Form critique thread, post your videos here.
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Thanks again for the feedback guys. I will take the advice given and apply it.0
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Two months ago I received some very helpful advice on my squat form. I was supposed to repost a video but I just never got the chance to do so until now.
As per the suggestions, I did deload at that time and ended up working my way back via the stronglifts program. I ended up making it to 135lbs but failed three times. So I deloaded and am back at 120lb.
This video is of my first set. I warmed up before this but still noticed that I didn't get as low as I should.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC2Vt82kCh8
This video is of my last set.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHSsy9eqSlw
I have been doing the dislocation stretch before each workout because I felt that I was having difficulties with my arm placement. In addition to any critque, can someone tell me what I should be doing at the top of the squat? Should I be squeezing at the top as I am right now? Also, I was feeling a lot of pain in my lower back which was the main reason I was failing at the 135lb mark.
Thank you so much for your previous suggestions and any advice you can give me at this time.0 -
Two months ago I received some very helpful advice on my squat form. I was supposed to repost a video but I just never got the chance to do so until now.
As per the suggestions, I did deload at that time and ended up working my way back via the stronglifts program. I ended up making it to 135lbs but failed three times. So I deloaded and am back at 120lb.
This video is of my first set. I warmed up before this but still noticed that I didn't get as low as I should.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC2Vt82kCh8
This video is of my last set.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHSsy9eqSlw
I have been doing the dislocation stretch before each workout because I felt that I was having difficulties with my arm placement. In addition to any critque, can someone tell me what I should be doing at the top of the squat? Should I be squeezing at the top as I am right now? Also, I was feeling a lot of pain in my lower back which was the main reason I was failing at the 135lb mark.
Thank you so much for your previous suggestions and any advice you can give me at this time.
From the back, you look to be a bit off center. We are all dominant on one side more than the other, but I think yours was caused by the initial bar placement being crooked.
In the first video, you are a bit shy of parallel. I am trying to pinpoint what is off with the squats - it looks to me like you are breaking at the hips first (which is correct), but you are rocking back and arching your back too much before you break at the knees. It should be a quick continuation - break at the hips then immediately break at the knees, without a rebalancing of the your center of gravity.You should also look to keep a neutral spine, not an arched one.
You do not need to squeeze at the top - just be assertive when straightening up (as much as you can as you will always be a little bent at the waist due to the bar position).
Also, take a deep belly breath at the top of the squat - and tighten your core and lats before descending.0 -
Ok, so the fact that the weight is always sliding on the right side of the bar had me concerned so I took a behind/money shot. The rack that I am using does have a very slight tilt in that direction but it seems there is something going on in my squat movement causing the weight to slide more so than the irregularity in the rack. advice please.
As always, I appreciate your time and comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naeIPSEFDPs&feature=youtu.be
Nothing particularly noticable. We all have some imbalances. If it is causing problems, add some single leg work into your routine as assistance lifts - bugarian split squats are good (and evil).
I noticed you had a pretty pronounced butt wink - I would also suggest doing some mobility work to try to minimize that.0 -
that is a really interesting 'casestudy' viglet. If you look at the bar path alone you couldn't fault it, but the mechanics of the movement need some work. It looks like your hips are shooting way back and then you are bending over - creating more of a pronounced horizontal pivot than a descent/ascent. That would almost certainly be contributing to the extra load on your lower back.
Sara's comment about the knee break is right on, perhaps the a mental cue of sitting down rather than sitting back would be a good place to start. Out of curiosity, are your quads the limiting factor when it comes to squat strength?0 -
Ok, so the fact that the weight is always sliding on the right side of the bar had me concerned so I took a behind/money shot. The rack that I am using does have a very slight tilt in that direction but it seems there is something going on in my squat movement causing the weight to slide more so than the irregularity in the rack. advice please.
As always, I appreciate your time and comments.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naeIPSEFDPs&feature=youtu.be
Nothing particularly noticable. We all have some imbalances. If it is causing problems, add some single leg work into your routine as assistance lifts - bugarian split squats are good (and evil).
I noticed you had a pretty ... butt wink - I would also suggest doing some mobility work to try to minimize that.
Thanks for noticing my pretty butt wink
lol.
Srs, thank you Sara, for the critique, I will apply your advice! And work on mobility for the sake of the butt wink.0 -
Thank you so much Sara for your recommendations. I do notice that I create a huge arch in my back, in fact I once had a personal trainer tell me that because of my arch I have weak abs (not sure how much of that makes sense as I don't know enough about the human body). I am going to try and focus on those pointers you have given.
Thank you as well Rayman79. I don't really know if it is my quads. To be honest, I feel that my quads are pretty strong and I feel that I can easily engage them. I struggle trying to engage my glutes and my abs. I'm going to use the mental cue of sitting down instead of pushing back like you have suggested.
Thank you again to both of you!0 -
Ok, so the fact that the weight is always sliding on the right side of the bar had me concerned so I took a behind/money shot. The rack that I am using does have a very slight tilt in that direction but it seems there is something going on in my squat movement causing the weight to slide more so than the irregularity in the rack. advice please.
As always, I appreciate your time and comments.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naeIPSEFDPs&feature=youtu.be
Nothing particularly noticable. We all have some imbalances. If it is causing problems, add some single leg work into your routine as assistance lifts - bugarian split squats are good (and evil).
I noticed you had a pretty ... butt wink - I would also suggest doing some mobility work to try to minimize that.
Thanks for noticing my pretty butt wink lol.
Srs, thank you Sara, for the critique, I will apply your advice! And work on mobility for the sake of the butt wink.
Some good hamstring stretches will probably help a lot with the butt wink. This is what I do:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-wiOqYcxoI 0 -
Thank you so much Sara for your recommendations. I do notice that I create a huge arch in my back, in fact I once had a personal trainer tell me that because of my arch I have weak abs (not sure how much of that makes sense as I don't know enough about the human body). I am going to try and focus on those pointers you have given.
Thank you as well Rayman79. I don't really know if it is my quads. To be honest, I feel that my quads are pretty strong and I feel that I can easily engage them. I struggle trying to engage my glutes and my abs. I'm going to use the mental cue of sitting down instead of pushing back like you have suggested.
Thank you again to both of you!
FWIW, as I have tried to all but eliminate my over arching problem, I have noticed my abs working harder. abs working = great feeling IMO. 0 -
Thanks Dope, as always.
I always appreciate the time you all take to watch people's videos and provide feedback!0 -
Thanks Dope, as always.
I always appreciate the time you all take to watch people's videos and provide feedback!
It is my pleasure! I've learned a lot by doing everything wrong the first eight times, so I might as well pass it along.0 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwrK1idrkRo
Not sure how I chopped off my last two reps but anyways.
Based off of this video (although against the 5x5 plan), would you folks recommend NOT moving up in weight next session? I'm at the point where I feel form is going to be compromised. BTW I did complete all 5 reps.0 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwrK1idrkRo
Not sure how I chopped off my last two reps but anyways.
Based off of this video (although against the 5x5 plan), would you folks recommend NOT moving up in weight next session? I'm at the point where I feel form is going to be compromised. BTW I did complete all 5 reps.
Hard to say since I can only see the first three.
I don't want to wall-o-text bomb but the decision to move up in weight is a very personal and subjective thing.
My brief summary of my experience:
If your form is picture-perfect every time, you are probably going too light. NO ONE has perfect form at maximal weights.
If you aren't pushing actual maximal weight (with maybe a little form breakdown), your strength increases will probably start to decrease and eventually plateau.
The idea is to maintain form as well as you possibly can while still making progress. If the only way you can continue to make progress is by having worse and worse form, maybe it's time to deload and work your way back up.
There's also a big difference between a little back rounding on a deadlift and horrifying hunched-over-in-full-spinal-flexion deadlifts while violently trying to jerk the weight into position. What level of risk you are comfortable with is up to you.
Unfortunately, a lot of figuring out your lifts is by making mistakes and then fixing them. With that carries risks. If you are not comfortable taking any degree of risk, lift with perfect form every time and stop as soon as there is even the slightest degradation in form. Just be aware that your progress and overall potential will probably be impacted.
So given your video, if it were ME I'd probably keep going. Your form is better than probably 75% of gym-goers I've ever seen. Just keep working on getting those lats set and tight before you pull, don't let those hips shoot up before the bar moves. When the hips start moving, the bar should be moving at exactly the same time. It's not bad now but be cognizant about it getting worse.0 -
Dope,
Thank you for that response. I have no problems with wall-o-text, especially when it's helpful. I understand what you're saying, it's basically a risk/reward type thing, instead its form/weight. I am still struggling with getting tight before the pull, and the hips shooting up first. I think those are, and probably should be, my biggest concerns in increasing weight. I am personally leaning towards hanging out where I am for the next session and see what happens. Thanks again!0 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60F-E6E5RQY&feature=youtu.be
Should be all 5 reps in case anyone else is following. Thanks.0 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60F-E6E5RQY&feature=youtu.be
Should be all 5 reps in case anyone else is following. Thanks.
Follow straight line of back for where head should be, so at beginning looking more down as noted above, but it follows that straight line, so you start looking up.
Also, easily see on the descent, you bend the knees before you bend over enough to get the bar past them.
It's obvious there, much better job going up though.
Knees straight or else you are moving the bar out of a straight line to get around them. And probably sooner than later you'll smack a kneecap on way down doing that.0 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60F-E6E5RQY&feature=youtu.be
Should be all 5 reps in case anyone else is following. Thanks.
Follow straight line of back for where head should be, so at beginning looking more down as noted above, but it follows that straight line, so you start looking up.
Also, easily see on the descent, you bend the knees before you bend over enough to get the bar past them.
It's obvious there, much better job going up though.
Knees straight or else you are moving the bar out of a straight line to get around them. And probably sooner than later you'll smack a kneecap on way down doing that.
I have nailed my knee caps several times. I think so hard about the pull and don't have anything in mind about descent. I feel if I keep my knees straight to avoid hitting them on the descent I'll end up rounding my lower back. Is that likely just in my head? Can you think of a mental cue to help with my descent issue?0 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60F-E6E5RQY&feature=youtu.be
Should be all 5 reps in case anyone else is following. Thanks.
Follow straight line of back for where head should be, so at beginning looking more down as noted above, but it follows that straight line, so you start looking up.
Also, easily see on the descent, you bend the knees before you bend over enough to get the bar past them.
It's obvious there, much better job going up though.
Knees straight or else you are moving the bar out of a straight line to get around them. And probably sooner than later you'll smack a kneecap on way down doing that.
I have nailed my knee caps several times. I think so hard about the pull and don't have anything in mind about descent. I feel if I keep my knees straight to avoid hitting them on the descent I'll end up rounding my lower back. Is that likely just in my head? Can you think of a mental cue to help with my descent issue?
you have to shoot your *kitten* back first on the decent, that will prevent rounding
Ditto, and empty bar practicing the descent to see the mechanics of it.
Of course being empty it's hard to let it drop straight down as it's going to need to do when really loaded up, but practice slow to keep it there.
And shouldn't get rounded back because tension shouldn't be released in upper back yet.
You made it up without rounded back - you can make it back down too.0
