall definitely try that next time I pull.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    dennie24 wrote: »
    Hi, everyone. This is my first time posting here and I am really embarrassed but I am hoping to get some advice on my squats. I have been focusing a lot on form and I am just not sure about it. Do I have too much pelvic tilt at the bottom? It probably looks weird that I stopped a few times to take a couple breaths but I was battling some major mental doubt about my form and I was just trying to reset. Thank you for your time.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meBb4rdekkQ

    Thanks for posting.

    First of all you have nothing to be embarrassed about.

    I'm not concerned about pelvic tilt. You do tend to have a bit of a good-morning as the hips are rising faster than your chest. There's a few different causes.

    You might want to deload a bit of weight and focus on leading with your chest to attempt to sync the ascent of the chest and hips.

    That being said I'm going to watch your vid more before commenting futher.

    Overall though aside from the early hips I think you have a nice squat and that's damn sure nothing to be embarrassed about.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Ok, having watched it again I'm going to raise the question as to whether or not the issue is simply that your posterior chain is much stronger than your quads so you are basically shooting the hips early because you're simply stronger in that position.

    Granted I could be wrong and it could be a matter of programming (learning to sync the chest/hips). But having said that, I'd consider accessorizing or cycling in front squats for a bit to see if that helps the issue after a while.

    It doesn't look (to me at least) that it's a mobility issue. Ankle complex looks reasonable, knees look reasonable, and honestly other than the early hip thing (which could be causing the slight variance in bar path rather than the other way around) your squat looks solid.

    Finally, it does look like you're racking from a fairly low rack position. Not sure if you can raise that or not but it looks low for you.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Everything SideStreet said, I agree with. That squat is better than about 80% I've seen and it would take minimal work to make it near-perfect.
  • dennie24
    dennie24 Posts: 251 Member
    I will definitely add some front squats to the mix and be more mindful of my chest and hips being synced. I'll look at raising the rack a bit too. Thank you so much for your feedback SideSteel and DopeItUp!
  • crashchamp
    crashchamp Posts: 147 Member
    Hey guys I am pretty new to lifting about 2 months. A friend recommended posting to this group to get tips on squat form. This is my first youtube video as well so sorry about any quality issues. This is 175 pounds and my 3rd set of 8. I figured I would video the set where I am most fatigued. Thanks for any tips.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYJ-ajkN5O0

  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Your video is private, FYI. Gotta make it unlisted or public.
  • crashchamp
    crashchamp Posts: 147 Member
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    Your video is private, FYI. Gotta make it unlisted or public.

    Oops It should be public now sorry
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    edited January 2015
    Squats today... not my best set, not my worst. 5/3/1... 165 / 190 / 210

    http://youtu.be/iAeGj5lMorM
  • JeffseekingV
    JeffseekingV Posts: 3,165 Member
    They look easy. Two things:
    1) You lean a touch forward and that puts the weight over your toes. You should in theory be able to lift your toes up. Keeps the weight over your midfoot/heels.
    2) Since it's a light weight, you can tippie toe the weitht off the holders. But once the weight gets heavy, it will be difficult to put it back. You can see you had to heave the bar up to get it back onto the holders. Better to just lower the holders 1 setting and not have to worry about it.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    In addition to what Jeff said - you're not square when you take the bar off the pins. You have your right foot under the bar, left foot is back. Like Jeff said - it may not be a problem now, but it might be later on.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    edited January 2015
    They look easy. Two things:
    1) You lean a touch forward and that puts the weight over your toes. You should in theory be able to lift your toes up. Keeps the weight over your midfoot/heels.

    That's something I struggle with fairly often. Even when I'm really conscious of it, I struggle. It's a balance thing for me, but I'm not sure if that's an indicator of something else.

    I didn't feel great today, and it showed in my bar path and general control of the weight. I'm never perfect (whatever that is), but I'm not usually this sloppy. At least I don't usually feel this sloppy.

  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    jacksonpt wrote: »
    They look easy. Two things:
    1) You lean a touch forward and that puts the weight over your toes. You should in theory be able to lift your toes up. Keeps the weight over your midfoot/heels.

    That's something I struggle with fairly often. Even when I'm really conscious of it, I struggle. It's a balance thing for me, but I'm not sure if that's an indicator of something else.

    I didn't feel great today, and it showed in my bar path and general control of the weight. I'm never perfect (whatever that is), but I'm not usually this sloppy. At least I don't usually feel this sloppy.

    Meh, really didn't look bad considering that last set was AMRAP. If your AMRAP set is picture-perfect then it wasn't AMRAP, IMO. Bar path coming forward slightly...meh. I do it too. I've seen it plenty, even on very advanced squatters who are putting 500, 600+ on the bar. When it gets extreme it causes problems but slightly forward isn't the end of the world. Something to keep an eye on and keep working on, but nothing to panic about.

    Hell, if anything, my biggest critique would be borderline depth. You're pretty much riiiiiight at parallel.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    Hell, if anything, my biggest critique would be borderline depth. You're pretty much riiiiiight at parallel.

    Yea... I think that's a hip/mobility issue. front squats (with my torso more upright) I have no problem getting lower. But back squats bottom out right there at parallel.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    RDLs 5/3/1 style - 230/260/290

    http://youtu.be/MAR7JpNH_v4
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Last one... bench - 5@145 ... 3@160 ... 10@180

    http://youtu.be/ztmRxyB09cU
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    @jacksonpt I'm not an RDL master but from what I understand, you want to go down with a neutral back until you've got a stretch in your hamstrings, and then come back up. You are going wayyyyy past that point and you have tons of lumbar flexion which is just begging for a lower back injury, IMO. Furthermore, you're doing it as a power move with lots of weight which is really cranking up that injury risk even further. Most people tend to do RDLs or SLDLs as an accessory movement. Slow, controlled and sets of say, 8-12 for building up the posterior chain muscles. Doing AMRAP with heavy weight sounds like a recipe for disaster. Finally, if I haven't insulted you enough (sorry), watch those arms and keep them straight. Bending your elbow a bunch like that with nearly 300lbs on the bar is asking for a bicep tear. Keep them perfectly straight, flex your tricep if you need to keep them from bending.

    I didn't watch this whole video but the form looks good to me and might be worth watching:
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    @jacksonpt bench doesn't look bad, there are different preferences around bench depending on what your goals are. You bench like a bodybuilder (flared elbows, touching high on chest) which is typical for people seeking to build their pecs but obviously this won't do as much for strength/powerlifting. So it depends on your goals :)
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Thanks dope... I'll watch that vid tomorrow when I'm back at work.
  • jenglish712
    jenglish712 Posts: 497 Member
    edited February 2015
    th_CAM00172_zpsb8czvcaz.mp4

    Not a great vid, but hopefully get some feedback on what I'm not doing right.

    If I even posted the video in a way thats viewable.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    th_CAM00172_zpsb8czvcaz.mp4

    Not a great vid, but hopefully get some feedback on what I'm not doing right.

    If I even posted the video in a way thats viewable.

    I'd like to see you post one without the shoes from the same angle and another clip from front or back if possible so I could get an idea of your stance width and what could be occurring laterally.

    Aside from those shoes possibly being a detriment, it didn't look bad.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    SideSteel wrote: »
    th_CAM00172_zpsb8czvcaz.mp4

    Not a great vid, but hopefully get some feedback on what I'm not doing right.

    If I even posted the video in a way thats viewable.

    I'd like to see you post one without the shoes from the same angle and another clip from front or back if possible so I could get an idea of your stance width and what could be occurring laterally.

    Aside from those shoes possibly being a detriment, it didn't look bad.

    Agreed. Only other nitpick point is that your depth varied in all three squats. You were nice and low the first time, then high the second, then somewhere in between on the third. Consistency will probably come with experience.
  • jenglish712
    jenglish712 Posts: 497 Member
    Thanks. I will try to get some additional vids next time. I had been. looking at some chuck taylors later that day and do plan to get something more solid. I will b more mindful of my depth. I have been focusing on spine alignment and may need to focus on depth as well.I tend to overarch my lower spine at the lowest point.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    edited February 2015
    Would be interested in your feedback on my deadlift form. This is a 1RM (365lb @ 165lb bw), since it's the only video I have. As such it's probably my form at it's worst.

    Deadlift 1RM

    At some point I'll get around to getting a vid of my squat form and put that up too.

    Edit: Might want to turn the sound down before watching - I'm a shouter.

    SS, any feedback on my deadlift form? Grateful for the feedback DopeItUp already gave, but second set of eyes always welcome.

    http://youtu.be/LD54E6ORBRE
  • jdholland5508
    jdholland5508 Posts: 162 Member
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=8bFnxLboKi0&feature=youtu.be

    This is me 255x5. I want to have a stronger bench so looking on ques I can use to get me to more of a power lifters form.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=8bFnxLboKi0&feature=youtu.be

    This is me 255x5. I want to have a stronger bench so looking on ques I can use to get me to more of a power lifters form.


    First of all strong bench.

    As far as technical adjustments I'll point out a few things I'd consider.

    First and foremost you could stand to get much tighter on the bench by improving your start position. There's a few different methods for this, one is a swing-under method where you propel yourself under the bar to stuff into place and another is the feet-on-the-bench method that Dave Tate teaches in his So You Think You Can Bench series.

    At any rate, the idea is to do the following things:

    a) Get your feet further under you rather than out in front. This will increase hip extension and overall tightness.

    b) Attempt to get your *kitten* and your shoulders closer together.

    Doing this will shorten your ROM by elevating the chest.

    An additional thing to consider, and you'll have to put some thought into this, would be the degree to which you flare your elbows. My opinion is that this can be a risk to your shoulders as this will increase joint stress at the bottom of the press. However, my experience is that MOST people see an immediate decrease in strength when they learn to tuck their elbows (very likely that you'd see an immediate decrease followed by it getting stronger as you get used to the technique).

    I'd check out Dave Tate's benching videos on YouTube. So You Think You Can Bench is a great one as it will cover most of the above and some extra stuff.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    edited February 2015
    Would be interested in your feedback on my deadlift form. This is a 1RM (365lb @ 165lb bw), since it's the only video I have. As such it's probably my form at it's worst.

    Deadlift 1RM

    At some point I'll get around to getting a vid of my squat form and put that up too.

    Edit: Might want to turn the sound down before watching - I'm a shouter.

    SS, any feedback on my deadlift form? Grateful for the feedback DopeItUp already gave, but second set of eyes always welcome.

    http://youtu.be/LD54E6ORBRE

    Didn't look bad considering it was a heavy *kitten* pull.

    I'm really poor at technique assessment when I can't see a side view to get a good idea of the barbell positioning relative the scapula/midfoot -- but having said that I suspect you're fine.

    It doesn't look to me like you're really getting a big breath of air prior to the pull.
  • jdholland5508
    jdholland5508 Posts: 162 Member
    Awesome. Will check that out thanks.
  • jenglish712
    jenglish712 Posts: 497 Member
    Still gonna get more video, just the gym's been busy and only one rack so I try to be courteous. You asked the next vid to be barefoot. I switched from my cross trainers to Chuck Taylors so I will probably take the next vid in those since that is primarily how I lift.
  • smittybuilt19
    smittybuilt19 Posts: 955 Member
    http://youtu.be/H5KEurcJIEg

    It's been a while since I've had a form check. Have at it! Thanks y'all !